Pendraken Miniatures Forum

Wider Wargaming => Genre/Period Discussion => Firelocks to Maxims (1680 - 1900) => Topic started by: Ned Lud on 04 September 2013, 06:05:55 PM

Title: US pony Wars uniform
Post by: Ned Lud on 04 September 2013, 06:05:55 PM
It may be a silly question, but what figures are correct for the pony wars US cavalry etc? Would Confed cav in slouch hat work despite the shell jackets?
Title: Re: US pony Wars uniform
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 04 September 2013, 07:06:24 PM
Since the pony wars lasted from about 1850 to 1890, the uniform mix is huge.
There are really good osprey books on the whole period... The best guide is 'and continuously wear the blue' its about a thirty page A5 sized guide by Friekorps. You may get lucky and cavalier books may have a copy.
But in a nutshell, ACW uniforms will do, but with a mix of headgear.
Black troopers of the 9th and 10th cavalry wore heavy buffalo jackets and hats during winter campaigns, hence their names.
Many ordinary troopers wore kepis until 1870s, but they were not offical uniform. Troopers were meant to wear the black wide brimmed hardy hat from about 1870, but they were of shockingly bad quality, and fell apart after days in the field, so most troopers wore a variety of civilian hats purchased from their own wages, as the army charged extortionate amounts to replace them. After 1875, official headgear is a pucklehaube!

Uniform was dark blue jacket, grey or light blue trousers (often replaced or reinforced with other colours) piped yellow. Jackets grew increasingly longer and less fitted round the waist. Neck scarfs were yellow.
Officers could be as dandy our dour as they wished. Custer at Big Horn wore his uniform, whereas on other campaigns he wore the infamous buckskins. Whereas Crook rode a mule, wore a white jacket and a pith helmet!
Title: Re: US pony Wars uniform
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 05 September 2013, 06:30:56 AM
Picked this up a while back in a second-hand shop -

The United States Cavalry - an Illustrated History by Gregory J. W. Urwin  published by Blanford in 1983.

You might well be able to borrow it through the ILL service. It does differ slightly from Lemmy's suggestions.

IanS
Title: Re: US pony Wars uniform
Post by: Ned Lud on 05 September 2013, 08:18:08 AM
Thanks, so what figures are recommended from the Pendraken range? I managed to pick up a copy of Pony Wars rules from ebay and can remember having some great games a lot of years ago with the rules. I am planning to build up a collection to use with the rules hence my questions.
Title: Re: US pony Wars uniform
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 05 September 2013, 08:49:14 AM
That's because the last time I painted piny wars was fifteen years ago and I tried to type that last night from memory while putting my daughter to bed!  ;)
Always happy to be corrected.  :D
Title: Re: Re: US pony Wars uniform
Post by: Tony S on 27 November 2013, 09:22:15 PM
I'm about to start 10mm Pony Wars and it will be the first time I've used 10mm figures. The painting will either be fun or a nightmare.

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