Interestingly enough... saddle issues.

[The Egyptian Homeguard]

I ran across this in "the file", I added the bold so as to be easily noticed...

WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington City: March 30, 1863.
Maj. Gen. W. S. ROSECRANS,
Murfreesborough, Tenn.:
The Secretary of War directs me to inform you that to-day 1,400 Gallagher's carbines, 150 Sharps' carbines, 226 Smith's carbines, and 500 Burnside's carbines, in all 2,276 carbines, with accouterments complete, have been forwarded to you, directed to Nashville, Tenn. We have on hand 792 sets of horse equipments of the Ranger pattern, 496 of the Grimsley pattern, and 2,000 of the ordinary citizen's pattern, in all 3,288 sets of good, substantial, new horse equipments, very suitable for mounting infantry, which can be sent immediately, if you desire it; and in a very short time from 2,000 to 4,000 sets of the new cavalry pattern can be sent to you to mount cavalry. Shall either or both be sent? How many pistols, if any, do you want?
P. H. WATSON,
Assistant Secretary of War.
-----

Unfortunately, I've not found the responce to the request...
Enjoy, TEH

[volcav]

Re: Interestingly enough... saddle issues.

From the thread Civilian Saddles in the Union Army

Civillian saddles in the Union Army
I was researching the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion the other day and came across this. I thought I'd post it for your comments. It appears to me that while the Mac was the official standard, there were other saddles issued by the Union too. We don't see many civilian saddles on the Union side of re-enacting. Note that the number of Grimsleys is less than any of the other two patterns of saddles on hand.

War Department,
Washington City, March 30, 1863

Maj. Gen. W.S. Rosecrans,
Mufreesborough, Tenn.
The Secretary of War directs me to infrom you that to-day 1,400 Gallageher's carbines, 150 Sharps' carbines, 226 Smith's carbines, and 500 Burnside's carbines, in all 2,276 carbines, with accoutermenets complete, have been forwarded to you, directed to Nashville, Tenn. We have on hand 792 sets of horse equipments of the Ranger pattern, 496 of the Grimsley pattern, and 2,000 of the ordinary citizen's pattern, in all 3,288 sets of good, substanstial, new horse equipments, very suitable for mounting infantry, which can be sent immediately, if you desire it; and in a very short time from 2,000 to 4,000 sets of the new cavalry pattern can be sent to you to mount cavalry. Shall either or both be sent? How many pistols, if any, do you want?
P.H. Watson,
Assistant Secretary of War

Murfeesborough, Tenn.
March 30,1863
P.H. Watson:
Thanks for the arms ordered. Please send us 6,000 Colt's pistols (new pattern) and all the horse equipments mentioned, including the citizens' saddles, soon as possible.
W.S. Rosecrans,

[Mark Choate]

Re: Interestingly enough... saddle issues.

Zack,

It sure must have been convenient for old Rosey to have had all of that materiel at his disposal..........."Ask and it shall be given, seek and ye shall find, requisition and it shall be sent (in spades)!!":sarcastic

On a serious note, a few years ago, in preparing for a late 1863 event in which the question of Spencers was in play, I did some reading in a book that escapes me now and saw that there were some (few) Spencers sent to Rosecrans' cavalry in Murfreesborough, in I believe May of 1863.

Did either of you gentlemen see any mention of that in your research and findings?

thanks,
Mark

[Mike Ventura]

Re: Interestingly enough... saddle issues.

I've run across this before and note the following - 1) the "mixed" saddlery is specifically stated for the use in mounting infantry, in this specific instance; 2) The "cavalry pattern" (Mac?) is specifically mentioned for mounting cavalry.

Thoughts?

[volcav]

Re: Interestingly enough... saddle issues.

I've not come across any Spencer information. I did come across mention of Henry Rifles in the 12th Kentucky Volunteer Cav U.S. The State of Kentucky issued 1,000 of them to the 12th. As for the saddles; just from my own military experience I think if I needed saddles for my cavalry I'd take what I could get and mount them. The infantry would keep walking until all my cavalry was mounted. I've worked with military logisitics in this century and the last one. Some things don't seem to change much. Requisitioning is one thing, shipping is another, actually receiving it all is a whole different story. Even with all the technological ability we have to track cargo today, we still have "frustrated cargo" meaning we have it but we don't know who to send it to. I'm confident that not all that equipment made it to its destination. I won't ask for a show of hands of who in the forum may have knowledge of military resoures being subject to unauthorized redirection with or without creative paperwork in the past. That doesn't even take into account Forrest, Morgan, or the local bushwackers attacking the supply lines.

[The Egyptian Homeguard]

Re: Interestingly enough... saddle issues.

Sorry Mark, usually Henrys (unless I'm checking the action on Buford's) are overlooked for sake of saddles, but I'll keep an eye out in the future... Possibly the mixed saddles were of inferior quality? Possibly, rough nearly unserviceable shape? I mean if a mtd. infantryman sore-backs a horse or mule, he's still an infantryman, who know how to march, right?!?!? Who ever heard of a cavalryman who wanted to march...

Also of intrest are... Unfortunately, these were found way prior to me keeping sources...

HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY,
March 8, 1865.
General CUSTER:
If the order issued this evening to mount all dismounted men is complied with it is not understood how there can be many surplus saddles. I am afraid it will be impossible to transport them other than on the backs of horses. All the surplus wagons in supply train will be used to lighten the ammunition wagons.
W. MERRITT,
Brevet Major-General, Commanding.

N.B.--An inspection of your command will perhaps show that a number of your men are riding on citizens' saddles. These must be abandoned in preference to Government saddles.
W. MERRITT,
Brevet Major-General, Commanding.

[Mark Choate]

Re: Interestingly enough... saddle issues.

Thanks Zack and Jerry for the feedback regarding Spencers.

I did not mean to "hijack" the true topic of your thread, Zack (which was excellent, by the way) with my talk of Spencers but it conjured up memories of that search I was making. Also, I am toying with the idea of "laying down the cash" to acquire one and wanting to know accurately how practical it would be to me in this theatre of the war. I own an original, but would never carry it in the field.

thanks,
Mark