On the studio shot of the 5 actors. How acturate are those uniforms. I noticed the various in the size of the strips and know I read somewhere that the size varied by rank. What about color?
The Cavalry Trilogy is listed out of order:
Fort Apache was the first of the three;
Rio Grande the last.
The uniforms are fairly accurate, though I have seen nothing in any of the army regs of that time regarding yellow scarves or bandanas. It makes sense, but none were ever issued. Here is basically what they were authorized (and remember, in
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, they refer to Custer's battle, so you can figure the movie was set in 1876).
Blouse—uniform jacket, officers and EM:
• 1872-style officers had four gilt buttons and frogging on each side.
• 1875-style added another button.
• 1874-style fatigue blouse (flannel) was current for EM.
o Five buttons
o Yellow cord edging on collar and cuffs
• EM also wore the 1872, plaited fatigue blouse, the long frock coat (1858 – 1872)—in many cases, modified by being made shorter, and the long-standing cavalry shell jacket.
• Sack coat—slightly longer, straight-sided jacket (officers—with frogging—and EM).
• Single-breasted frock coat—officer’s uniform jacket.
• Company grade (1851 – 1872-style) were single-breasted, 9 gilt buttons.
• Field grade were usually double-breasted.
Beneath the blue uniform jackets, the troops wore coarse, pullover, flannel or knit, shirts.
• Standard in 1876 was gray.
• Some wore dark blue, newly issued on experimental basis.
• Some still wore the white shirts left over from the Civil War.
• Others probably wore a civilian-type, checkered “hickory” style, pink or blue.
• Officers almost always wore the “fireman-style” blue shirt, with no rank insignia.
o Double-breasted
o Trimmed in white tape
o Usually, a set of cross-sabers and “7” were embroidered in white or yellow silk, on the points of the collar.
Overcoat—
• Light blue kersey with long cape
• Double-breasted
• Only some time after 1876 was the inside of the cape lined with the branch of service color.
Trousers—EM’s were sky-blue kersey
• After the Civil War, the officers’ trousers were changed from dark-blue (the same as their uniform coats) to the same light-blue color as the EM, though of a much finer quality material.
• Many—officers and EM—reinforced their trousers with white canvas on the seat and inside legs.
• 1861-style officers’ trousers were sky blue with a 1/8” yellow (cavalry) “welt” (stripe).
• Only officers, sergeants, and corporals were authorized to wear a trouser stripe, each of a different width.
o CPL: 1/2”
o SGT: 1”
o Officers: 1 1/2”
• Double yellow stripes on trumpeters’ trousers.
o Double stripe not authorized until 1883, but Custer allowed it anyway.
Suspenders were not of general issue until 1883, however, the archaeological excavation of 1984 uncovered a commercially-made suspender grip indicating at least some troops used them [Scott and Fox, Archaeological Insights into The Custer Battle, pp. 86 – 87].
Summer-weight cotton drawers—underwear
Boots—not quite knee-high
• By regulation, the trousers were supposed to cover the boot, but many ignored this on campaign.
• Coarse leather, very poor quality.
• Soldiers rubbed soap on their feet and socks to avoid blisters.
Brogans—shoes
Hats—standard issue hats were black (felt).
• High crowns
• Wide, “snap-brims,” meaning sides could hook up.
• Trimmed with yellow (cavalry) worsted band and tassels.
• Many troops wore similar—and dissimilar—civilian hats because of the poor quality of the military-issue.
• Many C Company troopers wore gray hats [Liddic, Vanishing Victory, p. 143].
Carbine sling
• The carbine was carried on the right side, suspended on a broad leather strap resting on the left shoulder. Muzzle was carried down and when a soldier was mounted, the barrel was loosely held by a leather socket near the saddle stirrup.
What I find kind of cool is the yellow stripes on the trousers. In almost every one of these movies they do it correctly... width-wise. Also notice the double stripe on the trumpeters' trousers. That was not authorized until several years later, but some commanders-- like Custer-- used it. Also, the yellow satin linings of their greatcoats came in several years later. Boy oh boy, would I love to own one of those. I would wear it with my suits!!!
Best wishes,
Fred.