What cap is this?

[robinb]

Help please! It came out of an old collection.

[doyler]

Thinking its a Field Musicians cap.

 

Even though the side buttons are infantry and the looped bugle often denotes infantry and was worn as such until the crossed rifles were adopted in 1875 for infantry.

 

This badge matches one in Emerson's book for field musicians. He states that the Quartemaster Department had many of the pre 1875 pattern infantry bugles in stock so field and band musicians were issued these horns.

 

In 1877 the regulations stated for the regimental numbers be placed in the center of the horn with company number above.

 

Each Infantry Company or Artillery battery included two field musicians who gave the bugle calls.

 

Emerson states,in1885 Band Musicians soldiers, of regimental bands recieved lyre insignias.Also when the Quartermaster General introduced the screw piwst cap insignias in 1896 the Philadelphia Depot made horns of a thicker material eith both the regimental number and the company letter brazed to the horn.

 

The forage caps were worn until replaced by the visor caps in 1895.

 

The horn on this cap looks to be the 1872 pattern as its smaller in size and has the 3 looped cords with tassels.

[robinb]

Thanks, Ron, for the explanation. So does that mean that the cap is pre 1895? Or could it have been worn later?