Impressions Thoughts on dismounted cavalry?

[3rdTennCo.C]

My dad, brothers and I are all in a reenacting group portraying Forrests 3rd tennessee cav. Some of our guys have horses and they use them, but the rest of us dont, so we portray dismounted cav while the others are on horseback. We keep everything as accurate as possible a far as uniforms, equiptment, arms and maneuvers (as much as humanly possible). What do other people think of dismounted cav at events? I know some look at them like if there not on horses they shouldnt be cav, and i know of some bad impressions of cav people do too.

 

[captaindrew]

There are some really bad dismounted cavalry units out there and as a whole give dismounts a pretty bad name, I've seen it myself. That said I was in one many moons ago and thought we did a pretty good impression but wouldn't do it again today. Hey at least some of your guys do have horses. I just think if you don't have horses an infantry impression is much more accurate and versatile being some events flat out don't permit dismounted cavalry. Without knowing you guys and seeing your impression myself I certainly will not pass judgement on what you're doing. Main thing is being out there and enjoying the hobby and doing it safely.

 

[3rdTennCo.C]

Ill see if I can get some pics of us

 

[Story]

This the outfit in question?

3rd Tennessee Cavalry - Company B

www.facebook.com

 

[James N.]

My dad, brothers and I are all in a reenacting group portraying Forrests 3rd tennessee cav. Some of our guys have horses and they use them, but the rest of us dont, so we portray dismounted cav while the others are on horseback. We keep everything as accurate as possible a far as uniforms, equiptment, arms and maneuvers (as much as humanly possible). What do other people think of dismounted cav at events? I know some look at them like if there not on horses they shouldnt be cav, and i know of some bad impressions of cav people do too.

FARBS - Seriously, this subject has been argued to death ever since I became involved in reenacting back in 1976. I wouldn't want to prevent anyone from playing, so think they're at least tolerable, but should be taken with the proverbial grain of salt. I should probably also mention the very problems this situation created during the real war, especially in the South, resulting in aberrations like Dismounted Cavalry and Cavalry - Dismounted , two very different things altogether. We always made fun of Confederate dismounted cavalry, whose horses were always somewhere back in the trees and whose members typically weighed in at at least 300 pounds each, each armed with a variety of shotguns, carbines, .44 and .36 pistols - not counting the inevitable boot pistol(s) - extra cylinders, swords, bowie knives, etc., etc., etc., usually all at the same time! IF - and it's a HUGE IF! - the men are trained in correct period skirmish tactics, commanded as a group by responsible officers or NCO's as a working unit and not merely running around playing Cowboys and Indians, then I see nothing wrong with them on a battlefield.

 

[3rdTennCo.C]

That is the outfit in question, I am the NCO of our unit and I strive for our boys to know and use proper skirmish maneuvers. We certainly dont run around playing cowboys and indians, we occasionally move to cover a near by flank if need be but thats mostly for our mounted guys. We try to carry arms as close to the real unit as possible with some shotguns, some carbines like a jp murry and P56 enfield carbine, we carry 1 revolver per man (no extra cylinders) using 1860 armys, 51' navys, some griswold and gunnisons, and I happen to carry a 2nd model dragoon. Some of us have sabres but we dont carry them in battle.

 

[DixieRifles]

What do other people think of dismounted cav at events?

I think that by mid-1863, cavalry in the West fought primarily dismounted and with rifles and not just pistols.

Let their words speak for themselves. This is from "Hancock's Diary" who was in the 2nd / 22nd Tennessee Cavalry.

First---this excerpt is from early battles, maybe 1862.

Definitely had mounts with them here.

By 1864, Forrest's cavalrymen fought dismounted. Maybe you thought they were mounted when they "charged" the Union breastworks at Fort Pillow but that was not the case. And their snipers inflicted a lot of casualties.

Details of the charge over the breastworks. Brigade Commander Colonel Tyree Bell was there to help boost them up over the top.

