GT25's Historical Series: Italian Redshirts vs. Buffalo Soldiers

Hello, and welcome to the Historical Series, a spin-off of my Battle Series and inspired by my Deadliest Warrior story. In this series, we will take warriors from across the world and throughout history and mythology and analyze their weapons, armor, and x-factors to see who would win in a hypothetical battle. For the first installment, we will compare two historical cavalry units from the 19th century with the Redshirts of Giuseppe Garibaldi and the Buffalo Soldiers of the United States Army. For this battle, we will take the Redshirts during the Expedition of the Thousand and the Buffalo Soldiers during the Indian Wars that took place in the late 19th century. Since these two have become relatively obscure in recent years, I will provide a brief summary of their history to get everyone on the same page.

History of the Warriors

During his years of exile in South America, the Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi joined the Uruguayan Colorados and raised a legion of Italian volunteers from Montevideo in 1843. These volunteers would become known as the "Redshirts" due to the color of their shirts or loose fitting blouses worn by the force with two places haven been claimed as the birthplace for said shirts. Under the leadership of Garibaldi and his mastery of guerrilla warfare techniques, the Redshirts would take part in the Uruguayan Civil War on the side of the Uruguayan Colorados against the Uruguayan National Party and Argentine Confederation. After the Uruguayan Colorados emerged victorious, the Italians seemed to stay in Uruguay while their leader returned to Italy and battled in the siege of Rome by the French Second Republic and the Second Italian War of Independence. However, they joined Garibaldi during the Expedition of the Thousand during which they battled against both the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the Papal States. Ultimately, Garibaldi and his Redshirts would emerge victorious with their actions contributing to the unification of Italy.


Originally members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, the term "Buffalo Soldiers" became synonymous with the 9th Cavalry Regiment, 24th Infantry Regiment, and 25th Infantry Regiment as well, with all four being formed in 1866. Despite several African-American regiments being formed during the American Civil War as part of the Union Army, the Buffalo Soldiers were the first peacetime all-black, or African-American, regiments to be established by Congress in the regular US Army. These regiments were typically made up of freedmen, former slaves, and veterans of the American Civil War who would go on to fight for the US Army during the Indian Wars in the second half of the 19th Century. During this time, the regiments would earn their nickname 'Buffalo Soldiers', with the exact origins of it still being debated. In addition to being used as some of the first national park rangers, the Buffalo Soldiers would continue their service in the US Army into the first half 20th Century before the remaining units were either integrated into the rest of the US Army or disbanded in the year 1951.


Close Range

M1860 Heavy Cavalry Saber (Italian Redshirts): The M1860 Heavy Cavalry Saber was made for the Italian army between the years 1860 and 1864 that has a heavy duty steel guard. This sword has a 35 inch steel blade with a total length of 41 inches and weighs about 2.5 pounds.


1860 Light Cavalry Saber (Buffalo Soldiers): The 1860 Light Cavalry Saber was the common saber used by the United States Cavalry during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. This sword has a 33.75 inch steel blade with a total length of about 40 inches and weighs 2.13 pounds.


Verdict: The 1860 Light Cavalry Saber gets the edge, but not by much. While I can't show pictures of these swords, the American 1860 Saber has a greater curve to the blade when compared to the Italian M1860 Saber. Plus, the lighter weight of the American 1860 Saber makes it better to use in a cavalry battle despite the Italian M1860 Saber being slightly longer by about two inches.

Pistols

Lefaucheux 1854 (Italian Redshirts): The Lefaucheux 1854 is a single-action revolver that was made in France and exported to many nations with Italy being the largest customer. This revolver is a six-shot version with it firing 12mm Lefaucheux rounds with it being able to be loaded via a hinged gate on the right side of the frame. The Lefaucheux is 11 inches in length with it having a range of about 43 meters.


