Uniforms, Arms, and Equipment: The U.S. Army on the Western Frontier 1880-1892

Here's something people here might be interested in. I previously posted elsewhere in regard to Douglas McChristian's new book, Uniforms, Arms, and Equipment: The U.S. Army on the Western Frontier 1880-1892.

Although this two-volume set has been out for awhile, the price tag has been a bit of a deterrent to me until now (it was a birthday gift)...I just bought and I have to say the volume of information is overwhelming!

This set is a follow-on to McChristian's earlier book which focused on the Army from 1870-1880 and it surpasses his earler work both for scope and depth. There's a lot of stuff I never knew about or was confused about and this book has gone a long way to filling in the gaps. I especially found his explaination of the marksmanship badges and how they were earned to be especially interesting.

I've just begun to examine it but I think I can safely say that if you're serious about recreating/reenacting the US Army of the 1880-1892 timeframe, you NEED to get this book. What's also interesting is reading about how some of the items were designed and the personalities of the personnel involved- sometimes, resistance to introducing a new item was simply a matter of "I don't like it, so there!".

McChristian also provides interesting details as to how equipment was marked and he contrasts what the "official" policy was versus what troops did out in the field. The pictures are also an excellent resource.

Max and I Join The Cavalry

Last weekend Max and I participated in our first Civil War cavalry training event and it was interesting, to say the least. The unit putting on the event is a newly-forming unit, the 7th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry and it was held on a ranch up in Soledad Canyon, not too far away from Vasquez Rocks. The unit itself is a bit of a "work in progress" so this was more of a "meet and greet" than a full-blown training event but it was still a good introduction. After hitching up, Max and I arrived early Saturday morning ready to go. Max trailered with no issues and he soon settled down into his new environment- it was a bit exciting for him but nothing bad.

The unit is a mixed bag of men and horses and many of the people had defected from other units for one reason or another. Apparently, there has not been a real Federal cavalry presence in a long time and the organizer/leader of the 7th Ohio is attempting to change that. For me, I've been away from the Civil War reenactment scene for a good five to six years and it's clear that things have changed quite a bit (I used to go Federal infantry but fell away from it for a variety of reasons to include getting into horses). The level of equitation was a bit mixed with a combination of green and experienced riders and some of the horses were pretty obnoxious- nevertheless, it wasn't a deal-breaker. I view it as a work-in-progress and it kind of reminds me of what I've read about our historical forbearers first forming up in 1861.

We worked on a variety of formations and movements and it was not anything too different from what I do with the Warhorse Foundation practices on Saturdays. I was able to work through the commands and formations fairly easily although Max could sometimes be bit obnoxious. Fortunately, Max is used to bumping butts so he wasn't too concerned about being pushed around in formation; at one point I was stuck next a green rider who couldn't control her horse so I had to keep an eye out for a horse that fish tailed all over the place- Max didn't mind the bumping butts though. No horses fired or tried did anything.

We also worked on weapons handling and this went a little better and people seemed to be very much in control and always conscious about safety (in fact the guy who organized the unit left a Confederate cav unit because of repeated safety violations/issues).For pistol shooting, I approached things a bit cautiously with Max and while I didn't fire off of Max (I suppose I could have but I've learned from bitter experience that rushing things leads to disaster). By the end I was able to place Max between two horses (maybe 2 or 3 feet on each side) with each person firing a half-load pistol charges. Max didn't flinch a bit.

Sword work was pretty decent and by the end I was working with steel- the sword fights are not too different from what Max and I did at Anza. Everything is controlled with safety in mind. The one big rule is that the sword point is to be kept up at all times and don't extend your arm out (i.e. lean out). I was also informed that some of the Rebs can be knuckleheads (nop surprise there) about the swordplay but usually things are fine- if necessary, break off.

One interesting thing about the site where we practiced is that it's in close proximity to train tracks (this is east of the 14 by Vasquez Rocks)so you're constantly hearing the roar of trains passing by. Good thing for de-sensitization. The other thing is that there's a wildlife center (sort of a Wildlife Waystation kind of operation) up the road that houses lions and other wild animals. With the wind blowing from there, the horses could smell (I imagine) the lions this seemed to make some the horses a bit more excited at times. You could also hear roaring throughout the night (at first I thought it was mules braying until I put it all together).

Overall, it was a good start and we'll need to work some more but I think it's got great potential. Moreover, for the first time, I can really get Max out to events and in the long run, this will make him a better horse. We just have to approach the whole thing intelligently and not rush things, especially in the mounted shooting area. More soon.

Below are a few pictures from the event. The ones of me are not the best but oh well...:-)

Max in the Movies Again

As a follow-on to the the film work we did back last May, some friends and I were called upon to do perform in the some pick-up shots for a trailer that an aspiring director is filming so he can get financing for the larger picture. I can't really give more specifics than that due to a non-disclosure agreement.

Unlike the last time which involved a large group involved in various fights et al., this involved three riders and we were supposed to be highwaymen/baddies/no-goodnicks racing down a trail. We filmed this close to Gabriellano Park along a trail that I've ridden many times- it's covered by trees. The perfect setting for a chase. It's kind of reminiscent of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and I was half-expecting Christopher Walken to pop out from behind a tree and pursue us on horseback.

