American troops although issued with dress uniforms which rivaled the Mexican Army for color and pomp, entered combat in a fatigue uniform of much simpler design. The regular U.S. infantry fatigue uniforms were sky blue in color. The trousers were plain for corporals and privates, but officers and sergeants had a 1.5-nch white stripe down the outer searn of each leg. Fatigue jackets were tight fitting and tail-less with a stand up collar trimmed with white tape. Shoulder tabs on each shoulder of these fatigue jackets were also trimmed in white tape.
Down the front of the jacket was a single row of 15 buttons of white metal. Slit cuffs with two buttons per cuff terminated the uniform's tight sleeves. Forage caps, similar in design to the Prussian Landwehr caps of the Napoleonic Wars, topped of fthe fatigue uniform. This cap was made of dark blue wool with a black leather visor. Regular ranks had caps with wool ear flaps that were worn up and tied at the front of the cap. Officers' caps did not have ear flaps attached. Additionally, sergeants wore a scarlet worsted sash around their waist and tied on the left side.
Also available for wear in warm tropic areas was a plain white fatigue uniform of cotton duck materials. Although available for wear, no information indicates that this uniform was worn in Mexico.
Carrying the ordinary soldiers' arms and necessities were a series of whitened leather belts and cross belts. A waist belt with an oval brass buckle was worn to which was attached a black bayonet scabbard carried on the left hip. A black leather cartridge box was suspended on the right hip by a white, two inch wide strap. This cross belt bore an oval plate similar in size to that of the waist belt. Water bottles painted light blue and resembling a small keg were carded on the left side over the top of the soldier's white haversack. Although black india-rubber bottles were also carried, they were not popular with the troops as they left the water with an unsavory taste.
Knapsacks carried a large portion of the soldiers' needs and were usually made of canvas or india-rubber, painted black and stretched over a wooden frame. These knapsacks are frequently shown in contemporary prints, crowned by a red blanket roll strapped across the top. Often the regimental number was painted in white on the knapsack's cover flap. Officially, knapsack straps were to be black, but some troops may have whitened the leather.
Troops were armed with a smoothbore musket weighing about ten pounds. Attached to the business end of this weapon could be placed a triangular bayonet. A common load for this weapon was a charge of power with one ball and three buckshot. From eye witness accounts the effectiveness of the weapon did not exceed "... a few hundred yards." In addition to these arms, sergeants were also armed with a straight sword carried on the left hip suspended by a white leather belt.
Officers' trousers were sky blue as described above with the 11/2 inch wide white' stripes. Officers' coats varied from ordinary ranks in being a frock coat of dark blue material. Company officers had a single row of buttons while field officers' coats sported a double row of buttons. All officers wore a crimson silk sash around the waist tied on the left side. Assorted shoulder straps and insignia indicated the ranks of the various officers. Officers were armed with a sword and possibly with a privately purchased handgun or two.
The two (later expanded to three) regiments of U.S. Dragoons wore a fatigue uniform similar in cut and style to that of the infantry. That is, trousers were of sky blue material with yellow stripes down the outer seams for corporals and privates and two yellow stripes down each outer seam for officers and sergeants. Fatigue jackets were of dark blue trimmed at the collar, around the should straps, around the cuffs, and on the back and bottom seams with orange tape.
Some sources indicate yellow tape, but it is doubtful that yellow was yet in use as it did not become recognized for the mounted service branch in the U.S. until after the regiments of horse were renamed cavalry regiments rather than dragoon regiments.
Completing the dragoon uniform was the fatigue cap worn by the infantry regiments. The Second Dragoons apparently added a bit of distinctive, non- regulation color to this cap by placing a broad band of orange cloth around the vertical center portion of the cap. It would appear, however, that use of non- regulation items of clothing was common as Chamberlain states in MY CONFESSION that bright red flannel shirts and broad brimmed slouch hats were worn by both artillery and dragoon regiments.
Around their waists, dragoons wore a white leather belt which was secured by a brass buckle decorated with the letter "D". This belt supported the dragoon sabre. As additional support for the sabre side of the belt, a smaller white strap ran over the right shoulder and attached at the left side of the waist belt. Worn over the left shoulder and used to suspend the fire arm over the right hip was a wide white strap. By means of a large clip, the dragoon either secured a musketoon or a Hall's carbine.
The musketoon was little more than a shortened version of the infantry musket and was muzzle loading. The Hall's carbine, although a breachloader, was not very popular with the troops due to a small release of gas discharged in the firer's face from the breach which did not fit tightly against the barrel.
Pistols complete the armament of the Dragoon regiments. These were normally single shot muzzle loaders for the ordinary ranks. However, officers often purchased their own sidearms and these frequently were the Colt revolvers favored by the Texas Rangers.
The regiments of artillery also took the field in Mexico in fatigue uniforms cut as described above. These uniforms were also sky blue and trimmed with red tape. Down the outer seams of the trousers were stripes of red three quarters of an inch wide. The forage cap was sometimes decorated with a red band around it.
The battery of Horse Artillery commanded by Samuel Ringgold appears to have worn, at least initially, the dress uniform of the artillery which was very Napoleonic in appearance. Sky blue trousers with red stripes down the outer edge were sometimes worn tucked into knee high black boots or worn over the boot. The dark blue jacket had short turn backs colored red with red piping around the collar, cuffs and seams. A cylindrical shako was adorned with a falling red horse hair plume and a shako plate design of two crossed artillery barrels. Connecting the shako to the jacket were a series of red cap lines. These uniforms eventually gave way to more practical fatigue wear as supply problems prohibited replenishment of the dress uniform.
General officers wore dark blue frock coats with collars and trim in a buff color. Trousers were also dark blue with a wide buff stripe down each leg's outer seam. Although dress uniform required a fore and aft cocked hat, many generals simply used the officers' version of the regulation forage cap for field wear. Buff sashes were worn for generals which were worn along with gold and red leather striped belts. These belts carried a buckle bearing the initials US in the center. In the field, these dress belts were replaced by ones of more simple black leather.
Uniforms of the various American volunteer units varied considerably. Often, volunteer regiments were a collection of city or county units each dressed in differing uniform styles. Therefore, it was possible for a volunteer regiment to have several different uniforms within its establishment. Attempts at uniformity were made by the states, however. And despite the urging of some for very spectacular looking uniforms, the powers in the state capitals remained fairly conservative in uniform design and color.
Most of the equipment and actual uniforms were acquired from United States Army sources or designed directly after the regular military patterns. Those that varied from this norm often gave up the splendor either through the dictates of practicality or from necessity as re-supply from the home state proved near impossible. The more difficult that this re-supply became the more dependent volunteer units were on the supply stores of the regular army.
The army of the United States during the war with Mexico was a mixed collection of foreigners and patriots, professionals and novices, heroes and bunglers. There has probably never been in any time during the history of the United States Army, a wide spectrum of individuals comprising the ranks and command of the army than there was during the Mexican-American War. And yet, despite this diversity, Grant later described the U.S. Army as most "efficient for its number and armament... [that] ever fought a battle."
US Army During the Mexican-American War
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