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The various cartridges mentioned were developed in a time of rapid changes in gun and ammunition design. One could say that the end product was the 38 S&W Special which made the earlier cartridges obsolete. The only reason for the earlier loadings to live on was to fuel existing revolvers.

If I read Barnes' Cartridges of the World correctly, here is the chronology and major differences;

Around 1868- 1870,Webley introduced the 380 center fire cartridge using black powder and an 'outside' lubricated healed bullet. This is the same system as the 22 Short, Long and Long Rifle cartridges that we use today.

Colt copied the Webley design and this became what we call the 38 Short Colt today.

In 1875, Colt introduced the 38 Long Colt version featuring the 'inside lubricated' bullet which was a great improvement over the earlier outside lubed bullets of the 380 Webley and 38  Short Colt. This was the infamous cartridge used by the US military from 1892 to 1911. Infamous in that it did not have the stopping power for combat use - so it was replaced with the 45 ACP in 1911.

The 38 S&W has a tapered case where the Colt was straight walled.   It was totally not interchangable with any of the others. It came out about 1877. The British adopted it for use in the Webley revolvers using a 200 grain bullet to improve on the stopping power. It was probably a good idea that the tapered case prevented it from chambering in the earlier revolvers.

The above cartridges would all have originally used black powder. We all know that smokeless powder changed everything. Pressures could be much higher with smokeless, so a new class of cartrtidge was in order.

Smith & Wesson introduced the 38 Special in 1902 with the Military and Police revolver. Perhaps they were trying to take the US contract away from Colt and the deficient 38 Long Colt cartridge. The Special was based on the 38 LC case- lengthened to prevent use in the 38 LC cylinders - and had a significant jump in velocity.  Existing stocks of 38 LC ammo could have been used in the S&W 38 Special's chambers.

Colt joined the 38 Special wagon in 1909 and the rest is history. 

As you can see, cases were never 'shortened' to make a new cartridge, but lengthened to take advantage of inside lubrication and to prevent more powerful cartridges from being used in older, weaker revolvers just like the 357 and 44 magnums in later years.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the reason the 38 Short Colt could have been made for so long is that it could be used in the Long Colt chambers as well as the Short Colt. Heck, you could fire them in 38 Special or 357s for that matter.  I do not believe it was used as an issue military cartridge in and of itself, but certainly could be used in the US military 38 Long Colt revolvers of the 1890s and early 1900s.   Today, a diehard reloader could fashion brass for both from select 38 Special cases.