Real Cowboy

One of the best ever toy soldiers ever made and imagine if it was painted bettter how authentic it would be, compare it to the Remington images.
The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of special significance and legend. A subtype, called a wrangler, specifically tends the horses used to work cattle. In addition to ranch work, some cowboys work for or participate in rodeos. 
 There are also cattle handlers in many other parts of the world, particularly South America and Australia, who perform work similar to the cowboy in their respective nations.

The cowboy has deep historic roots tracing back to Spain and the earliest European settlers of the Americas. Over the centuries, differences in terrain, climate and the influence of cattle-handling traditions from multiple cultures created several distinct styles of equipment, clothing and animal handling. As the ever-practical cowboy adapted to the modern world, the cowboy's equipment and techniques also adapted to some degree, though many classic traditions are still preserved today.

crescent

Horsemen but by who?

Hill??

Hill??

american trapper by authenticast my collection

Mountain men were trappers and explorers who roamed the North American Rocky Mountains — from about 1810 through the 1880s (with a peak population in the early 1840s) where they were instrumental in opening up the various Emigrant Trails (widened into wagon roads) allowing Americans in the east to settle the new territories of the far west by organized wagon trains traveling over roads explored and in many cases, physically improved by the mountain men and the big fur companies originally to serve the mule train based inland fur trade.

They arose in a natural geographic and economic expansion driven by the lucrative earnings available in the North American fur trade, in the wake of the various 1806–07 published accounts of the Lewis and Clark expeditions' (1803–1806) findings about the Rockies and the (ownership disputed) Oregon Country where they flourished economically for over three decades.

By the time the two new international treaties in early 1846 and early 1848 respectively settled new western coastal territories officially on the United States and spurred a large upsurge in migration, the days of many Mountain men making a good living by fur trapping had become a thing of the past as the industry was a failing subsistence because of over trapping activity vice the lucrative boom business it once been. Fortuitously, America's ongoing western migration by wagon train with the goal of claiming cheap lands in the west was however building rapidly from a trickle of settlers from 1841's opening of the Oregon Trail (now a wagon road) to a flood of emigrants headed west by 1847–49 and thereafter well into the later 1880s.

With the silk trade and over trapped (scarcity driven) quick collapse of the North American beaver based fur trade in the later 1830s–1840s, many of the mountain men settled into jobs as Army Scouts, wagon train guides and settlers in and through the lands which they had helped open up. Others, like William Sublette opened up fort-trading posts along the Oregon Trail to service the remnant fur trade and the settlers heading west.

Mountain men were ethnically, socially, and religiously diverse, fitting no ready stereotype, and while they considered themselves independent, were in fact, economically an arm of the big fur companies which held annual fairs for the mountain men to sell their wares known as Trapper's rendezvous. Most were born in Canada, the United States, or in Spanish-governed Mexican territories, although some European immigrants also moved west in search of financial opportunity, and the French and British both had long standing active fur trading industries in Canada. Like any businessman, Mountain men were primarily motivated by profit, trading Amerindians (and sometimes trapping) for beaver and other skins and selling the skins, although some few were more interested in exploring the West and traded solely to support their passion. As such, most of them were part trader, part explorer, part exploiter, part trappers, part teamsters, and part settlers, sometimes farmers or occasional (army) hired scouts; most survived and kept their scalps by having good relations with one or more native tribes, being multilingual out of necessity, and quite frequently living part of the year (mainly winters) with Amerindians and as often, taking Indian wives in the normal course of human events.
 By the time the fur trade began to collapse in the 1840s providing motivation to change jobs, the trails they had explored and turned into reliable mule trails and improved gradually into wagon capable freight roads combined to allow them to hire themselves as guides and scouts, just as the great push west along the newly opened Oregon Trail built up from a trickle of settlers in 1841 to a steady stream in 1844–1846, and then became a flood as the highly organized Mormon migration exploited the road to the Great Salt Lake discovered by mountain man Jim Bridger in 1847–1848. The migration would explode in 1849's "The Forty-Niners" in response to the discovery of gold in California in 1848. Manifest Destiny had received a powerful push in the spring and summer of 1846 with the international treaties settling the ownership of the Pacific coast territories and the Oregon Country on the United States.

