Osprey Warrior 4 : US Cavalryman 1865-1890

The period 1865-90 was one of unparalleled change in American frontier history. This span of 25 years witnessed the end of the traditional nomadic lifestyle of the plains Indians, the colonisation of the West by white settlers, and the first experience of the US army in fighting a form of irregular warfare at which it did not excel, for which its soldiers and commanders were untrained, and its equipment unsuited. The US Army, both infantry and cavalry, were strangers in a strange land. That they acquitted themselves so well in the face of bureaucratic meddling, poor supply and appalling climatic conditions, speaks highly of the tenacity and physical toughness of the volunteers who served in the West. US Cavalryman 1865-90 looks at the lives and experiences of the men known, due to their sabres, as 'long knives' by the Indian-American population. The motives of recruits, their extremely basic training and their often inadequate uniform and equipment are all examined in detail. An overview of life on Field Service is given, which includes such interesting minutiae as the effects of drinking cactus alcohol. The author looks at the inevitable boredom that went with life at a remote post, but also examines four extremely exciting but very different campaigns. This serves both to gives the reader an idea of the US cavalry's effectiveness and challenges the Hollywood perception of confident, heroic troopers against bloodthirsty savages. Excellent colour plates greatly assist the author's already comprehensive sections on weapons and equipment. Text and illustrations by Martin Pegler.

Contents

• Introduction
• Historical Background
• Chronology
• Enlistment
• Training
• Uniform and Equipment
• Weapons
• Field Service
• Combat and Tactics
• Wounds and Sickness
• Campaigns
• Sites of Interest
• Glossary