Of course, those were Tennessee and Kentucky troops, for the most part, at Fort Pillow, and what we are looking at is Alabama Cavalry/Mounted Infantry. I guess from most of what has been quoted from the records that sabers were not in much use. My personal assumption about the difference between these two designations would be arms and accoutrements, cavalry having sabers, carbines, pistols, saber belts, waist belt cartridge boxes, ect., infantry with long arms, infantry accoutrements. This would seem to be true in United States mounted arms, and Homer Mead makes this clear in his discussion of Union cavalry in his recollections of service in the 8th Iowa Cav. But as has been made clear in this thread, such a distinction in Confederate units in the Western Theater was not evidently as clear.

This might apply to uniforms as well, particularly late war. Most Columbus Depot shell jackets were made with blue (infantry) trim, and I have seen reference to mounted troops and artillery being issued such uniforms. And as I recall, Alabama-manufactured shell jackets carried no branch trim at all.

Interestingly, by late war Union Cavalry in the West mostly wore the four-button sack coat common to the infantry, rather than the mounted service shell jacket prescribedfor US mounted service. This applied to officers and enlisted as well. This is the uniform described for the 2nd Michigan Cavalry, Croxton's Brigade, McCook's Division, Wilson's Cavalry Corps. What about the uniforms, arms, and accoutrements of the 1st Alabama Cav, USA?