Safety is everyones concern. If you observe an unsafe act bring it to the attention of you next higher ranking officer or NCO in the chain of command. Specially on the battlefield.

Firearms

Your safety and that of your comrades in the 1st Cherokee Mounted Rifles is of the utmost importance to the officers and NCOs on the drill field and particularly on the battlefield. Always remember that the weapons you are carrying are real and are capable of causing serious injury. Even though we do not fire live rounds, the 60 grains of black powder in your musket or the powder in your pistol chamber, when fired at close range, can do serious damage. This cannot be stressed enough. You will hear it before every battle at every re-enactment from your officers and NCOs; you are carrying deadly weapons, so handle them accordingly.

WARNING ACCIDENTS AT RE-ENACTMENTS:... a private soldier got the top of his head blown off by the discharge of a musket in the hands of another comrade. The two were sporting with each other in a friendly play, not knowing the gun was loaded, and the carelessness caused the loss of life of one.

Handle every musket, carbine, shotgun, and pistol as if it were loaded. Never assume anything about a firearm.

Never point your weapon directly at anyone, even if you know it is not loaded.

On the battlefield, when at close range (within 50 yards of the enemy), always elevate your weapon over their heads when firing. If you are overrun, do not fire your weapon ... period. ALWAYS follow the directions of Officers and NCO's.

Never draw your ramrod on the battlefield. This is a very serious safety violation and, in a major re-enactment, will be cause for your removal from the field. Some re-enactments will not allow ram rods on the battlefield at all.

When loading your musket, never allow your hand to be in front of the muzzle. The musket should be held at arms length, butt at your feet, with the barrel angled out and away from your body. Even when standing at ease, do not let your hand rest over the muzzle of your musket. DO NOT USE YOUR WEAPON AS A LEANING POST.

WARNING ACCIDENTS AT RE-ENACTMENTS:...was standing with the butt of his gun on a railroad tie, and his hands on the muzzle, and allowing his head to rest on his hands. As he shifted his feet, the gun slipped off the tie, the hammer coming in contact with the tie, and the gun discharged. The ball tore off the thumb and went into the head, under the jaw, and came out at the crown of the head. It could not have done its work more thoroughly had it taken the head completely off.

Field Offiers and or NCO's will have unit clear weapons as a group before entering and leaving battle field [dry fire with cap only - no powder charge]

Never put a cap on the nipple before you are instructed to by the field commander and you have loaded the powder charge. Charge powder first, then cap.

If you take a hit (pretend to be wounded), never go down with a loaded musket. Make sure your musket has been fired before you fall, and make sure that all edged weapons are clear from under you before you fall.

NO Knives will be carried onto the battlefield. They may be carried in encampment or for pictures.

Any planned re-enactment of a scalping on the battlefield will be discussed and planned in advance. ONLY one individual in unit will carry a tomahawk and do the re-enactment. SAFETY FIRST

When you do take a hit, avoid a lot of Hollywood theatrics. If you go flying back into the man behind you, and he has a loaded musket, you are endangering both yourself and your fellow re-enactor.

If your musket misfires, or otherwise malfunctions, step out of line and give it to an NCO; he will attempt to clear it for you and/or fix the problem. DO NOT Attempt weapon repairs on the field.

When advancing in a skirmish line, especially when leapfrogging, never fire when your fellow re-enactors are to your front. That is one reason why maintaining dress even loose dress in a skirmish line is critical.

When rolling paper cartridges in camp, do it in a safe place, away from open fires or other sources of ignition. Do not bring large amounts of powder; bring only what you will need, and keep it in a proper metal powder safe.

Do not bring a loaded weapon back into camp from the battlefield. Its a Regimental Requirement that for safety precaution, weapons are always cleared at the end of the battle and before leaving the field.

WARNING ACCIDENTS AT RE-ENACTMENTS: He had taken the pistol from the holster, not knowing that it was loaded, and commenced swinging the pistol around, discharging it, the ball striking him in the temple and passing through the brain on a diagonal course and lodged in the skull in the back of his head.

When test firing a weapon in camp after repairs or after clearing a jam or misfire, go to the edge of the camp, point the weapon away from the camp, and in a loud voice, yell fire in the hole before firing. DO NOT do this anywhere near a picket line of horses.

Mounted Safety

When mounted, you often will use carbine, pistol, and saber while in battle. Always remember to elevate your weapon, never directly pointing it at your foe, and observe proper safety distances before firing your weapon.

When mounted, try to fire off to your left or right side and NEVER fire directly over your horse's ears to your front. That is a quick way to make a good horse gun shy!

Sabers

When saber fighting, always keep the tip pointed up (skyward) and don't let it come down, even in a saber melee. Never point the tip of your saber at your opponent. This is a major safety violation.[will get you discharged from unit]

ONLY mounted troopers and mounted and dismounted officers carry sabers! If you are a dismounted trooper and have already bought a saber, it will look real good hanging over your fireplace, because you will not be wearing it. Dismounted troopers do not carry sabers. Though While it is true that many Trans-Mississippi cavalry units preferred shotguns to sabers, especially Texas cavalry units. The 1st Cherokee Mounted Rifles as well as the other units of Territorial Indians fought along side the Texas Cavalry in many battles. So, they carried shotguns as well, since there were more of them available than muskets. If you are a mounted trooper, the Model M-1860 light cavalry saber is the standard saber for an accurate Civil War cavalry impression.

Typically, you will charge an opponent and strike blade-to-blade two or three times before moving on to engage another foe. Some mounted troopers like to saber fight blade-to-blade, others prefer to fight edge-to-edge. If the engagement calls for a edge-to-edge engagement insure that the edge is dull

Always fight in the same style as your opponent. When you (or your opponent) have had enough, yell, break and then move on to the next combatant.

Remeber that when in close proximity of a foot soldier to pay close attention to your mount.