Mexican War Sword Belt

[Manassas 1861]

Did U.S. officers in the Mexican War wear sword belts?

 

[Salterr]

Did U.S. officers in the Mexican War wear sword belts?

Yes, there are bridle leather examples and fancier/older ones with red Moroccan leather from the war of 1812 era. The sword belt for the civil war that you see so often is actually an 1851 model.

 

[RedRover]

By 1846, the Army's artillery and infantry officers of company grade wore their swords on a shoulder belt...

As mentioned field officers of the regiments, who were generally mounted, continued use of the waist belt. Like Thomas Childs of the 3rd Artillery:

The Generals, staff, and mounted unit officers, etc. also continued use of waist belts.

 

[Manassas 1861]

@RedRover thanks for replying as always. Just one question, where did you find the last image of your post?

 

[RedRover]

@RedRover thanks for replying as always. Just one question, where did you find the last image of your post?

It's a detail of General Zachary Taylor from the William G. Browne painting of his headquarters at Walnut Springs during the War with Mexico, currently in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery.

File:Zachary Taylor at Walnut Springs.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

commons.wikimedia.org

General Taylor did not customarily wear a uniform, but generally the old brown citizen's coat seen in the painting. Or just his shirt-sleeves in hot weather, etc. US Dragoon veteran Sam Chamberlain depicted Gen. Taylor identically in his paintings of the 1847 battle of Buena Vista, cheering on the dragoons to the attack...

A brief discussion of Taylor's victory at Buena Vista.