Doc's prompt
Thinking about Texan tactics pre-revolvers: mounted infantry, some with rifles, some with shotguns or muskets, some with a supplemental pistol, all of them muzzle loaders. Were I the captain, I think I might try something like this: groups of four, five, six at the most. One man, the LEADER, stays mounted and holds the reins of the other horses. He uses his height and better vision of the situation and orders remounting when needed, keeping the mounts close at hand. The other men fight dismounted, with the best marksman firing aimed shots with whatever rifles are available; the other men reload for him. If one man has a shotgun or musket, he stands ready in case of a Comanche charge with lance or close-in archery. Any pistols are held in reserve in case of a Comanche charge. Less experienced men do the reloading. Does this tactical arrangement sound reasonable? If so, give me a briefing in a ranger captain's voice of such a tactical stance.
GROK
Yes, that arrangement is reasonable for pre-revolver conditions. Contemporary accounts and Ranger practice show that men almost always dismounted to fight when facing Comanche parties of any size, because a muzzleloader could not be reloaded effectively from the saddle. They also used relay firing so that some rifles stayed loaded at all times, and the standard mounted-rifleman drill already called for horse-holders (often one in four) so the rest could fight on foot and remount quickly. Your four-to-six-man squad simply makes those habits explicit and assigns roles by skill.
The chief practical risks are the usual ones of the period: horses can spook under arrow or lance fire, a squad that is too small can be isolated and overrun, and the "best marksman" still has to change position or clear a fouled piece under pressure. Those are manageable if the leader keeps the horses close, the men stay low, and everyone knows the signal to remount.
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Captain's briefing (spoken, as if to a new detachment on the San Antonio–Nueces line, late 1830s or early 1840s):
Listen here, boys. When we cut sign or they come at us, we don't try to fight 'em from the saddle like they fight us. One good rifle shot is worth more than five wild ones from a running horse, and a Comanche can loose a dozen arrows while you're still pouring powder.
We work in squads of four, five, or six at most. When the word is given, one man—the leader of that squad—stays mounted. He takes the reins of the other horses and keeps 'em bunched and handy, just off the line of fire. His job is to watch the whole scrap, see if they're trying to circle or cut us off, and sing out when it's time to mount and move. He don't shoot unless a warrior gets right in among the horses.
The rest of you drop to the ground and fight afoot. The best shot in the squad takes the longest rifle we have and does the aiming. The rest of you feed him. One man loads his piece while he shoots, another has the next rifle ready, and so on. That way we keep a steady fire going instead of everybody standing there with empty guns at the same time. If a man is slow or green, he loads; the man who can hit a warrior's head at a hundred yards does the shooting.
Anybody carrying a shotgun or smoothbore musket stays on the near side of the group, charged with buck or a heavy ball. He's the one who answers if they come in with lances. Pistols stay in the belt or holster until a warrior is close enough that a long gun won't do. Then you use 'em and fall back on the knives if you have to.
Keep low, use whatever cover the ground gives you, and don't bunch up so one arrow or a stampede ruins the whole squad. When the leader hollers to mount, you grab your own horse, swing up, and we move—either to chase or to get clear. We don't stand and trade with a big party if we can help it. We hit, we keep the horses close, and we don't let 'em pin us with empty guns.
That's how we do it until the day we get something better than one shot at a time. Questions? Good. Check your flints or caps, and let's ride.
Doc adds:
The question will be whether the mounted leader is able to get everyone remounted quickly when necessary, and whether young rangers will be content to be loaders. The COOL test will cover those sorts of issues. Of course the Texan company will have multiple elements of 4 or 5 men, hopefully in mutual support. But the Comanche will certainly target the mounted leader and the led horses.
But a single firing line of 20 men with picketed horses to the rear is an invitation to disaster.
receives a gift from his wife…