Historical reenactment of the dress and lifestyle of a mountain man, sometimes known as buckskinning, allows people to recreate aspects of this historical period. Today's Rocky Mountain Rendezvous and other reenacted events are both history-oriented and social occasions. Some modern men choose a lifestyle similar to that of historic mountain men. They may live and roam in the mountains of the west or the swamps in the southern United Statesall models from knights of avalon a brilliant blog and site

Janson

cherry pickers my collection

sudanese troops

One reason that the British harbor such a visceral hatred for Sudan, is that they have never fully recovered from their experience with the Mahdist state, which lasted from the early 1880s to 1898.
This was an independent, sovereign Sudanese state founded by a charismatic Islamic leader--an ``Islamic fundamentalist''--which treated the colonial British as no other state had done.
 The Mahdi, according to a commemoration published in the Khartoum monthly Sudanow (December 1991), ``was the leader of the first African nation to be created by its own efforts'' and ``laid the foundations of one of the greatest states in the nineteenth century which lasted for 13 years after his death.'' His ``greatest achievement was his insistence on a centralized state and his success in building it.''
It is no exaggeration to hear in certain aspects of modern Sudan's fight for national unity and sovereignty echoes of the Mahdist heritage, although the current Sudanese government has no sympathies for the Islamic sect which the Mahdi led. The fact that the Mahdist experience took place during the lifetime of the grandparents of today's Sudanese, helps explain how that heritage has shaped the Sudanese identity.Two other expeditions failed which were of immense significance to the British. In 1882, Egypt came under British occupation, and Britain ruled the Sudan as well, through Cairo. The two expeditions were those of Col. William Hicks and ``the hero,'' Charles ``Chinese'' Gordon, nicknamed for his success in defeating the Taiping rebellion in China.
Hicks, a retired officer from the Indian Army, was sent as chief of staff, on behalf of the Egyptian government, to halt the Mahdi. Equipped with a total of 10,000 men, Hicks marched from Khartoum (the Egyptian administrative capital) toward El Obeid through Bara, from the north. Among his guides, unbeknownst to him, were a number of Mahdist agents who relayed information to the Ansar. Suffering from lack of food and especially water, Hicks and his troops were harassed, their communications cut, until they were surrounded and attacked by the Ansar in November 1883 at Shaykan. When the assault started, Hicks's troops, organized in the British square formation, fell into confusion and commenced firing on each other. All but 250 men were killed, including Hicks and a number of British journalists. The massacre of Hicks's force was hard for the British to comprehend. Gordon is reported to have believed that they all died of thirst, and that no military encounter had even taken place! The fall of Shaykan led to the success of the Mahdist revolt in Darfur and Bahr al-Ghazal, and the continuing attachment of tribal units to the Ansar forces.

zulus unconfirmed maker

The Zulu believe that they are descendents from a chief from the Congo area, and in the 16th century migrated south picking up many of the traditions and customs of the San who also inhabited this South African area. During the 17th and 18th centuries many of the most powerful chiefs made treaties and gave control of the Zulu villages to the British. This caused much conflict because the Zulu had strong patriarchal village government systems so they fought against the British but couldn't win because of the small strength they possessed. Finally, after much of the Zulu area had been given to the British the Zulu people decided as a whole that they didn't want to be under British rule and in 1879 war erupted between the British and the Zulu. Though the Zulu succeeded at first they were in 6 months conquered by the British who exiled the Zulu Kings and divided up the Zulu kingdom. In 1906 another Zulu uprising was lead and the Zulu continue to try to gain back what they consider to be their ancient kingdom.


