spanish colonial lances

Jim McDougall · 30th September 2008, 08:01 AM

Found the Civil War info:
Apparantly it was not for the Confederate forces, but the Union, and
the unit was the 'First Battalion of Native California Cavalry', California Volunteers.
Ironically, the first choice to command the unit was to be none other than Don Andres Pico, who had led the Californios at the Battle of San Pascual.
He was unfortunately of ill health and unable to take the command.

These were Mexican/Californio vaqueros recruited in Los Angeles area, and mustered in 1863-64, and though intended to serve in Texas, they were assigned to locations in California, with some going to the Arizona/Sonora frontier. The troopers equipment was a Colt Army revolver, sabre, and a lance manufactured at the Benicia Arsenal (near San Francisco) which had a red pennon.
* I believe the red pennon may have had traditional associations to the 'deguello' or 'no quarter' familiarized in the Battle of the Alamo.

That was what the research was, trying to find one of these 'Benicia' lances. I didn't find one, but am not sure if he did or not.

30th September 2008, 08:01 AM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,928	Found the Civil War info: Apparantly it was not for the Confederate forces, but the Union, and the unit was the 'First Battalion of Native California Cavalry', California Volunteers. Ironically, the first choice to command the unit was to be none other than Don Andres Pico, who had led the Californios at the Battle of San Pascual. He was unfortunately of ill health and unable to take the command. These were Mexican/Californio vaqueros recruited in Los Angeles area, and mustered in 1863-64, and though intended to serve in Texas, they were assigned to locations in California, with some going to the Arizona/Sonora frontier. The troopers equipment was a Colt Army revolver, sabre, and a lance manufactured at the Benicia Arsenal (near San Francisco) which had a red pennon. * I believe the red pennon may have had traditional associations to the 'deguello' or 'no quarter' familiarized in the Battle of the Alamo. That was what the research was, trying to find one of these 'Benicia' lances. I didn't find one, but am not sure if he did or not. Last edited by Jim McDougall; 30th September 2008 at 08:12 AM.