The Infamous Major Fitz-John Porter

History took center stage this winter at Museum Textile Services when a rare example of a Civil War bicorn, or chapeau-de-bras, arrived along with its original cardboard box. The hat was made by Warnock & Co. of New York, which specialized in military headwear. The bicorn is constructed of beaver fur with a leather band around the inside of the cap. The cap is lined with purple silk imprinted with the Warnock & Co. label. The hat box is made of cardboard with a blue exterior and red paper tape around the edges. A Warnock & Co. label reading “From St. Nicholas Hotel No. 519 B-Way New York Warnock & Co. Fashionable Hatters” identifies the original owner of the bicorn as none other then the notorious “Mr. Fitz Porter 66 Union Place.”

Label on hat box. Courtesy of New Hampshire Historical Society.

Hailing from New Hampshire, ​Major General Fitz-John Porter served in the American Civil War in the Union army. Throughout 1862, it was the mission of the Union army to take the Confederate capital of Richmond. President Abraham Lincoln created the Army of Virginia, led by General Pope, to protect Washington and intimidate the nearby Confederate troops. General Porter, with the Fifth Corps of the Army of Potomac, had made disparaging remarks in telegraphs that would later be seen by General Pope on his way to joining Pope’s troops. 

Gen. Fitz-John Porter's bicorn, after conservation. Courtesy of New Hampshire Historical Society.

Portrait of Fitz-John Porter wearing what appears to be the bicorn conserved by Museum Textile Services. Courtesy of National Park Service.

​General Jackson of the Confederate army attacked Manassas on August 26, leading to what would later be called the Second Battle of Bull Run. Pope tried to destroy Jackson’s divisions before he could retreat, but Jackson remained strongly on the defensive. General Longstreet of the Confederate army flanked Pope with the remaining 5 of General Lee’s divisions. The only thing left to do was retreat by the time Union reinforcements arrived. 

​The battle was so devastating that the Union feared they might lose their great capital. As chaos ensued, President Lincoln dissolved the Army of Virginia and thus Pope’s position. General McClellan was in charge of maintaining the capital. Pope felt that McClellan set him up for failure and blamed McClellan for the loss of this battle. Pope knew he could not file charges against McClellan, but he could file them against McClellan’s assistants, Fitz-John Porter and a General Franklin. 

​Fitz-John Porter was charged with five counts of disobeying orders and four counts for shameful conduct before the enemy, charges that could result in the death penalty. Porter hoped that McClellan would be able to help, but McClellan was dismissed from the army before the trial. In 1863, Porter was found guilty of these crimes and dismissed from the army in this so-called “trial of the century.” He was exonerated in 1886 and had his rank restored to colonel, but would never work in the military again. 

Sculpture of General Fitz-John Porter in Haven Park in Portsmouth, NH.

General Porter was honored with a statue in his hometown of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1904. A WWII American Steam Merchant ship was named after him, and now his bicorn worn during the time of this great battle has been conserved at MTS. After gentle surface cleaning and polishing of the metallic elements, MTS Director Camille Myers Breeze repaired a tear to the silk lining of the cap. One of the two bullion tassels was reattached, and a custom mount was made of fabric-covered Ethafoam. The hat is now enlosed in a custom-made polypropylene box. The pieces of the original hat box were treated by paper conservator, Bryan Owen, and are now stable enough for display.

To see the entire collection of Major Fitz-John Porter holdings at the New Hampshire Historical Society, visit their online catalog. We are honored to contribute to the enduring history of this New Englander, and hope that others will be inspired to learn more about him. 
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​Morgan Carbone has a BA in Art History from Grinnell College. She recently finished her Master of Arts degree in Fashion and Textile Studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Morgan's interests include lace knitting and cats.