Post-Civil War Kepi Cap With Soldier History

Manufacture: The M. C. Lilley and CO. 

Dimensions: 8 1/2x6 3/5x3"

Condition: Worn with Tears Along the Outer Edge, Loose Worn Leather and Strings. Missing the Metal Insignia Badge. The Inside Leather Band is Coming Loose. 

Additional Information: This M. C. Lilley & Co. military kepi forage cap is attributed to Harry Elwell Hitchner, who served from June 12, 1870, to August 9, 1878, with the 5th U.S. Cavalry during the American Indian Wars. Produced by M. C. Lilley & Co., a major supplier of U.S. military gear in the post–Civil War era, the cap bears both the maker’s mark and Hitchner’s name in silver inside the lining—linking it directly to the soldier who carried it through frontier service.

Accompanied by documentation from the Veterans Administration Master Index confirming his service record, the piece stands as a tangible relic of cavalry life on the frontier. Its classic kepi form—flat-topped with a short visor, refined in the 1872 redesign—reflects the practical, battle-tested headgear of U.S. troops during one of the most intense and defining eras of American expansion.