Schofield Revolver (Buffalo Soldiers): The Schofield Revolver, or S&W Model 3, is a single-action, top-break revolver that was the first standard issue cartridge firing revolver in the service of the United States. This revolver is a six-shot version with it firing .45 Schofield rounds with the top-break action allowing the user to quickly eject and reload the revolver. The Schofield is 12 inches in length with it having a range of about 45 meters.


Verdict: The Schofield Revolver gets the edge. Both are very similar with them being single-action and having six bullets each, but the top-break action of the Schofield makes it quicker to reload than the hinged gate of the Lefaucheux 1854. In addition, the Schofield has a larger range over the Lefaucheux 1854 by two meters.

Medium Range

M1871 Vetterli Carbine (Italian Redshirts): The Vetterli is a carbine version of the 1871 model of Swiss bolt-action rifle and was made for use by cavalry of the time. This rifle has six rounds in a tubular magazine with it firing the .41 Swiss rounds with the bolt-action quickly ejecting and reloading the weapon. The Vetterli is about 37 inches in length with it having a range of 200 meters.


Spencer Carbine (Buffalo Soldiers): The Spencer is a carbine version of the repeating rifle with this rifle being the world's first military repeating rifle to be mass produced. This rifle has seven rounds in a tubular magazine with it firing the .56-56 Spencer round with the manually cocked hammer and lever-action ejecting and reloading the weapon. The Spencer is about 39 inches in length with it having a range of 180 meters.


Verdict: The M1871 Vetterli Carbine gets the edge. The Spencer has the larger round and one more bullet, but the Vetterli is shorter by two inches and has a longer range by twenty meters. In addition, the bolt-action of the Vetterli is more reliable than the manually cocked hammer and lever-action combo of the Spencer and allows for a faster reload in comparison.

Long Range

Carcano Modello M1860/67 (Italian Redshirts): The Carcano is an Italian needle gun similar to the Dreyse Needle Gun of Prussia and operates on a breech-loaded bolt-action that inspired later rifles. This rifle fires a 17.5mm caliber lead bullet in the shape of an acorn that is in a paper cartridge with the rifle only being able to fire a single bullet. The Carcano is 43 inches in length with it having a range of 600 meters.


Springfield Model 1877 (Buffalo Soldiers): This Springfield model is a carbine variant of the Springfield Model 1873 rifle and operates on a hinged breechblock, or 'trapdoor', mechanism which the Model 1873 is known for. This rifle fires the .44-70 Government round with the rifle only being able to fire a single bullet. The Springfield is 41.25 inches in length with it having a range of 550 meters.


Verdict: The Springfield Model 1877 gets the edge. The Carcano is a needle gun that is essentially a prototype bolt-action rifle, but the trapdoor mechanism of the Springfield is the better firing system in this scenario. Despite the Carcano having the longer range by fifty meters, the Springfield has the better round as the .44-70 Government has a metal cartridge instead the paper cartridge typically used for the rounds of needle guns.

Special Weapons

Sword Bayonet (Italian Redshirts): A type of bayonet that appeared in the 19th century, the Sword Bayonet is a type of short sword that can be mounted on a musket or rifle, in this case the Carcano Needle Gun. This bayonet has a 17.7 inch steel blade with a total length of 23 inches and weighs about 1.5 pounds.


Model 1873 Bayonet (Buffalo Soldiers): This socket bayonet was made for the Springfield Model 1873 and could be used with similar rifles such as the Model 1877. This bayonet has a 18.69 inch steel blade with a total length of 21 inches and weighs about 14.5 ounces.


Verdict: The Sword Bayonet gets the edge, but not by much. The Model 1873 Bayonet is lighter, has a longer blade by less than an inch, and would be better to use with a rifle, but the Sword Bayonet has more options in how it can be used. In this case, it can be used on the rifle or as a sidearm like a regular sword while the socket bayonet only really works on the rifle due to its design.

