Indians as irregular cavalry
1890
Frederic Remington was the ultimate chronicler of the American West, and this 1890 illustration set reads like a visual dossier for the frontier's irregular cavalry. We see a lineup of rugged scouts—Apache, Crow, and a Fort Keogh scout—posed with their rifles, alongside a somewhat fanciful 'Ideal Uniform' that looks more like a cowboy costume than actual military gear. The central figure, Lieutenant Robertson on horseback, looks ready for action, while the bottom sketch of the scout post grounds these legends in reality. Remington often romanticized the West, but here he captures the specific, gritty details of the men who served as the army's eyes and ears.
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