MEXICAN WAR 1847 & CIVIL WAR 1863/65 DRAGOON HOLSTER, TEXAS CAVALRY

This dragoon holster was used in the Mexican War by 1st. Lieutenant DeWitt Clark when he served in the 2nd. Regiment, Texas Mounted Volunteers in 1847 on frontier duty, this was to keep in check the Comanche Indians.    

It was then used by Private Richard Clark* when he served in Colonel William Hardeman’s Texas Cavalry Battalion & 1st/ 31st Texas Cavalry Regiment from February 21, 1863 to May, 1865                                                                                                      

He fought in the Camden Expedition (March - May 1864), fought in the Battles of Poison Spring ( 4/18/64), Massard's Prairie ( 7/27/64) and Cabin Creek ( Indian Territory, aka Oklahoma) on September 19, 1864.

This holster originally was the right side of a U. S. Dragoon double saddle holster* that was (most likely damaged) & was locally (& rather crudely) converted into a belt holster by cutting off the (damaged) leather panel that joined a right & left holster together & adding several strips cut from that panel to the back so to add it to a belt.             

It is 18 1/8” long that includes the upper part that has the straps with a 13 7/8” lower part that housed the pistol with several 6 ¾” leather strips on the back.                                                                                                       

It is in very well used condition & has some old repairs that was most likely done by the Texas History Museum.                                        

 It had been on display in the Brownsville, Texas United Confederate Veterans Museum from the late 1890’s until 1929 when the museum closed down.                                                                                                                                     

The last curator, James Andrews took the artifacts home with him when the museum closed down.                                                                                                                                                                       

*This type of holster was made to carry the U.S. 1836 or 1842 single shot pistols.             

*Col Willaim P Hardeman's Regiment/1st Cavalry Regiment of the Arizona Brigade, also known as the 31st Texas Cavalry Regiment.
Hardeman's Cavalry Regiment was organized by adding Hardeman's Cavalry Battalion, Arizona Brigade to another regiment on Feb.21,1863. Hardeman's Cavalry Regiment was dismounted in March 1865 and was surrendered by Edmund Kirby Smith on May 26, 1865. It participated in the Camden Expedition ( March - May 1864), fought in the Battles of Poison Spring ( 4/18/64), Massard's Prairie ( 7/27/64) and Cabin Creek ( Indian Territory, aka Oklahoma) on September 19, 1864.