X-Factors

Experience: This is where the Redshirts takes a slight edge over the Buffalo Soldiers. The Redshirts took part in the Uruguayan Civil War and united Italy during the Expedition of the Thousand along with battling in both South America and Europe. In addition, the Redshirts battled against professional warriors with firearms to match their own weaponry. The Buffalo Soldiers, on the other hand, took part in the Indian Wars at this point as it was before they took part in the Spanish-American War and limited them to the American Midwest and the Western United States. In addition, the Buffalo Soldiers normally battled against Native American tribes that didn't have the same logistics as them and civilians who were normally not as trained as them.

Training: The training that the Redshirts had to go through is unknown, but one thing that is known is that they were made up of volunteers from a variety of backgrounds. In addition, the Redshirts may have learned the tactics they used while in the field due to the nature of said tactics. In comparison, the Buffalo Soldiers were trained by the United States Army and were noted for their courage and discipline. Adding to this, the Buffalo Soldiers had veterans of the American Civil Wars among their ranks.

Logistics: The logistics of the Redshirts is unknown, but it can be speculated that the volunteer cavalry didn't have the best logistics when it comes to their weaponry. They had to rely on their allies in Italy or other countries to get their supplies and even had a shipment of poor quality guns with no ammo to use with them. In comparison, the Buffalo Soldiers were a cavalry unit of the United States and had access to both the weapons and ammunition required from the government.

Tactics: This one is rather weird, as I only were able to find or figure out how these two typically battled. In this case, the Redshirts made us of guerrilla tactics as Giuseppe Garibaldi is said to be a master of the techniques used in guerrilla warfare while the Buffalo Soldiers, at best, used the normal tactics of cavalry units as they were a cavalry unit in an established army.


Match Information: This would be a five vs. five battle with each side having three horses each.

The Set Up: In an area of grassland with a wooded area, the Buffalo Soldiers are waiting for their regiment while the Redshirts are wondering the same area.

BATTLE

On the outskirts of a wooded area next to a open grassland, five African-American men in blue long sleeve shirts, tan trousers, and brown campaign hats are at their camp with three horses having their reins tied to a branch of a nearby tree. The first of these men, who has a Schofield Revolver holstered and has a M1860 Light Cavalry Saber on his belt, is walking from the horses back to the others. One of the men is standing while looking over the grassland and holding a Springfield Model 1877 with a Model 1873 Bayonet on it. The next two have a Spencer Carbine and Springfield Model 1877 respectively with them having a Schofield Revolver holstered as they sit on small logs as they about finish cleaning their guns.

The final man, who is holding a Spencer Carbine in one hand and has a Schofield Revolver holstered, is setting up a small campfire as the sun is starting to set. These men, in order of appearance, are Henry, Charles, Mark, George, and Dennis. They are Buffalo Soldiers who are waiting for the rest of the 10th Cavalry Regiment to arrive.

Buffalo Soldiers: 5

"Mark," Henry says, "You and George getting ready for buffalo hunting?"

"No buffalo tonight," Mark replies, "We'll probably go for smaller game."

Dennis chuckles a bit before saying, "Guess I should've brought my Sharps for hunting."


Nearby, five Italian men are making their way through the grassland with all of them wearing red long sleeve shirts, light grey trousers, and red kepi caps and three of them are on horseback. The first man, who has a Lefaucheux 1854 holstered and has a M1860 Heavy Cavalry Saber on his belt, leads them as they keep walking. The second man has a M1871 Vetterli Carbine in his hand and a Lefaucheux 1854 holstered on his belt as he checks a bag he has on his belt. The last man on horseback has a Carcano Modello 1860/67 in his hand as he chambers a round into it. The final two men are walking with them, with one armed with a Carcano Modello 1860/67 and a Sword Bayonet on his belt while the other has a M1871 Vetterli Carbine and a Lefaucheux 1854 holstered on his belt.

These five men, in order of appearance, are Romolo, Lorenzo, Palmiro, Fausto, and Marino. These five are Redshirts who have been separated from the rest of their army due to an attack by Native Americans.

