UNIFORMS

Light Infantry and Volunteer Unit Buckles

WEAPONS

Back to agmohio Bill Combs online showroom

Spanish Light Infantrymen, called "Cazadores" or Hunters in English, wore brass rectangular belt plates that bore an hunting horn insignia with the Battalion number or royal cypher in the center of the turns. Little is known about Volunteer buckles at this time. Several 1890's era images show Volunteers with simple leather belts with harness buckles. As many of the Volunteer Infantry were considered "Light Infantry" it is possible that some wore the hunting horn buckle. A buckle of the 1st. Light Battalion "Voluntarios Ligeros" of Havana, embossed with a "1" in a horn and scroll inscribed "BATn DE LIGES", is known but not available to be photographed at this time. As with other Spanish buckles, many variations exist.

Light Infantry - Cazadores

6th Light Infantry Battalion.

As this buckle was found with souvenir items brought back to Tennessee from the Spanish American War, it may be the buckle for a Volunteer unit or the 6th Battalion of "Cazadores Expedicionarios" that fought in the Philippines. The same buckle would have been worn by the 6th Light Infantry Battalion "Figueras". This unit served in North Africa and saw no service against American forces.

9th Light Infantry Battalion "Cazadores de Arapiles" - Sancti Spíritus Division, Cuba

Volunteer Units

Volunteer buckle. Simple iron harness roller buckle attached to a 1 3/8" wide enameled leather belt that is part of a volunteer accoutrement set brought home by an Ohio soldier. The complete set, locally made in Cuba, including this belt, two cartridge pouches and bayonet frog, will soon be shown in the equipment section.

Commercial buckle. Scalloped frame buckles like this example were popular in Cuba during the entire period under study. Several photos of Volunteer officers show them wearing this type of buckle. They are even more commonly seen worn by Cuban insurrectionist officers and some common Mambi soldiers. During the American occupation of Havana, photos show this pattern of belt and buckle to have been popular with U. S. soldiers also. This particular buckle is attached to a tooled brown leather belt with an embossed Havana maker's mark. The belt was used as a soldier's souvenir or 'Hate' belt and is covered in 64 pieces of Spanish buttons, collar, cap and rank insignia.