Don Sebastian | 12 Jul 2016 9:44 a.m. PST |
I was curious about something: During the XIX century, There were volunteer militia units of Lancers, Light Dragoons, Hussars and even an armh Camel Corps was proposed in the United States. Was there ever an attempt or proposal to form a Cuirassier unit in the US during that century? |
avidgamer | 12 Jul 2016 10:49 a.m. PST |
Not that I have heard about. |
Buckeye AKA Darryl | 12 Jul 2016 12:42 p.m. PST |
No, not that I am aware, but they did attempt a camel corps, which did not last long. :) |
SJDonovan | 12 Jul 2016 1:47 p.m. PST |
They did fight against cuirassiers in the Mexican-American War. But I guess the weren't sufficiently impressed by them to consider copying their uniforms. |
rmaker | 12 Jul 2016 3:10 p.m. PST |
US mounted forces were essentially light dragoons, and there was never a need to develop heavy cavalry. |
darthfozzywig | 12 Jul 2016 9:37 p.m. PST |
There was a comedy about the Camel Corps called "Hawmps!" in the mid-70s. Probably not a reliable source. :) |
John the Greater | 13 Jul 2016 7:56 a.m. PST |
I have never heard of Cuirassier unit being formed. Having worked with many volunteer organizations, I can say with certainty that someone somewhere probably proposed forming one! |
donlowry | 13 Jul 2016 8:57 a.m. PST |
The camel corps was Jeff Davis's idea, when he was Secretary of War in the Pierce administration (1850s). |
Trierarch | 13 Jul 2016 10:44 p.m. PST |
Cuirassier are famously expensive troops with only one use – battlefield combat. Look at the comments of Napoleon about the Westphalian's decision to raise a cuirassier regiment. 19th century US administrations were famously cheap when it came to funding the military, so multi-role units were the order of the day. Cheers David |
Don Sebastian | 14 Jul 2016 3:25 a.m. PST |
Thank you very much for all of your comments, guys! |
ee4995 | 14 Jul 2016 7:20 a.m. PST |
Paddy Griffith addressed the lack of U.S. cuirassiers in /Battle Tactics/ and attributed it to a failure on the part of American commanders to understand the need for specialized troops to exploit a local battlefield success. I don't recall finding that part of his argument pursuasive, but he obviously knew much more on the topic than do I. |
vtsaogames | 14 Jul 2016 12:42 p.m. PST |
No way Congress was going to fund cuirassiers. |
Royal Marine | 14 Jul 2016 2:48 p.m. PST |
Didn't Col John Wayne command the 1st US Cuirassiers at the Battle of Little Big Knob in 1876? |
Old Contemptibles | 14 Jul 2016 3:46 p.m. PST |
By the Civil War there was just Cavalry. Prior there were the Dragoons, Mounted Rifles and Dragoons. Cavalry color was yellow, Dragoons orange and Rifles green. The 2nd Cavalry (2nd Dragoons) kept their orange piping for as long as they could. At least that is how I understand it. |
Royal Marine | 15 Jul 2016 1:06 p.m. PST |
I think the 3rd Yankee Doodles had stuck feathers in the hats during 1st Bull Run. |
Lion in the Stars | 17 Jul 2016 3:44 a.m. PST |
Yeah, the US never really got on board with all the different varieties of mounted troops, we were essentially all dragoons by doctrine. Scouts who could dismount and fight as infantry if needed. Never had the need for lancers or whatever else. |