Hardee Hat Pin - Tucson, AZ
This hat pin is part of a Hardee hat, also known as the Jeff Davis or the Koussuth. The uniform was issued to infantry units starting in 1861. The pin was placed to hold the side of the brim, signified whether a soldier was part of the cavalry or infantry.
The pin above, however, was discovered at Fort Lowell in Tucson, Arizona. The fort was built in 1873 and housed hundreds of cavalry and infantry soldiers during the Apache Wars. The Hardee hat pin was found in a small privy at the southeast corner of an officer’s quarters.
In the Southwest, hardee hats continued to be part of the standard military uniform until the early 1870s. New regulations for headwear, known as field hats, weren't issued until 1875. This pin may have been discarded during that transitional period.
