Naval Headwear and the Newport Connection
Naval uniforms and photographs offer clues about the people and institutions behind them. This article explores the Naval Academy’s Civil War-era connection with Newport, Rhode Island, and the details visible in surviving photographs.
The U.S. Naval Academy temporarily relocated from Annapolis, Maryland, to Newport, Rhode Island, from 1861 to 1865 due to security concerns and Maryland's status as a divided slave state at the start of the American Civil War.
Why It Moved
Safety Concerns: Maryland remained in the Union, but it was a slave state with many Confederate sympathizers near Annapolis.
Secure Location: The War Department placed Fort Adams in Newport under Navy control in April 1861, viewing Narragansett Bay as a safe harbor and ideal training ground.
Annapolis Campus Use: The original Annapolis grounds were repurposed as a Union Army field hospital and barracks.
Arrival and Life in Newport
May 1861 Arrival: The training ship
USS Constitution ("Old Ironsides") and the steamer Baltic arrived in Newport Harbor on May 8–9, 1861, carrying about 130 midshipmen, officers, professors, and their families.
Floating Classroom: The
USS Constitution and other vessels served as classrooms, quarters, and training grounds for the duration of the conflict.
Community Welcome: Local Newporters greeted the academy with musical performances and a 24-gun salute from Fort Adams.
Return and Legacy
Return to Annapolis: When the Civil War ended in 1865, the Naval Academy packed up and moved back to its permanent home in Annapolis.
Lasting Impact: Instructor Commodore Stephen B. Luce remained in the area, later helping establish the Naval War College in Newport in 1881
This image below shows two female naval officers wearing a Visor cap and a Garrison or Tent Cap. Both officers are in summer uniforms. Note that the US Services wear the tent-cap or garrison cap horizontal on the head whereas the English and associated services wear the cap to the side with the point over the left eyebrow, The Glengarry is now worn in a horizontal fashion. The single silver bar denotes that they are Lieutenant Junior Grade or Lt. (JG). The Cap badges are the same for all ranks from Ensign to Admiral. This photograph is dated September 19, 2026. 
Below are three "Stripers" from Naval Academy Preparatory School, future Naval Officers, in "Blues"
Names are redacted.
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