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This hat was worn by Brigadier General Frederick E. Pierce (1862-1953), a general of the 2nd Massachusetts Infantry. The 2nd Massachusetts was a unit of the state militia. Pierce joined Company L, based in Greenfield, Massachusetts, soon after its formation in 1886. The state militia system was similar in many ways to that used by the British from their first settlement of America. Its shortcomings became apparent during World War I, when poorly-trained militia troops had to be integrated into the regular U.S. Army. During the war, the militia was converted into the National Guard, in an effort to professionalize these "citizen soldiers." Pierce served in the 2nd Massachusetts from 1886 to 1911, when he retired as a Major General.
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