Revisiting Yellow Ribbon- A Project

[Harry Faversham]

Excellent blog post OB, if somewhat sad. A Stone Age culture meeting 'manifest destiny'.
 

[OB]

Good progress, sir.  And good research.  Looking forward to when we see full games with the whole lot all on the table.  Should be impressive. 

I'm hoping I will have enough for a few games before this calendar year comes to a close.  We shall see.

Thanks, I should be game ready by the end of next month at this rate.  I'll post scenarios here as i go.

[OB]

Excellent blog post OB, if somewhat sad. A Stone Age culture meeting 'manifest destiny'.
 

Thanks Harry, that is a good way to put it.  Some, The Five Civilised Tribes, massively adapted.  It didn't matter.  They still ended up dispossessed.

[OB]

During the Rosebud Campaign General Crook, originally an infantry officer, realised the utility of Infantry for Indian fighting. Their longer ranged rifles allowed them to dominate ground.  Luckily, I had about 20 infantry figures that could be used.

I added them to my HQ Detachment along Mules and Packers, the General and staff, Longhorns and other bits and pieces.

it is of interest here is the link:

http://youdonotknowthenorth.blogspot.com

[Harry Faversham]

Once read the marking on Indian pony's had great significance to their owner. Sadly, can't find the article, but think blue dots signified enemy camps raided?
Thing is, we go to great lengths to get our military uniforms as accurate as possible. I'd like to do the same with my Braves.
 

[OB]

Yeah Harry, they did and I agree we should try and show it on our toys.

I don't know if the symbols used varied from tribe to tribe. It could have been a shared thing like sign language.

I forget which was which but a hand print meant a foe killed hand to hand either mounted or on foot.  You will be able to do that in 28mm.  It is awful tricky in 15mm.


Dots meant coup counted and the colour denoted what they were. For the Sioux green dot meant Crow, Yellow Shoshone, Red white man. short horizontal lines I think counted for other kills.

[FifteensAway]

Nice additions - and throw your budget to the wind.  You need those mounted infantry, all of Crook's infantry if memory serves were mounted infantry.  Though one wonders just how fractious pack mules turned into mounted infantry mules must have been.

[OB]

Thanks Fifteens.  I was going that way.  Now I'm not sure, the only mule mounted infantry I can find are in a single pose.  Also the mules look more like horses.  It's a maybe.

The infantry were mounted on pack mules from the mule train. Each infantry man was introduced to a mule and riding lessons commenced. At the end of the day the supervising officer unhitched his sword, threw it on the ground and wouldn't speak to anyone. It didn't go well. 

[Harry Faversham]

Brings to mind Major Dundee!

 

[Khusru2]

A very nice collection.

[FifteensAway]

OB,

I understand your hesitancy and I'm sure you are referring to QRF's Yellow Ribbon range of mounted infantry, only ones I know of in 15 mm.  But not sure why a challenge for single pose other than personal preference.  Could always gain variety by painting figures in campaign attire so that you get varied looks.  And as to them looking more like horses, only solution is to ignore it - or imagine the mules had their ears cropped (maybe frozen while on winter campaign so really needed).  Or, just ignore the mounts and just use the dismounts in action.  And, of course, you can use the infantry in other ways. 

Well to keep in mind that infantry was known to the Indians as "walks-a-heaps".  Sure, cavalry was important but infantry could pretty much out pace cavalry in some ways given the time needed to groom and graze horses and the need to dismount and walk the horses nearly as much as ride the horses.  Here is a link to an Osprey: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/us-infantry-in-the-indian-wars-186591-9781841769059/'

As it implies in that link, Hollywood loves the cavalry but the infantry played a vital role in reality and not just as guards of supply dumps and wagon or mule trains.

Another link of general interest for the Indian Wars: https://history.army.mil/books/amh-v1/PDF/Chapter14.pdf

Now I'm off to see if there are statistics comparing the casualty rates between infantry and cavalry in the period.  Might take some serious digging around to find that.

[OB]

Yes, time to watch Major Dundee again.

Thanks Khusru2.

Yeah, those are figures right enough.  I quite like the idea of just giving them some mules to indicate they have them. We will see.

Very true about the infantry.  Crook's rival General Miles  made great use of them. Mainly against the Apache. From what I can gather the Plains Indians preferred to avoid infantry due to being outranged by their rifles.

I'll be interested to see what your casualty comparison turns up.

Handy links as ever Fifteens, thank you.

[Harry Faversham]

Even though I'm on fifteens' wanted posters, dead or alive. His knowledge of the period's second to none.
 

[OB]

I can see the appeal of 28mm and I'm sure you get a pass Harry! 

Yes, one of the great things about the hobby is there is always someone to point you in the right direction.  It is always appreciated.

[FifteensAway]

Museum miniatures have donkeys ("naked") but not quite what you need - but a fun bit to add to your games if the mood strikes.  Irregular Miniatures has a pack of "two naked mules".  They also have pack mules and unladen pack mules.  There are some photos on the site - in their 15 mm Animals range.

Harry can only redeem himself by sharing action reports of his games.  Until then he stays on those wanted posters!