Cavalry in the West Exhibit- 1860-1865

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon: The Cavalry in the West
A Temporary Exhibit April 12-August 17, 2008

The Civil War
1861-1865

General explanatory text for this case

The yellow trimmings are quite evident in the officer and enlisted uniforms here. These items were widely used by the Cavalry well into the 1870s. Although the sabres were still worn, and sometimes used in combat, the breechloading carbine and percussion revolvers by Colt and Remington marked the shifting tactics whereby cavalry moved on horse and fought while dismounted from longer ranges instead of spectaculaare mounted charges where sabre swinging troopers could break an enemy's line of infantry, or drive their cavalry from teh field.

Context for the period
During the Civil War, most U.S. Cavalry units were engaged agasint the Confederate Army in the east.

However, some cavalry units were stationed on the Great Plains engaged in fights with the Indians, especially in Colorado. While the cavalry was not involved much with Utah (other than patrolling from Camp Douglas) their role and equipment were undergoing dramatic changes as a result of the Civil War.

As soon as the Civil War ended, cavalry arms and equipment changed little for the next 7 or 8 years, despite the increasing combat with the Indians, and the building of the transcontinental railroad which opened the floodgates for settlement of the west, and commerce.

Recommended References for further study:
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This captain wears the prescribed officer’s shell jacket commonly worn throughout the Civil War. He also wears the enlisted-issue saber belt and saber, a common occurrence during this period.

Buglers were distinguished by the yellow lace bars worn on the fronts of their jackets. This trumpeter also wears the regulation Hardee hat, denoting his regiment and company. The bugle was essential to all military communications. On the battlefield, the trumpeter sounded commands that could be heard above the chaos. Cavalrymen had to learn to distinguish between some 50 distinct bugle calls, such as Prepare to Mount, Halt, Gallop, Charge, Fours Right, Left Turn, On Right into Line and Commence Firing. At military posts throughout the West, the sound of the bugle regulated the soldier’s day, from Reveille in the morning to Taps at night. Cavalry learned another forty bugle calls such as Assembly, Fire Call and Retreat. During the Civil War, a variety of different bugle calls were used by different services. In 1867, the U.S. Army standardized all bugle calls, many of which are still used today.

This cavalryman wears the regulation shell jacket and is armed with the Pattern 1861 light cavalry saber and the Colt “Army” revolver.

The sack coat, or “recruit coat” as they were officially called, became one of the most common uniform jackets of the Civil War period. This soldier also wears his carbine sling across his shoulder.

The original Grimsley saddle was replaced in 1859 by the famous McClellan saddle. With some modifications, this type of saddle was used by the Army for the next 85 years until the Cavalry was dismissed at the beginning of World War II.

The McClellan saddle was initially designed by veteran cavalry officer George B. McClellan. During the Civil War, nearly half a million McClellan saddles were produced for soldiers and officers. The surplus 1859 pattern McClellan continued in use in the West for over a decade afterward. The bare rawhide tree however did not hold up well to the rigors of frontier duty.

While some Army officers preferred to use the standard-issue McClellan saddles in the field, many had modifications made. In this example, the exposed rawhide tree has been covered with leather and the skirts are attached with smaller screws.

Made of blue woolen webbing, this girth attaches to one side of the saddle, passes under the horse and is attached to the opposite side, anchoring the saddle on the horse. The strength of the girth was critical to safety of the cavalryman.

Patterned after the national colors but with gilt instead of white stars, the swallowtail guidon marked a company’s location on the battlefield, helping mounted cavalrymen stay in formation during maneuvers. This style guidon remained the standard for the cavalry until replaced by the red and white flag in 1885.

The Starr carbine (and the similar looking Sharps carbine) used a paper cartridge, ignited with a percussion cap put in place after the breech was closed. Many of the other models used the modern style “metallic” cartridges. The breech loading carbines could be loaded and fired while mounted.

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Cavalry Exhibit Main Gallery	Barracks Life 1880s		Opening Events
1857-1863	1861-1865	1872-1887	1898-1902
1902-1910	1910-1918	1918-1940	1940-1943