In October 1968, one Mishak Mthilane consulted Attorneys Nel & Stevens in Greytown. Their Interpreter, Gilbert Maphanga took this statement from him about his participation in the Bambatha Rebellion in 1906. During April 1906, Bambata came back from Zululand. He collected young men and instructed them to catch his uncles Magwababa and Funizwe. Magwababa was caught at night, Funizwe ran away. The following day I armed myself with others and went to a fort called Mdayi near Mpanza where we found Magwababa in captivity with others. Magwababa’s wives went and reported to a European farmer (Voyizana) Mr Phillip Botha that Bambata had taken Magwababa to kill him. Mr Phillip Botha went and reported to the Magistrate here in Greytown. The following day European Constables went to Mpanza on horseback being accompanied by the Magistrate (Dhlovunga) to see what had happened to Magwababa. They passed Mpanza and went to Mpofana (Keate’s Drift) where there was a Police camp. They remained there the whole day. We were guarding their return. At about dusk the spies saw them coming back. The Magistrate came up to where we were hiding. Shots were fired at them and they ran away. As the Police Constables were coming up at dusk we hid in the bank of the road at Nhlenyana

hey were in separate groups. The first group passed. Then the second group was passing one of us threw an assegai in the third group and said "Usuthu". We rose and fought. We fought the Police who ran away and we went back to our fort. We slaughtered cattle and broke into the bar of the hotel, took liquor and drank it. In the morning we went to a farm of a European "Mkhovu" where we took a horse which was ridden by Bambata. We went towards the Tugela River. Bambata sent a message to Chief Silwane Mchunu that he must arm an Impi because he, Bambata, had started a war with the Europeans. He also sent a message to Chief Nyoniyezwe Ngubane. We crossed the Tugela River and went to Nkandhla where all the Chiefs and their Impis were to meet him. On the way we caught another horse which was to be ridden by Chakijana Sithole the Chief’s main Induna. When we were crossing the Tugela river it was about full. Chakijana fired a shot in the air and then we heard that were going to Zululand. We arrived at the kraal of Induna Mangari Ndlela who took us to Induna Sigananda Shezi in the Mome bush. He slaughtered a beast for us. Sigananda collected his warriors. After a month in the Mome bush periodically fighting with Bantu warriors favouring the Europeans, one day we fought with soldiers from Eshowe from morning till sunset. Many warriors died and many were injured in this fight. Several Chiefs joined us. We moved from Mome bush to Qhudeni where we found other Chiefs with Bambata and many warriors. A man by the name of Elijah came to us and said the European soldiers had gone and we all went back to the Mome bush, not knowing that this man Elijah was sent by the European soldiers to lead us into a trap. We entered at dusk. In the Mome bush I saw someone on top of the hill lighting a match. Early in the morning the soldiers fired at us. Many warriors died. I hid under a rock till midnight when I came out of the bush and walked towards Qhudeni. On the way I met others and came back. I was arrested and kept in custody for four months. I was sentenced to two years imprisonment.