Italian Redshirts: 5

Buffalo Soldiers: 5

"Vedi gli altri, Romolo? (You see the others, Romolo?)" Fausto asks, growing tired as they keep moving.

"Temo di no. (Afraid not,)" Romolo replies as he keeps a look out for their allies. As the Redshirts make it to a small hill, Romolo holds his hand up and stops the others upon seeing the wooded area to their left.

"Nemici? (Enemies?)" Lorenzo asks, seeing the five men seemingly camping in the wooded area.

"Probabilmente, (Possibly,)" Romolo replies as he takes out his revolver, "Marino, tu e Fausto ottenere intorno a loro per portarli furoi. (Marino, you and Fausto get around them to take them out.)"

Marino nods before he and Fausto crouch to the ground and start to quickly sneak towards their target. After a minute, Romolo turns to the other two and say, "Noi ti attacco dall'alto della collina. (We'll attack from the top of the hill.)"


Mark and George finish cleaning their guns and start to load them with ammunition as Charles keeps monitoring the area in front of their camp. Just as he looks to his right, he sees a murder of crows take flight not far from them.

"Be on alert," Charles shouts at the other Buffalo Soldiers, "Indians may be trying for an ambush."

"You heard him," Henry says as he takes out his Schofield Revolver, "Get yourselves ready."

Dennis quickly gets to his feet and takes his Spencer Carbine in both hands before works the lever-action and pulls the hammer back before chambering a round. Mark and George get to their feet as they work their firearms to be prepared for a battle.


The three Redshirts get to the top of the hill with them stopping as they look over to the soldiers getting ready for a battle. Romolo turns his head to see Marino and Fausto still moving through the grass about sixty feet from the wooded area. Seeing that their foes are getting ready, he turns to Lorenzo and Palmiro before nodding with them returning it quickly. Turn back towards their foes, he quickly draws the Buffalo Soldiers towards them by shouting, "Carica! (Charge!)"

Romolo, Lorenzo, and Palmiro start to charge towards the Buffalo Soldiers as they turn upon hearing the shout and seeing the three Redshirts coming towards them.

"Open fire!" Henry shouts, pointing his revolver at them before firing a few rounds towards the charging cavalry. The other four Buffalo Soldiers quickly fire at the cavalry with Charles and George working the trapdoor mechanism of their Springfield rifles to eject the shell casing.

"Henry, let's get to the horses," Mark tells Henry with him nodding and both quickly get over to their horses. Charles and George finish reloading and raise their rifles while the Redshirts fire their firearms with Palmiro working the bolt-action of his needle gun and tries to put in another round. However, as Mark and Henry get onto the saddle of their horses, George lines his sights up with their foe and fires his Springfield Model 1877.

The bullet makes a beeline towards Palmiro and goes through the Italian's forehead just as he was about to chamber a new bullet. He is killed rather quickly with him dropping his rifle to the ground as he falls off his horse.

Italian Redshirts: 4

Buffalo Soldiers: 5

At this time, Henry and Mark have their horses galloping towards the Redshirts and both Marino and Fausto have made their way to the wooded area from the right. Both hide with Marino behind logs and Fausto getting behind a tree just as Dennis turns around and sees him.

"We have some other here!" Dennis shouts to Charles and George before firing off a few rounds from his Spencer Carbine towards Marino and Fausto. Charles turns around as one of the bullets tears into Fausto's left arm and he calls out as he drops his Carcano needle gun. Marino starts to open fire and misses Dennis with the first two shots. However, both bullets strike George in the back and he falls forward to the ground.

