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Confederate Artillery bit???????????
This bit came to the surface at the Nashville CW Show. It came out of Kentucky with no other provenance. From its pitting it may well have been excavated but maybe not. No way to know for sure. It is of sturdy iron stock, completely hand forged and measures 7 3/4 inches overall with a 4 5/8 inch wide mouth piece (interior width).
What makes it interesting is that it has rein slots like that of the M1859 Federal Artillery bit (see other photo of the Federal 63 artillery pattern but I note this slot is also on the 59 pattern). One thing missing is the cross bar which is important for artillery drivers as it prevents the teams from tangling their reins.
The slots were blacksmith "lap-welded" one to the "outside" of the bit and the other on the "inside". Which gives it the appearance of quick construction or assembly line kind of construction like that of an arsenal rather than a single blacksmith. A good black smith of the period with any kind of pride in his shop work would never stand for such sloppy attention to detail but an arsenal employee (slave or white) paid on the number of pieces they put out (which is how they were paid) might do so.
Is it a crude CS copy of this artillery bit? Can't say. At any rate, its not your normal civilian style blacksmith made bit either. At least, I have never seen one like this before. In any event, an interesting bit and something to ponder.
Ken R Knopp
This bit came to the surface at the Nashville CW Show. It came out of Kentucky with no other provenance. From its pitting it may well have been excavated but maybe not. No way to know for sure. It is of sturdy iron stock, completely hand forged and measures 7 3/4 inches overall with a 4 5/8 inch wide mouth piece (interior width).
What makes it interesting is that it has rein slots like that of the M1859 Federal Artillery bit (see other photo of the Federal 63 artillery pattern but I note this slot is also on the 59 pattern). One thing missing is the cross bar which is important for artillery drivers as it prevents the teams from tangling their reins.
The slots were blacksmith "lap-welded" one to the "outside" of the bit and the other on the "inside". Which gives it the appearance of quick construction or assembly line kind of construction like that of an arsenal rather than a single blacksmith. A good black smith of the period with any kind of pride in his shop work would never stand for such sloppy attention to detail but an arsenal employee (slave or white) paid on the number of pieces they put out (which is how they were paid) might do so.
Is it a crude CS copy of this artillery bit? Can't say. At any rate, its not your normal civilian style blacksmith made bit either. At least, I have never seen one like this before. In any event, an interesting bit and something to ponder.
Ken R Knopp
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