regal custer

Ashishishe (c. 1856–1923), known as Curly (or Curley), was a Crow Indian scout in the United States Army during the Sioux Wars, best known for having been one of the few survivors on the United States side at the Battle of Little Bighorn. He did not fight in the battle, but watched from a distance, and was the first to report the defeat of the 7th Cavalry Regiment. 
Afterward a legend grew that he had been an active participant and managed to escape, leading to conflicting accounts of Curly's involvement in the historical record.
Ashishishe was born in approximately 1856 in Montana Territory, the son of Strong Bear (Inside the Mouth) and Strikes By the Side of the Water. His name, variously rendered as Ashishishe, Shishi'esh, etc., literally means "the Crow".^[1] He resided on the Crow Reservation in the vicinity of Pryor Creek, and married Bird Woman. He enlisted in the U.S. Army as an Indian scout on April 10, 1876. He served with the 7th Cavalry Regiment under George Armstrong Custer, and was with them at the Battle of Little Bighorn in June of that year, along with fellow Crow warriors White Man Runs Him, Goes Ahead, Hairy Moccasin and others. Curly and the other scouts did not participate in the battle, but were ordered away before the fighting began. Curly evidently watched the battle from a distance, and, seeing Custer's defeat was imminent, rode off to report the news.
A day or two after the battle Curly found an army supply boat at the confluence of the Bighorn and Little Bighorn Rivers. He was the first to report the 7th's defeat, using a combination of sign language, drawings, and an interpreter. Curly did not claim to have fought in the battle,  below lead charbensbut this first report was accurate, leading historians to believe he had been present at Little Bighorn but to have witnessed it from a distance. He was sought out by historians and the media, and two of the most influential historians of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Walter Mason Camp(who interviewed Curly on several occasions) and John S. Gray, accepted Curly's early account. Later, however, when accounts of "Custer's Last Stand" began to circulate in the media, a legend grew that Curly had actively participated in the battle but had managed to escape. Later on, Curly himself stopped denying the legend, and offered more elaborate accounts in which he fought with the 7th, and had avoided death by disguising himself as a Lakota warrior, leading to conflicting accounts of his involvement.

Curly later lived on the Crow Reservation on the bank of the Little Bighorn River, close to the site of the battle. He served in the Crow Police. He divorced Bird Woman in 1886, and married Takes a Shield. Curly had one daughter, Awakuk Korita ha Sakush ("Bird of Another Year"), who took the English name Nora. For his Army service Curly received a U.S. pension as of 1920. He died of pneumonia in 1923, and his remains were interred in the National Cemetery at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, only a mile from his home.

Curley, by David F. Barry, 1878

Curly's earliest newspaper account as recorded in the Helena (Montana) Herald on July 15, 1876, is as follows:

"Custer, with his five companies, after separating from Reno and his seven companies, moved to the right around the base of a hill overlooking the valley of the Little Horn, through a ravine just wide enough to admit his column of fours. There was no sign of the presence of Indians in the hills on that side (the right) of the Little Horn, and the column moved steadily on until it rounded the hill and came in sight of the village lying in the valley below them. Custer appeared very much elated and ordered the bugle to sound a charge, and moved on at the head of his column, waving his hat to encourage his men. When they neared the river the Indians, concealed in the underbrush on the opposite side of the river, opened fire on the troops, which checked the advance. Here a portion of the command were dismounted and thrown forward to the river, and returned the fire of the Indians.(De Rudio)

"During this time the warriors were seen riding out of the village by hundreds, deploying across his front to his left, as if with the intention of crossing the stream on his right, while the women and children were seen hastening out of the village in large numbers in the opposite direction.(french)

"During the fight at this point Curley saw two of Custer's men killed, who fell into the stream. After fighting a few moments here, Custer seemed to be convinced that it was impracticable to cross, as it only could be done in column of fours exposed during the movement to a heavy fire from the front and both flanks. He therefore ordered the head of the column to the right, and bore diagonally into the hills, downstream, his men on foot leading their horses. In the meantime the Indians had crossed the river (below) in immense numbers, and began to appear on his right flank and in his rear; and he had proceeded but a few hundred yards in the direction the column had taken, when it became necessary to renew the fight with the Indians who had crossed the stream.

"At first the command remained together, but after some minutes' fighting, it was divided, a portion deployed circularly to the left, and the remainder similarly to the right, so that when the line was formed, it bore a rude resemblance to a circle, advantage being taken as far as possible of the protection afforded by the ground. The horses were in the rear, the men on the line being dismounted, fighting on foot. Of the incidents of the fight in other parts of the field than his own, Curley is not well informed, as he was himself concealed in a ravine, from which but a small portion of the field was visible.

