Federal Horse Equipment Images

[Ken Knopp]

This is a interesting view of a Federal horse that is, possibly, equipped with a Jenifer saddle (?) Or, is it a Grimsley? What do you think?

The first photo is the overall shot entitled "Federal Encampment on the Pamunkey River, Va. From the LOC however you can see a good image of it at

http://www.mikelynaugh.com/VirtualCi...ls2/index.html

The second photo is a cropped version singleing out this interesting horse picketed in the field. While I cropped it (as well as I could given my limited abilities) this cropped image can also be found (albeit dark) in the Photographic History of the Civil War, "The Cavalry" , pg 105.

The third photo is a "reversed" view of the same image scanned from the book "Horseman Blue and Gray" pg 19. It is cropped differently in this book and a bit clearer, perhaps, but the same photo.

The fourth photo is another, hopefully better version of the second photo.

Anyway, one can see rather clearly the horse is picketed to the ground by his halter. It appears the bridle is slung over the pommel of the saddle with "maybe" a rolled overcoat and/or rolled oil cloth also on the pommel. The saddle appears to be a skelton rigged Jenifer (?), possibly is made of russet leather. It also has iron stirrups but it is difficult to see what pattern.

Take a look at this. Do you fellas think this is a Jenifer or a Grimsely? It has Grimsely like features to the cantle but if a Grimsely it appears to be skelton rigged. A Jenifer (captured?- the cantle is a bit different than other CS Jenifer) or a private purchase Federal Jenifer? If a Jenifer then it may be the only image (that I am aware of anyway) showing a Federal Jenifer in the field.

Thoughts? Comments?

Ken R Knopp

https://www.confederatesaddles.com

[RJSamp]

Re: Federal Horse Equipment Images

Picture 1 has a Front Porch Fly'd Wall Tent....no fly over the tent, and the gables of the fly match the tent. Note the height of the front/leftmost fly pole.....haven't seen that in reenacting.....

[J.H.Berger]

Re: Federal Horse Equipment Images

Ken, I don't think it is skeleton rigged, it has the skirts like the Grimsley, the cantle is Grimsley as Jennifer saddles have a lower cantle /spoon. The metal part that appears to be visible at the point where the Dee is attached at the McClellan could be the buckle of the surcingle???
But I really think the cantle tells us: Grimsley.
It would be interesting to know what parts are strapped to the pommel however.

[1st Maine Trooper]

Re: Federal Horse Equipment Images

I too am thinking that this is a Grimsley. The shape of the cantle leads me to believe this more than anything else. It also looks as though the surcingle or some other wide strap is being used as a breast strap. I will look for a high res image to enlarge for better clarity.

Dave Myrick

[1st Maine Trooper]

Re: Federal Horse Equipment Images

Ok, I just found the image at the LOC site. It is titled Cumberland Landing VA. Federal Encampment; another view.

After downloading the hi res image, one can see the details much more clearly. The surcingle is clearly over the saddle as it should be and there are most definitely metal stirrups. There is a narrow leather breast strap as well as a crupper in use. Also there is a valise strapped behind the behind cantle and no saddle bags. There do appear to be some sort of pommel bags but they are partially hidden by a lined uniform jacket that is tossed upon the pommel. Also of not is that the saddle blanket is folded so as to be very thick and does not extend much below the bars of the saddle.
Now as to Ken's original question, I cant make out any of the tell tale brass work nor the quilted seat of the Grimsley. There is also a very faint shadow of a line that would suggest an opening in the tree between the bars. It also appears as though there is a line of screws at the bar edge consistent with the securing of skirts but they are not securing the skirts seen in the photo. My conclusion is that this is indeed an English rigged Jenifer that has had the upper skirt removed.

Dave Myrick

[Ken Knopp]

Re: Federal Horse Equipment Images

Great points all! Like you Dave, while the cantle says "Grimsley", I could see some dscrepencies to the Grimsely i.d. as you so noted such that I pondered the Jenifer by-line. On the other hand, could it be a skeleton-rigged Grimsley? Maybe we shall never know for sure.
Can someone download a better "high-res" cropped version of the photo for us to see? Maybe it can be re-produced better than my feeble attempt. Thanks to all,

Ken R Knopp

[J.H.Berger]

Re: Federal Horse Equipment Images

Yes a clearer picture would be great!

[1st Maine Trooper]

Re: Federal Horse Equipment Images

If anyone goes to the Library Of Congress web site and search the digital collections for
"Cumberland Landing VA. Federal Encampment; another view" a high res .tiff image can be downloaded. It is very large 20 MB and too large to post here.

Dave Myrick

[ButtermilkRanger]

Re: Federal Horse Equipment Images

I agree with Dave on many things from the high res pic. To me, the saddle, if it is a Grimsley, is clearly devoid of any of the Grimsley equipment. I can't see any brass horseshoe buckles on anything. The halter clearly has black iron hardware. The seat seems to be rawhide and I don't see any brass fittings on the cantle. The stirrups are bell type that are seen with Grimsleys. However, the small portion of leather that looks to have screws in the tree, seems to have been cut and is separate from the skirts. I can plainly make out the jacket thrown over the pommel and the low fit of the breast strap. I was curious about the position of the breast strap since it's obviously too loose to do any good, but I remembered that this horse is picketed and the breast strap, girth, and surcingle would have likely been loosened so he could graze. I'm also curious about the pommel bags. They remind me of the CS saddlebags in the Confederate Memorial Hall in New Orleans, which were private purchase officer's bags. These bags are large enough to be M1859 saddle bags, but I'm not ready to venture that guess.

Here are several other curious observations I made from this photo:

-- All of the mules have shaved tails with only a tuft of hair at the bottom. All have roached manes.

-- Most of the mules aren't wearing halters. They are wearing a dog collar type strap around their necks and are picketed to the wagons that way.

-- One of the dapple gray mules (or he appears to be that color) has a very large white spot and several smaller ones on his left (or right if the image is reversed) hip. Another white spot appears closer to his neck.

-- The "reenactor" type fly RJ mentioned seems to be covering a supply of some type of stores... rations maybe?

-- The saddle horses are picketed by their leather lead straps to wooden stakes driven into the ground. I see no iron picket pins or lariats.

-- The stencil on the wagon canvas says "Gen. Hd Qtrs", which would explain such a non-typical saddle on our horse in question.

-- That sure is a nice big cast iron gumbo pot on the ground by the shovel next to the wagon. Maybe this is really a CS pic of Louisiana troops on the move and they're getting ready for some good jambalaya or seafood gumbo!

[GeraldTodd]

Re: Federal Horse Equipment Images

Here's yer close-up.

Buy the way, the wagons are all marked "Gen Hd Qtrs" and the gear under the "porch fly" is bed rolls and a couple of guys writing and/or reading. There's a fellow with his musket just to the left of it.

The whole Cumberland Landing series is full of nifty stuff to look at. Lots of horses lounging about, lying down, etc. Tons of shelter tents in the background.

[GAR]

Re: Federal Horse Equipment Images

Fascinating picture. The 86.4 MB resolution is well worth the download time. I find it interesting how the tents are grouped by type, i.e. clusters of Sibleys, Walls, A's and shelter halves. Above and beyond the spotted mule are three or four long arm stacks and it looks like a latrine is running above the ditch next to the road. I hope the large wall tent that is close by wasn't the mess hall! I saw a small cluster of flowers in the grass (springtime?) and two troughs for feed or water. One is perched on a wagon tongue and the other is upside down next to the center wagon. There are two white horses at the far left with a dapple between them that appear to be Arabs, based on the short back and sharp angle of the rump.