Confederate Cavalry, 1880-1900

You read that right. The First 1861 battle of Manassas (Bull Run) ended with the pursuit of the retreating Federals all the way to Washington. Lincoln and his government were captured and a peace treaty was drawn up. The treaty included the ceding of Arizona and the order states to the CSA.

Relations between the USA and CSA fluctuated between cooperation and hostilities converging on another war. However, the Confederate States of Ameriga turned its attention South. There were the campaigns against the Apaches and Commanches. Jefferson Davis authorized the establishment of the Camel Corps and boosted the troops sent to the Cortesian border. Among these were Civilized Indian units from the semi-independent Indian Territory. The Cherokee cavalry under Blue Crow Wattie (grandson of Stan Wattie) was particularly effective, greatly aided by the provision of first henry and then Winchester rifles.

The other issue was the relationship with Cortesia. Emperor Milo, the Gerolsteiner prince placed there by Blusia, and backed by conservative Cortesians as well as Blusian and Gerolsteiner forces. Even Fezia sent a small force to assist the government forces. At the end of the ACW Confederate 'volunteers' had also crossed the border to assist Emperor Milo. Meanwhile the USA had, through New Cortesia and California, provided the Juaristas with arms and uniforms. Eventuallly the scale of the rebellion overthrew Milo and foreign forces left. Some of them fled to the CSA. This included some Blusian tailors who found jobs for the Confederate army.

Below can be seen some later 19th century dismounted Confederate cavalry. Uniform and weapon supplies had become much more reliable and uniform but styles are very similar tot he ACW. The slouch hat largely supplanted the kepi. The weapons of choice were the Winchester rifle and Remington revolver. The metal cartridges led to the widespread adoption of canvas looped belts that could be worn at the waist or/and over the shoulders/

Although there was talk of adopting Butternut as the official uniform color the US forces were beginning to adopt a similar color to replace blue uniforms. For this reason Confederate forces retained grey uniforms. Blusian tailors also favored a new style of closer fitting trousers, similar to some European hussar styles. Unlike the US cavalry that were replacing high boots with high canvas gaiters, Confederate cavalry wore high red-brown leather boots. Army branches continued to display branch colors of yellow for cavalry, light blue for infantry, red for artillery and black for medical corps. 

On campaign CSA cavalry were, despite more uniform supplies, want to display individual caprice. Option included the shell jacket (influenced both by ACW cut and the Cortesian bandit and vaquero style and often festooned with additional metal decoration). Most outrageously, troopers sometimes wore this unbuttoned with no shirt or undershirt! Some ladies were known to swoon when troopers passed through towns, although officers usually tried to maintain decorum. Alternatively, troopers wore the less colorful and longer coat or just their shirts. Neckerchiefs were often worn to protect the neck from the harsh desert sun or to pull over the face in dusty conditions; they were civilian items and could be any color.




 It is an interesting fact that, the Confederate cavalry, in uniform, to some extent, resembled the Cortesian Rurales, although the latter's sombreros still distinguished; even there, sometimes Confederate cavalrymen also donned the very wide brimmed Cortesian hats and even ponchos.

FIGURES
The figures shown are 60mm cheapo Chinese made basically painted cowboys. They come in boxed sets, sometimes with wagons. Their noses are somewhat sharp and prominent! Most are armed with Winchester rifles and pistols.

  Normally if I wanted them as ACW troops I'd trim off the bullet loops on the belts. In the ACW the nearest thing to the Winchester was the henry rifle but they were not a common weapon, certainly even less so with Confederates.

  The figures with ropes I will use as horse holders. You might have noticed the figure with eye patch. I made a mess painting one eye so took the easy path and painted on an eye patch. I have done that before and eye patches look cool. Have more than two in a unit and it will look unduly strange but one or two are plausible.

  I also have a new infantry regiment on the bench ready for conversion.

 The coming war is between Cortesia and the Confederacy.

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