I was dressed up in pseudo-18th Century clothes complete with a wig that gave me stringy long hair (I sort of looked like either a roadie in a rock band or pirate, take your pick). It was pretty amusing.

Max and I basically performed in a number of scenes where we're cantering down the forest trail. Max was with horses he's very familiar with and naturally he was a bit excited. Overall, Max was manageable although on several occassions we had to have a discussion on what's acceptable. We were out filming for about three hours and has time passed, Max was definately buzzed up to the point where I'd have to circle him several times before springing into the canter- basically a moving start. After the take, I'd walk Max around to calm him down.

Max was a lot better than when we last filmed in May and hopefully he'll be even better in the future. Although the film shoot wasn't that long, Max definately got a workout so a rest was in order. Naturally, Max got a nice bucket of Omolene and A&M after we got back to the stables. :-)

Collect the Set...

Today we had our weekly dressage lesson- it was good to back a break from the whole McClellan issue and use my nice, comfortable English saddle and get some serious work done: :-)

Max and I did more work on collection and it's interesting to see that as we've been practicing, Max has begun to develop his muscles to the point where he can hold a collected trot or canter for a longer period of time. More importantly, Max seems to be "getting it" more and more. This is not to say he's the perfect little horse- no- BUT he's making an honest effort in spite my mis-cues, bad seat, etc. (i.e., operator error).

Sometimes it seems that Max tries to collect even when I don't want him to do so- for example, I cue Max to transition into a working canter and he then attempts to slow down and collect. Excellent horse but it's not necessarily what I wanted. It seems to be a phase that will ultimately work out but it's kind of amusing to watch.

The other element that I've got to work on is using my aids to keep Max straight and to then bend him when going into corners/turning/etc. The key thing is that it's all about using my body to bend Max in the ribs and flanks and NOT using the reins (just maintain a light contact). If the body is pointed in the right direction, the nose should follow- it's not about pulling the horse around. Sounds simple, right? Well, sometimes it isn't so obvious and I know a lot of people who drag their horses around by the reins.

Anyway, this is a gradual process but I'm optimistic. Now my trainer wants me to read up on shoulder-ins and haunches-in because there are coming soon...:-)

I Really Hate the McClellan Saddle...

OK, this is just a start on a somewhat controversial subject- the McClellan saddle.

The more I use this saddle, the more a really dislike it. For the 1904, one of the biggest issues is that no matter how much I configure the cinch and billets, there's always a significant bulge of leather formed by the billets being doubles over and tied (just like with a western saddle). This bulge is also located such that the only way to position my legs is to the front of the bulge and this in turn makes me seat a lot less centered than what I'd want it to be. Worse, it seems to make Max dull to the leg aids (plus I need to use longer spurs...like the Army issue ones...hmmm!).

Now, no doubt I might have gotten things wrong but I just don't see any way around it. I decided to study what original sources I have at hand and I studied the pictures intently. I noticed that many of the riders have the same seat that I have- legs forward, in front of the "bulge". To me, this seat feels like you're sitting in a chair versus my usual position with my English saddle which is a bit more up and down.

Perhaps this is the way it was for riders "back in the day". If so, it definately forces me to ride a little differently and it's obvious that certain dressage movements are going to be hard to do (not that this is sort of saddle you would use for showing dressage! :-)).

The other disturbing element is that unlike my Germany Army saddle or my English saddle, this one rests more directly on Max's back and to me, it seems to focus my weight more directly on the horse's back and inhibit his movement more than with the other saddles. Now, I admit that I could probably stand to lose some weight but still...

OK, I'm still working this out in my mind and I could be totally off-base so I'll have to think some more about this...

Making the Jump...

One thing I forgot to mention from my last Saturday's trail ride is that while trotting along, at one point we encountered a log about 2 foot tall lying accross the trail. Now we could have easily stepped over the log at a walk but instead, we all decided (quite quickly) to jump over it.

I was at the back of the line so I had plenty of opportunity to prepare for it. I've jumped cavalettis before so this wasn't new but still, in a trail situation one has to be careful.

I spurred Max forward, firmly put myself into a two-point seat, and gave Max his head. I was expecting Max's usual way of "jumping", which is pretty much of a small hop. Well, much to my surprise, Max dug in deep and LAUNCHED himself over the log- the amount of power was amazing and it took me a bit by surprise. When Max landed on the other side, he speed up into a canter so I had to slow him down quickly (with no issues).

I was amazed and it was a bit of a rush- I've never seen him display that kind of power off his hindquarters. While I haven't done much formal jumping (and what I've done is pretty wimpy) and Max is not a "jumper" in the formal way, it was pretty cool and perhaps I'll pursue this in the future. :-)

Wow!

Serving in the 7th Cavalry c. 1940

I came accross a short but interesting article about William Richardson who served in the 7th Cavalry in the early 1940s. He enlisted in 1940, just prior to the US entering WWII. A lot of what he says mirrors the more detailed account of life in the peacetime US Cavalry writen by Charles Willeford in Something About a Soldier but what was especially telling was his describing how one or two horses would invariably dump their riders and run off during a large-scale formation or review. Very revealing and goes to show that even back then, riders still experienced the same sorts of issues with horses that we deal with today.

Click HERE for the article.