Uniforms 1 - 4
By C. A. Norman
FIGURE 1: Ensign (Alferes). Horse Artillery. Full Dress. c. 1865: Low black shako with gold fittings and top lace, the narrow bottom lace is gold with a crimson centre line, plume of green-black Cock feathers in a gilt "tulip" holder, above the national cockade (the oval shako plate is embossed with a crowned shield bearing the Imperial Arms, surrounded by a laurel wreath). Dark blue coatee with rather short tails, crimson collar, cuffs, turnbacks and front piping, gold buttons and epaulets. Dark blue trousers with crimson side stripe. Black belts with gilt fittings, crimson waist-sash with gold knots (crimson fringe), white gloves, gold swordknot. FIGURE 2: 2° Sergeant. Horse Artillery. "Second Uniform". c. 1865: Dark blue kepi with crimson, band and vertical piping, black peak and chinstrap, national cockade on the front. Dark blue tunic with crimson collar patches, cuff flaps and piping edging the collar, front opening and cuffs, brass buttons and chain shoulder straps; crimson rank stripes backed black. Crimson or red waistsash, white cotton summer trousers. Sergeants appear to have frequently worn a crimson or red woollen waist-sash as part of their rank insignia, but details of the circumstances of it's use are unclear. FIGURE 3: Captain of Horse Artillery, Service Uniform, c. 1866-70: Dark blue kepi with crimson band, no vertical piping, national cockade on the front (a common variant type). Dark blue tunic, with crimson collar patches, cull flaps, front and cuff piping; gold buttons, contre-epaulets and cuff lace below the piping. Dark blue trousers with crimson piping down the outer seams. Crimson sash with gold knot, black and gilt belts (the item on the front of the pouchbelt appears to be a whistle rather than prickers?), white gloves, black leather undress sabre-knot. FIGURE 4: Corporal-Trumpeter of Horse Artillery. Undress Uniform. c. 1866-70: Kepi with white cover, black chinstrap. Dark blue tunic with crimson collar patches, cuff flaps and piping, brass buttons and chain shoulder straps, yellow flaming grenades on the collar patches, crimson rank stripes edged black. White trousers, black belts and sabreknot, off-white breadbag, brass trumpet with crimson cords. Smaller figures manning a gun in the background of this plate wear the same tunic with black slouch hats and light brown duck working trousers: the gun is depicted as brass on a darkish grey carriage. Uniforms of Artillerists: Other Installments: Back to Table of Contents -- El Dorado Vol VII No. 4 © Copyright 1997 by The South and Central Military Historians Society This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. |