 

[FedericoFCavada]

Not a reenactor of the War of the Rebellion, just the Texas Revolution and earlier filibuster stuff, so forgive my naivete and ignorance... But Texans historically have eschewed bipedal locomotion. There are jokes about cowboy boots being the world's most uncomfortable footwear, and this is why Texans do not walk if it can be at all avoided! Most Texans who joined up with the CSA preferred to do so in cavalry outfits... Only to find that the Confederate army really needed more infantry than anything else. Many were turned into infantry or dismounted cavalry or had their horses re-purposed, yes?

So if such was historically the "correct" situation, how best to "correctly" convey the impression in living history?

 

[DixieRifles]

I forgot to add...

I enjoy seeing the cavalry at reenactments because they have different uniforms and equipment. However, the Confederate cavalry appear to be better equipped than I expect they should. I recall a small skirmish that had 3 or 4 dismounted cavalry and at least two of the Rebs were firing away with Henry rifles.

 

[FedericoFCavada]

Doubtless battlefield loot from Illinois Yankees, yes?!

Actual mounted cavalry at events are real show-stoppers!

 

[unicornforge]

The question that I have: were there time periods and battles that cavalry, especially southern cavalry units, that would have been indistinguishable in appearance when compared to infantry units at that time/location?

 

[3rdTennCo.C]

I forgot to add...

I enjoy seeing the cavalry at reenactments because they have different uniforms and equipment. However, the Confederate cavalry appear to be better equipped than I expect they should. I recall a small skirmish that had 3 or 4 dismounted cavalry and at least two of the Rebs were firing away with Henry rifles.

The fanciest we get is one guy has a sharps, the rest have a shotgun or a .58 carbine. I have been trying for all info I can on equiptment and arms forrests boys used

 

[DixieRifles]

The fanciest we get is one guy has a sharps, the rest have a shotgun or a .58 carbine. I have been trying for all info I can on equiptment and arms forrests boys used

The commander or one of the historians in the Forrest Camp of SCV in Memphis, has a list of weapons used in Forrest's Corps. He took an inventory in 1864 time-frame. I don't have a copy --- I really wasn't sure if they wanted to let it out of their hands.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

reenacting group portraying Forrests 3rd tennessee cav.

Forrest's Cavalry was never dismounted.

Some on this site will put up a strong argument that his men were mounted infantry.

While they were used as mounted infantry in many battles, they were rarely without out their horses.

I invite you to check out our Forrest forum for more details.

Nathan B. Forrest

civilwartalk.com

 

[3rdTennCo.C]

The commander or one of the historians in the Forrest Camp of SCV in Memphis, has a list of weapons used in Forrest's Corps. He took an inventory in 1864 time-frame. I don't have a copy --- I really wasn't sure if they wanted to let it out of their hands.

Id love to find some of that information

 

[DixieRifles]

Id love to find some of that information

I will try to find out who has this document.

 

[3rdTennCo.C]

I will try to find out who has this document.

Much obliged

 

[3rdTennCo.C]

Forrest's Cavalry was never dismounted.

Some on this site will put up a strong argument that his men were mounted infantry.

While they were used as mounted infantry in many battles, they were rarely without out their horses.

I invite you to check out our Forrest forum for more details.

Nathan B. Forrest

civilwartalk.com

I never said or really ment they were without their horses but perhaps they did dismount and fight on foot a few times. But our impression of the unit is still fairly accurate no? Perhaps the Forrest forum will give me more insight to hone our impression more. As well, much obliged

 

[3rd North Carolina]

From what i had read some wheres that if a cavalry person lost their horse for whatever reason then they become dismounts. but they have something like 30 days to find another horse or they become infantry.

 

[DixieRifles]

I never said or really ment they were without their horses but perhaps they did dismount and fight on foot a few times.

No "perhaps" to it. They did. So I think its perfectly fine to have Cavalry in an reenactment without having the horses. The audience may not understand that the horses would be held out of the line of fire.