Italian Redshirts: 4

Buffalo Soldiers: 4

At the same time, both of their cavalries turn away from each other with neither the Redshirts or the Buffalo Soldiers managing to hit their targets. Both cavalries turn around with Henry and Mark easily firing off their shots first. However, Henry quickly opens his Schofield Revolver and ejects the spent rounds before he starts to reload it. Romolo fires the final shot from his Lefaucheux 1854 and quickly opens the hinged gate to unload the revolver as a bullet from Mark's carbine fails to kill him. However, Lorenzo quickly fires a shot off with his M1871 Vetterli Carbine and the bullet tears through Mark's chest before he falls off his horse.

Italian Redshirts: 4

Buffalo Soldiers: 3

As Dennis and Charles continue to fire at the Redshirts, Marino fires two more shots off before pulling the bolt back and seeing he has to reload. While Fausto takes out his Sword Bayonet from its scabbard, Marino quickly grabs some rounds from a pouch on his belt and gets his hand to the breech to load the carbine. However, both Charles and Dennis fire their rifles at Marino and hit him in the chest, killing him.

Italian Redshirts: 3

Buffalo Soldiers: 3

Dennis tries to open up the stock his Spencer Carbine and tries to reload it as Fausto prepares to charge while Charles opens his Springfield carbine to open it up.

As Henry starts to charge at the other two Redshirts, they turn towards the wooded area as Fausto comes out from behind the tree. Seeing what they're doing, the Buffalo Soldier quickly has his horse turn towards them and tries to catch up. At the same time, Dennis tries to pull out his Schofield Revolver when Fausto charges towards them and reaches him before slashing his right arm. Dennis screams out as he drops his revolver before he is silenced upon the Redshirt thrusting his Sword Bayonet into his chest.

Italian Redshirts: 3

Buffalo Soldiers: 2

Romolo and Lorenzo fire at the remaining Buffalo Soldiers as they charge towards the wooded area with Henry quickly catching up. The two Redshirts see their comrade withdraw his weapon from the body and Charles prepares himself for an attack. Not taking any chances, Henry fires his Schofield Revolver four times at the two Redshirts on horseback. While three of them miss, the fourth bullet strikes Lorenzo in the back of the neck and causes him to slump forward on his horse.

Italian Redshirts: 2

Buffalo Soldiers: 2

Fausto tries to slash at Charles, but he manages to parry with his Model 1873 Bayonet and moves it out of the way before stepping forward for a thrust. However, the Redshirt manages to sidestep the thrust and tries again to go for a slash only for the Buffalo Soldier to step back out of harms way. Not wasting a second, Charles performs a second thrust that manages to go straight through Fausto's neck. Charles easily pulls the bayonet out and lets the Italian fall to the ground dead.

However, as the Buffalo Soldier turns towards Romolo, said man has his horse turn away as he quickly fires five rounds from his Lefaucheux 1854. Despite the first two missing as they turn, the other three bullets strike Charles in the chest and he falls to the ground as Romolo keeps moving.

Italian Redshirts: 1

Buffalo Soldiers: 1

As Henry has his horse turn towards the same direction of the last Redshirt, he fires a bullet towards Romolo only for it to miss his target. The Italian turns his body to fire the final round of his revolver at the Buffalo Soldier that misses both the American and his horse. Having his horse turn around, Romolo holsters his Lefaucheux 1854 and draws his M1860 Heavy Cavalry Saber. Henry has his horse slow down upon seeing what his foe is doing before holstering his revolver and quickly draws his 1860 Light Cavalry Saber.

Both men face each other before they have their horses gallop towards the other and prepare to attack each other. However, the Redshirt and the Buffalo Soldier only manages to clash their blades against each other as they simply pass each other. Not wasting time, both men have their horses turn around and they charge at each other as they prepare for another attack. However, Romolo is able to get his attack in before his opponent and Henry gets a slash across his chest with the Buffalo Soldier being knocked off his horse.

Romolo waits about ten seconds before he has his horse to turn around to ensure his foe is dead. During this time, Henry recovers as he shakes his head and gets to his feet with his hat laying next to his saber about five feet away. The Buffalo Soldier turns to see his foe charging towards him before quickly draws his Schofield Revolver and takes aim before firing the final round in it. The bullet strikes the Redshirt in the stomach and is knocked backwards off his horse with Henry easily stepping out of the way of the horse.

