Indian Wars Infantry Grouping

[utica3]

Hello,

 

Here are is a group of IW infantry soldier's issued military items and possible personal items they may have carried with them or had in camp. Includes;

 

Model 1876 cartridge (prairie) belt with trial modification. Has an angular bayonet scabbard with brass hook and model 1873 trapdoor bayonet attached to it,

Model 1874 leather belt with US belt plate. Has a Model 1874 Mckeever cartridge box and model 1873 trapdoor bayonet with Hoffman swivel frog attached to it,

Model 1878 haversack with leather strap,

Model 1874 clothing bag with canvas shoulder strap with Chambers buckle,

Forage cap (original but sure of the model),

Model 1878 canteen with leather strap,

Model 1874 meat can, silverware and leather sleeves for the silverware,

Model 1874 Drinking cup

Horn snuff box

Cloth condiment bag

Spirits decanter and cup

Bone handled toothbrush

Razor with tin holder

Glasses with tin holder, 

Playing cards with wooden holder and 

A wallet

 

 

 

 

 

[manayunkman]

I learned some new things.

 

 Thanks for posting.

[rayg]

Nice period setup!

[10thmountain92]

What type of tactics were utilized by the infantry during the Plains Indian Wars?

[utica3]

Hello 10thmountain92,

 

I'm not military historian just a collector. I focus my attention on IW and SAW period belt rigs. I have few (not enough) reference books to help me with authenticity, but often use this forum to get expert opinion and feedback. I took a military science course in college but it focused on the civil war. The military terms for maneuvers and assaults have long faded from my memory.  There are folks out there know a heck of a lot more than I do on how the infantry was used in the IW campaigns. I know that the infantry was an instrumental part of the campaigns against the Plains Indians, Modoc, Nez Perce, Bannock and Apache. Many high ranking military officers (e.g., Crook, Miles} took both infantry and cavalry units and occasionally artillery into the field. You would not know that the infantry had any roll in the IW based on Hollywood movies. All about the cavalry. Maybe Custer should have given more credibility to the infantry and artillery.

 

Eric 

[CAC1901]

There are numerous books published over several decades that discuss the subject of tactics.  One thing they all had in common was long distances to traverse without  navigable trails, roads or rail lines. Enough foot work to last two lifetimes. The army often established small cantonments and camps in regions and these were often manned by infantry. Small detachments of infantry were often mounted. Some were even mostly mounted such as the 5th in the Montana/Dakota campaigns of the late 70's. Most men in the service who were from rural areas and farms were exprienced with horses. Heavy or seacoast artillery batteries also became infantry in some campaigns. Many lifers had one stint in the cavalry and spent the rest of their career in a branch where you weren't tethered to a horse all the time. I used to speak to some of the old authors like Don Rickey and I remember he told me that he felt most soldiers liked the cavalry the least. I had an interesting court martial paper where on some training march the infantry had their tents up, fires going and meals ready before the cav guys did because they were still dealing with their horses and gear. Some grunts made that horse pucker noise to razz them and there was an altercation (fist fight I recall).  

[utica3]

I picked up a couple more personal items that a infantry solider may have carried with him or had in camp. A nice brass match case and pipe. The match case has eagle embossed on it and period wooden matches in it. The pipe has a lot of markings on it including a EP within a diamond and d sunburst G and I believe a free mason/masonic symbol.

 

I welcome comments and feedback especially on the pipe. I'm not sure what all the letters and symbols mean.

 

Eric

.

[CAC1901]

Thats a very cool pipe although I'm not that well versed on them. Interestingly, 19th century fort dump digs tend to turn up lots of the classic clay pipes. Had to be tough to keep the fragile stem intact if they were carried in the field.... 

[manayunkman]

Looks like the Masonic symbol compass and square were hand carved.

 

Those are silver or silver plate manufacturing marks on the band which should help you date it.

 

The symbol embossed into the side might be Masonic but I’m not convinced.