Preserving a Civil War Cap (With a Fatal-Bullet Hole)

Adam Savage explores the National Parks Museum Conservation Lab where conservator Sutton shows him a completely restored Union Civil War kepi from the Petersburg National Battlefield. The cap belonged to Lieutenant James Rowree, who in 1864 sought a commission to lead the 43rd United States Colored Troop during the campaign to capture Petersburg and Richmond. Rowree died when a bullet pierced through the top of his cap while he was either lying prone or leading a forward charge during an attack on a supply road. The conservation team made a deliberate philosophical decision to preserve the bullet hole as it represents the most historically significant aspect of the artifact, while addressing other forms of deterioration that occurred after Rowree's death. The restoration process involved multiple complex steps, starting with humidifying the fragmented silk interior lining to restore flexibility before repositioning the pieces. Sutton created silk crepeline underlays embedded with Lasco adhesive, which were attached using a small tacking iron to secure tears and prevent further damage. The team then created custom patterns and overlays using Stabletex, a lightweight polyester material that allows the original manufacturer's embossing to remain visible while providing protection. A particularly innovative technique involved using a heated tool to create welded seam lines in the polyester material, which simultaneously cuts and fuses the edges to prevent fraying. The metal embroidery on the front, made with gold-wrapped threads called bullion and sequins, was carefully cleaned with minimal intervention - using cotton swabs with mineral spirits and ethanol to remove dirt while leaving protective tarnish intact. The conservators worked closely with curators and historians to identify which elements were historically significant and should be preserved versus which represented later deterioration that needed stabilization.