Romolo grabs his gut with his left hand and weakly gets up while still holding his saber while Henry quickly holsters his revolver and runs towards his sword. The Buffalo Soldier quickly picks up his 1860 Light Cavalry Saber and faces the Redshirt as he reaches his foe despite the pain from the bullet. After a second, both attack each other with them clashing their blades together twice. However, Romolo is able to use an upward thrust at Henry and makes him step to the side as he slices the Buffalo Soldier's left arm open.

However, the American uses this to perform a slash to the Italian's right leg and leaves a wound as the Redshirt steps back. Both do another slash that causes their blades to clash again before Romolo tries to go for a thrust to his opponent. Unfortunately for him, Henry manages to barely parry his foe's blade away from him before the Buffalo Soldier manages to slash Romolo's neck open. Henry steps back as Romolo stays standing as he tries to raise his M1860 Heavy Cavalry Saber to perform another strike.

Henry simply watches as Romolo staggers back before his lets go of his sword and fall backwards to the ground. The Buffalo Soldier stays quiet for a moment as the Redshirt remains motionless before gently kicking the body and getting no reaction.

Italian Redshirts: 0

Buffalo Soldiers: 1

Staying quiet for a few moments, Henry looks towards the setting sun and raises his saber as he cries out in victory.


Final Verdict: This one was very close to call, but ultimately the Buffalo Soldiers barely claimed victory with a possible outcome of 5.1 victories out of 10 battles. Starting off, the Buffalo Soldiers were able to dominate the battle at both long range and close range with their Springfield Model 1877 and 1860 Light Cavalry Saber respectively. While they also have the superior pistol, the Italain Redshirts were able to dominate at medium range with their M1871 Vetterli Carbine along with their special weapon making a bigger impact. However, besides from their weapons, what also turned this in favor to the Buffalo Soldiers is the X-Factors of Training and Tactics. This may sound strange, but the tactics of the Italian Redshirts actually worked against them since the Buffalo Soldiers have battled against the Native Americans who also made use of guerrilla warfare. Despite this, the superior experience of the Italian Redshirts still made this a close battle as they have battled both superior warriors and on two continents. In the end, this came down to the Italian Redshirts' better carbine at medium range, their slightly better bayonet for special weapons, and their battlefield experience against the Buffalo Soldiers' slightly better sword at close range, their slightly better pistol, their better rifle carbine at long range, and their training and combat experience against those who use guerrilla tactics. Both made these warriors close, but the Buffalo Soldiers ultimately had the superior edged that allowed them to gain victory.

Got a battle that you want to see? Tell me and I'll see if I can get it into the series! Next time, two fanatics of religion from both ancient history and the medieval ages will go head to head.


Ray Tanaka: Okay, I have a few things to say about this new story. The first is that I tried my best to translate the Redshirt's dialogue from the English to Italian. If I got anything wrong, I didn't mean to get it wrong and was trying to be as accurate as I can. Two, I'll try to get these chapters out as often as I can and will try to keep a schedule for these. Finally, the weapons I used here for the Italian Redshirts are actually incorrect for the most part. The saber and pistol used are okay since they fit within the time frame, but the other three weapons are wrong.

The Expedition of the Thousand took place from 1860 to 1861, making the Carcano Modello 1860/67 and M1871 Vetterli Carbine inaccurate since they weren't produced during that time. This would also mean that the Sword Bayonet of the Carcano Needle Gun would also be incorrect due to what rifle used it. However, when I found this out, I had most of this done and I decided to keep going with this due to how close it was done. I apologize for this inaccuracy, but it did make them able to compete with the Buffalo Soldiers in terms of their arsenals and hopefully made for an entertaining match. Hope you all enjoyed!