Mexican-American War 1846-1848. Brassey's History of Uniforms. Ron Field. Osprey, a division of Reed International Books, London, England. 1997. Painting by Richard Hook.

Light, or "flying", artillery was the decisive branch of the U. S. Regular Army during the Mexican War, and played a particularly prominent role in the battles at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. This plate depicts a light artilleryman wearing the distinctive uniform issued to Maj. Samuel Ringgold's Battery in 1838. The dark blue woolen fatigue jacket is trimmed with red worsted braid and has two red loops with yellow metal buttons. Shoulder straps were also edged in red. His Model 1839 Type 1 fatigue cap is embellished with a non-regulation red band. Sky blue trousers with 1.5 inch wide red seam are those worn with the dress uniform. He wears a buff leather sword belt secured by a two-piece buckle.

The surrounding tools and equipment include, from top right: a vent pick (or priming wire); vent clearing punch; brass fuse plug to hold fuses in shells; and sponge cover. (Right) Sponge and rammer; and worm-and-brush for cleaning the gun barrel; trail handspike; and water bucket and sponge. (Bottom right) Leather finger stall. (Bottom left) Gunner's haversack used to carry rounds; and lanyard and friction primer for firing gun. (Left) Pendulum hausse and case, used to aim the gun. (Top left) Gunner's pouch and belt.