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MODEL 1872 INFANTRY WAIST BELT - INTERESTING SOLDIER
MODIFICATION:
The Model 1872 Infantry Waist Belt was originally
issued with the 1872 Trial Brace System and was continued in
use after the Brace System was abandoned. It is
believed that many of these belts were later converted
to the Model 1874 Infantry and Cavalry belts, hence
these early Indian Wars belts survive today in
relatively low numbers.
These waist belts were designed to
be worn over the five button blouse as were all of the
previous models of leather waist belts. The belts were
adjustable to fit the individual soldier's waist, but
even with this sizing allowance, the belt was designed
to be worn over a single layer of clothing - or at most,
over the soldier's buttoned great coat in cold weather.
What the designers in the Ordnance Department did not
account for were the extreme winter conditions the
troops would encounter on the Great Plains. And in
fairness, the general practice historically followed by
armies up to the late 1860's had been to retire into a
protected bivouac situation in the depths of winter and
wait for the warmth of spring to resume the campaign.
The tactics
of Sherman, Sheridan and Custer eliminated that luxury
as they began to pursue the hostile Indians into their
winter encampments, most notably in the Winter Campaign
of 1868 that resulted in the attack on the Cheyenne
village along the banks of the Washita River.
Faced with
exposure to the full force of the winter elements of
extreme cold and relentless wind without the protection
and comfort of even the most rudimentary barracks and
stove, the soldiers resorted to multiple layers of
clothing which included several pairs of pants, several
blouses, and eventually the heavy buffalo hide coats.
Once dressed with this amount of clothing, their belts
were no longer long enough to circumnavigate their bulk.
This belt survives
as evidence to the soldiers' ingenuity and efforts to
adapt the standard issue equipment to meet the reality
of their situation on the frontier. A piece of
leather, salvaged from another belt, was neatly lapped
onto the adjustment end of this belt with a triangle of
stitching with added almost a full foot to the length of
this belt, providing sufficient length to be secured
over several layers of clothing.
Through the years
I have seen several belts so modified and at one time I
owned a pair of Model 1876 Cavalry Boots that had been
split up both sides with holes punched at regular
intervals along both sides of each cut so that the boots
would fit over, and could be laced closed over, several
layers of socks and trouser legs. These pieces are
very special as they serve to tell the full story of the
soldier's challenging life on the frontier
This belt is complete with both standing loops on each
side of the original belt plate and the sliding leather
keeper. The belt plate retains a bright surface
and the hasp features an assembly number, likely a
recycled Civil War era sabre belt hasp. The
surface of the belt exhibits the expected wear, with
some minor crazing and some limited flaking, but the
majority of the belt retains a bright surface.
The leather is still supple and strong with no
tears, breaks or weak spots.
This is a
relatively scarce early Indian War
belt with a very interesting soldier executed
modification. (0956) $450
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