I do not know all the history behind this old hat, but it came out of a Maryland attorney's Civil War collection. It measures 7_� x 6_� across the base with a 2_� brim. On the front is the officers' hat wreath, a five-pointed star and a cavalry officer's hat cord. The inside sweat band identifies it as a �Lander Hat.� The aging inside the brim and a few worn spots on top clearly mark this as a very old hat. My guess is that it dates to the turn of the century and was probably specially made for a Grand Army of the Republic reunion. I have seen pictures of similar hats in books concerning veteran reunions, but never one quite identical to this one. A most interesting and scarce item.