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Petersburg National BattlefieldPeriod drawing of artillery being fired at siege of Petersbrug
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Petersburg National Battlefield
Pictionary: K
 

Kepi

Kepi

Similar to the forage cap, the kepi was a copy of the French officer's hat. The crown could be colored, usually for the branch of service of the wearer. The kepi was shorter than the forage cap, and was not very popular because it did not protect from the rain or sun like the slouch hat.


Knapsack

Knapsack

Knapsacks were initially issued to all infantrymen and other soldiers who habitually served on foot. Soldiers carried many of their belongings and supplies inside the knapsack. The majority of knapsacks were made of cotton cloth painted black or coated with some preparation of this color which rendered them waterproof. The longer a soldier served, the less he learned that he needed to keep in his knapsack.

Charles Dimmock, Architect of the Petersburg defense line.  

Did You Know?
From the summer of 1862 until the spring of 1863, Confederate Captain Charles Dimmock appealed to slaveholders to hire their enslaved people, and also hired free black laborers to dig the ten-mile defense line around the City of Petersburg. The defenses became known as the Dimmock Line.

Last Updated: December 18, 2007 at 09:13 EST