Mexican Army Uniforms

[Capt Dennis]

Can anyone help me find accurate pictures and/or ? showing what uniforms the Mexican Army was wearing at the seige of the Alamo ?
Also, I understand that some (all ?) were "hand me down French" uniforms. If this is true, what French Uniforms were they ? ie: Line, Light ? ? ?
Thanks for any and all help.

[Bromhead24]

Try "Osprey Men at Arms" series books.
They are usually pretty accurate and they have books on just about every subject relating to war.
www.ospreypublishing.com/title_detail.php?title=S0900&ser=CAM

[neferetus]

Here is one of Joseph Hefter's impressions of a Mexican uniform of the
period that was done in the early 60's.

[neferetus]

Mexican lance. Ouch! I hate to be on the receiving end!

[neferetus]

Joseph Hefter, ca. 1971 illustration of military uniforms:
"Trooper, Coahuila-Texas Civic Militia, 1835, service dress" (left)
and "Officer, Texas Dragoons, 1836, service dress."
(Old Army Press)

[neferetus]

Joseph Hefter study sketches of a Mexican dragoon and lancer.

[neferetus]

From the official LONG BARRACK MUESUM book.

[neferetus]

From the Joseph Musso Collection.
(Frank Thompson's THE ALAMO (Salamander Press, 2002)

[neferetus]

From the 1829 Linati Plates, Joseph Musso Collection.
(FRANK THOMPSON'S THE ALAMO, Salamander Press, 2002)

[neferetus]

From the 1829 Linati Lithographs, Joseph Musso Collection.
(FRANK THOMPSON'S THE ALAMO, Salamander Press, 2002)

[neferetus]

From the 1829 Linati Plates, Joseph Musso Collection.
(FRANK THOMPSON'S THE ALAMO, 2002, Salamander Press.)

[neferetus]

From the 1829 Linati Plates, Joseph Musso Collection.
(FRANK THOMPSON'S THE ALAMO, Salamander Press, 2002.)

[neferetus]

Jpseph Musso's cover illustration for ONE DOMINGO MORNING
shows Mexican uniforms in great detail.

[neferetus]

What? So nobody liked these great illustrations of Mexican uniforms? They're not posted on any other website, folks.

[Greg C.]

they are very nice, detailed sketches exclusive to alamosports for the time being.

[neferetus]

Artist John Jensen did these detailed paintings of
Mexican uniforms for THE ALAMO (1960).

[neferetus]

Another John Jensen watercolor, done
for THE ALAMO (1960). The paintings
certainly reflect the spirit of the Linati
plates, don't you think?

[alamoal]

Very nice collection, but half of them are from the 1820 period, when Italian artist Linatti did them while he was in Mexico. The J. Hefter pix are great. The German on is largely bogus research. It was done for the Wayne-amo movie. Most of the 'research' is of the Linatti 1820s period. Uniforms are close, but are different, mostly the shoulder wings had disappeared by 1830, and was replaced with the 'fringless' epaulets.

1832 contract had the large red lapels with different piping, That was replaced with the 1833 contract, single breast coatee. Outside of music, infantry did NOT have red coatees in the Alamo period. The white uniforms were fatigues, not dress/parade uniforms. These were commonly worn on march or in camp/garrison. The blue coatees were worn in battle. Light blue pants with a red stripe were common. Sappers & Artillery had some distinction. Sapper pioneers were different again.

If you want a good representation.......watch the new movie, they did a good job, with one glaring exception on the cavalry. There is no proof that they wore cuirasses until the Mex-Amer war.

Also, the Alamo period was not hand-me-downs from the French army. They had their own manufacturers in Mexico. However, they did largely model them after the French style. I've seen illustrations of some uniforms going back to about 1820. A pic of a sapper was very close to French style, but with the pants worn outside of the gaiters.

The British had a lot of influence on the Mex-Army, especially the accoutrement's, which WERE purchased from the Britts.

If I could scan everything I have, I could get pages for you to look at.

Alas, the one I have is not a flat bed type.

Hope this helps.

[neferetus]

Thanks for all of the input, Alamoal.

What do you think of the uniforms that were designed for Alamo, The Price Of Freedom?

[alamoal]

Pretty good with the exception of the shako plate. That's a holdover from the earlier Alamo movies. Not a big deal though. The coatees are 1833 contract, single breast. Red shako pompom generally indicates grenadaros, but not always. No 'flashings' on the cuffs to indicate that they are. They're most likely fusileros, line soldiers. They used what was available, like most armies. I'm sure some had to wear fatigue caps when serving the line because a shako might be lost or destroyed.

If you watch the 2004 movie version, you'll see brown trousers on some. Again, availability. Even when I was in the AF, there were standard fatigue unis, but an airman would wear what was issued. All kinds of winter fatigue coats.

I just noticed that the shako plate on the soldato, background left, has a type commonly used.

The epaulets seem to come from a style that may be a later modification to the 1833 contract. There is an illustration done in 1835 commemoratiing Santa Anna's victory over the Spanish at Tampico in 1829. They used the current uniforms for the painting. The epauletes pictured here are seen in that painting.