I have read that it was not uncommon to find cavalry troops with up to half a dozen hand guns picked up on the battle field but most were carried into combat on the saddle in various ways with one or two stuffed in an on person holster or sash. I would think one would want to have as many like model pistols as possible for ammunition conformity and that a good deal of horse trading went on to accomplish this logistical advantage.
The other thing I read was that the technique was to charge through an infantry troop, shoot the pistols and carbines dry and as a last resort bring out the sabre. They would shoot dry , try to disengage, break from the conflict out of range to reload and then charge again as needed. The idea was to break up infantry cohesion and cause panic and confusion. They did not reload while engaged as doing so on horse back would be impractically if not impossible in the fray.
The days of the horse soldier were done with the advent of the squad size machine gun though that could mow down a whole line of charging steeds.
I think probably the charge of the Light Brigade was one of the last uses of horse charges. I viewed it the other night on Utube and think it was early 1900 or so and occurred some where in the middle East with Australian cavalry if I remember correctly. That would have been against squad size machine guns but they were well spread out and in three waves.
Getting back to civil war era armament I also read the reason the .44 cal revolvers were commissioned by the ordnance people was it would bring down horses as well as people. When one remembers it was only the officers in infantry units that had revolvers and the troops were generally armed with .58 cal single shot rifles , several six shooters available to each horse soldier would be a distinct advantage particularly at close range.
It was the Confederate Cavalry that taught the Union about using Mounted Infantry (a lesson they seemed to have overlooked from when the US Dragoon regiments were formed well before the ACW).
I've been with Horses all my life even when I served in the Army for nearly 4 decades, and I can testify that any Horseman lugging more than 2 pistols tucked into a Sash or even Holsters wouldnt
I have read that it was not uncommon to find cavalry troops with up to half a dozen hand guns picked up on the battle field but most were carried into combat on the saddle in various ways with one or two stuffed in an on person holster or sash. I would think one would want to have as many like model pistols as possible for ammunition conformity and that a good deal of horse trading went on to accomplish this logistical advantage.
The other thing I read was that the technique was to charge through an infantry troop, shoot the pistols and carbines dry and as a last resort bring out the sabre. They would shoot dry , try to disengage, break from the conflict out of range to reload and then charge again as needed. The idea was to break up infantry cohesion and cause panic and confusion. They did not reload while engaged as doing so on horse back would be impractically if not impossible in the fray.
The days of the horse soldier were done with the advent of the squad size machine gun though that could mow down a whole line of charging steeds.
I think probably the charge of the Light Brigade was one of the last uses of horse charges. I viewed it the other night on Utube and think it was early 1900 or so and occurred some where in the middle East with Australian cavalry if I remember correctly. That would have been against squad size machine guns but they were well spread out and in three waves.
Getting back to civil war era armament I also read the reason the .44 cal revolvers were commissioned by the ordnance people was it would bring down horses as well as people. When one remembers it was only the officers in infantry units that had revolvers and the troops were generally armed with .58 cal single shot rifles , several six shooters available to each horse soldier would be a distinct advantage particularly at close range.
I've been around Horses all my life and can testify that any Horseman carrying more than 2 Pistols tucked into a Sash or Holsters would soon give it up as an embuggerance. Sure Saddle mounted Pistol Holsters were fitted to the Saddle pommel but that was mainly restricted to Field grade Officers.
Despite what we routinely see in period Studio photos, the Mathew Brady "on campaign" photos show otherwise, sure when War broke out some Soldiers festooned themselves with all manner of extra Arms and equipment, which they soon learned to drop once they had to carry it all (ask any Veteran who's had to carry a Pack on Exercises and /or Operations).
Apart from Cavalrymen and Officers Pistols weren't issued to Other Ranks, that said there were private purchases, but they were expensive in the day and not that well available apart from Battlefield pick-ups which often had to be handed in; and even when withheld difficult to get ammo for.
Among the Southern Cavalrymen Pistols became harder to get as the War dragged on, N.B Forrest meanwhile had proven the efficacy of DB Shotguns firing Buck and Ball rather than popping off with Pistols at the enemy from a moving Saddle in a Charge. Trust me its damn hard to hit anything other than a Barn wall in a Canter or a Gallop when mounted on a Horse, despite the BS peddled by Hollywood. (BTW I've owned Pistols for years, and well know their limitations).
"I think probably the charge of the Light Brigade was one of the last uses of horse charges. I viewed it the other night on Utube and think it was early 1900 or so and occurred some where in the middle East with Australian cavalry if I remember correctly. That would have been against squad size machine guns but they were well spread out and in three waves."
The Charge of the Light Brigade was during the Russian Crimean War in 1854 and didnt involve the Australians, the last acknowledged Charge by a Cavalry Regiment (actually there were two from an Australian Light Horse Brigade) was in 1917 at the Battle for Beersheba (modern day Israel); a well defended Turkish position that included Artillery and Machine Guns with entrenched Troops.
Read your history.