"The fight appears to have begun, from Curley's description of the situation of the sun, about 2:30 or 3 o'clock p.m., and continued without intermission until nearly sunset. The Indians had completely surrounded the command, leaving their horses in ravines well to the rear, themselves pressing forward to attack on foot. Confident in the superiority of their numbers, they made several charges on all points of Custer's line, but the troops held their position firmly, and delivered a heavy fire, and every time drove them back. Curley said the firing was more rapid than anything he had ever conceived of, being a continuous roll, as he expressed it, "the snapping of the threads in the tearing of a blanket. The troops expended all the ammunition in their belts, and then sought their horses for the reserve ammunition carried in their saddle pockets.

"As long as their ammunition held out, the troops, though losing considerable in the fight, maintained their position in spite of the efforts of the Sioux. From the weakening of their fire toward the close of the afternoon, the Indians appeared to believe their ammunition was about exhausted, and they made a grand final charge, in the course of which the last of the command was destroyed, the men being shot where they lay in their position in the line, at such close quarters that many were killed with arrows. Curley says that Custer remained alive through the greater part of the engagement, animating his men to determined resistance; but about an hour before the close of the fight, he received a mortal wound.

"Curley says the field was thickly strewn with dead bodies of the Sioux who fell in the attack, in number considerably more than the force of soldiers engaged. He is satisfied that their loss will exceed six hundred killed, beside an immense number wounded.

"Curley accomplished his escape by drawing his blanket around him in the manner of the Sioux and passing through an interval which had been made in their lines as they scattered over the field in their final charge. He says they must have seen him, for he was in plain view, but was probably mistaken by the Sioux for one of their number, or one of their allied Arapahos or Cheyennes.(Big Mouth)

"The most particulars of the account given by Curley of the fight are confirmed by the position of the trail made by Custer in his movements, and the general evidence of the battle field.

"Only one discrepancy is noted, which relates to the time when the fight came to an end. Officers of Reno's command, who, late in the afternoon, from high points, surveyed the country in anxious expectation of Custer's appearance, and commanded a view of the field where he had fought, say that no fighting was going on at that time, between 5 and 6 o'clock. It is evident, therefore, that the last of Custer's command was destroyed at an earlier hour in the day than Curley relates."

Thomas Leforge, in his autobiographical narrative, stressed that the Army expected scouts to be non-participant in skirmishes and added this recollection:

"I interpreted for Lieutenant Bradley when he interviewed Curly [sic], several days after the Custer battle had occurred. He was spoken of then as the 'sole survivor' of the disaster. But he himself did not lay claim to that kind of distinction. On the contrary, again and again during the long examination of him by Bradley, the young scout said, 'I was not in the fight.' When gazed upon and congratulated by visitors he declared, 'I did nothing wonderful; I was not in it. He told us that when the engagement opened he was behind, with other Crows. He hurried away to a distance of about a mile, paused there, and looked for a brief time upon the conflict. Soon he got still farther away, stopping on a hill to take another look. He saw some horses running away loose over the hills. He turned back far enough to capture two of the animals, but later he decided they were an impediment to his progress away from the Sioux, so he released them. He told me he directed his course toward Tulloch's Fork and came down the same trail I had come down on another occasion with Captain Bull and Lieutenant Rowe."

"Romantic writers seized upon Curly as a subject suited to their fanciful literary purposes. In spite of himself, he was treated as a hero. He took no special pains to deny the written stories of his unique cunning. He could not read, he could speak only a little English, and it is likely he knew of no reason why he should make any special denial. The persistent claim put forward for him by others, but as though it came direct from him, brought upon him from some of the Sioux the accusation, 'Curly is a liar; nobody with Custer escaped us.' But he was not a liar. All through his subsequent life he modestly avowed from time to time what he did to Bradley, 'I did nothing wonderful; I was not in the fight.' I knew him from his early boyhood until his death in early old age. He was a good boy, an unassuming and quiet young man, a reliable scout, and at all times of his life he was held in high regard by his people." (Leforge, Memoirs of a White Crow Indian, 1928 edition, p. 250.)