Feed Rations in the Field

[BigD]

I am new to the forum and I find it a wealth of information and what is better, you are willing to share it without making one feel stupid for asking. While I am relatively new to cavalry, I am not new to CW re-enacting or horses, but as in everything, you can't know it all and I am willing to learn.

I read in an article, the name of the publication escapes me, that US regulations required each trooper to carry two days worth of grain rations for his horse. I have seen at least one sutler selling a double partition canvas bag for attaching to the pommel or cantle of the saddle for such rations. I am not sure if this was authentic, but wanted to know how troopers of either side carried their mount's grain rations? I know that as the war went on, grain became scarce. But at least for the early war, how did the troopers from either side carry grain rations?

Thanks,

Dennis DeAtley
North Texas

[TexCavly]

Re: Feed Rations in the Field

Well Dennis nobody talked to me either for awhile when I first started. Haha It's good to see a fellow Texican!

By reading I have come to the opinion that soldiers did what they could for forage when they could. That means it isn't always the same form, could be corn on the cob or grain so I'd think any kind of specialized bag would be out as far as the rebel cavalrymen. a long but small poke sack would be the best choice IMO because it could be used for more than horse feed.
On the other hand you could eliminate the bag or sack and just let your horse graze while losing some pounds.

[Third Mainer]

Re: Feed Rations in the Field

Hey Dennis! Glad you found the AC!
Mike Pearson

[BigD]

Re: Feed Rations in the Field

Hey Mike,

Yep, sure did! Great place for information and knowledge. I thought I would follow the standards of the 1st Maine and I wouldn't get into trouble. BTW the saber came the other day and it is in pretty good shape. The scabbard is a dark brown patina, but I hesitate to clean it. I might buy a repro scabbard.

Dennis DeAtley

[BigD]

Re: Feed Rations in the Field

Thanks John.

I suppose one could even use a haversack for that too, although the finer grains such as oats probably would bounce out. A poke sack would be a good idea. I know that late in the war, little grain was available for both sides, let alone forage. So many mounts were lost to starvation during the late war period.

Dennis DeAtley

[Masich]

Re: Feed Rations in the Field

This is a good question--I'd like to see how others respond. Out west, the California Volunteers carried (c1862) seamless tubular "gunny bags" for grain. These were fitted with sturdy rawhide ties, to be located "on or near the mouth" of the bag. Though the exact dimensions are uncertain, the bags were designed to carry 100 pounds of barley "across the saddle." If we knew the volume and weight of Civil War era barley, is there anyone out there who could empirically calculate the diameter and length of such a bag?

[TexCavly]

Re: Feed Rations in the Field

Well a modern 50 pound sack of oats is about 2ft x 3ft so a 100 pound bag might have been 24 inches around and six feet long to be slung over a pack saddle. They must have carried one or two on a pack animal.

[Paul L Muller]

Re: Feed Rations in the Field

When I started doing CSA cavalry a few years ago, I carried a forage bag I made by sewing a round end into a leg of worn out canvas duck pants. Since then I have learned that most all horses are over fed , and that unles they are really worked hard, they do well on avalible forage and good hay. Your saddle will have plenty on it without extra feed. If you do still want to carry a feed ration, make a forage bag about 6" dia. and 24"long or so with a tie string for closing up the open end. I tied mine to the pomel .Still, I would carry a nose bag and feed grain rations when avalible. Good to have you on the AC plm

[Masich]

Re: Feed Rations in the Field

A bag with a 24" circumference would have been 7.64" in diameter (if my math is correct, and c=2πr), and 6' seems reasonable for length. Now we just need to construct a bag and see if it will hold 100lbs of barley. By the way, who knows how barley has changed since the Civil War? No doubt it's been hybridized as every grain known to man has been in the last 150 years. And, finally, what's the definition of "gunny" as used in the 1860s?

[1st Maine Trooper]

Re: Feed Rations in the Field

Rations for the horse were issued to each trooper along with his own, usually for a period of two or three days. They were carried in an envelope type sack tied over the pommel, in the nosebag or where ever else they could be stowed. The remainder of the "forage" as horse feed was known was carried in the regimental wagon train along with spare ammunition, troopers rations, regimental and company equipment etc. All too often we tend to forget that there were wagon trains that moved with the troops when on the march, even and especially when on campaign.
Dave Myrick

[The Egyptian Homeguard]

Re: Feed Rations in the Field

Dave, very true... Wagon trains are way over looked. especially when the Fed. cavalry spent a good deal of their time screening them from CS raiders... Z

[Lance Stifle]

Re: Feed Rations in the Field

Welcome to the Cavalry BigD
I'm only really experienced with the Australian Light Horse, so can't advise you on how the ACW boys do it over there.
But for interests sake, (and we horsemen are pretty much the same all over), a canvas or heavy duty fabric sleeve tied in the middle measuring 2 foot either side and about as round as your calf on your lower leg (a skinny bloke hopefully will ride a fat horse!!) will give you plenty of Barley for a good seven day week or so, without packing it in.
Openings to each side are at the top and either side of the tie itself, short strings laced through the fabric.
Sling the bag over the pommel of your saddle, as it's tied in half, obviously the tie is kept central at the pommel; to ease the burden we shift it up so the tie is on our lap and over our legs, about every couple of hours or so. When we rest our mounts dismounted and walking, the bag is slung over our shoulder, as is our rifle.
As the Barley gets used up it's not so important to worry about it.
One other old Light Horse trick is, when you can get the time crack the Barley by pounding it with a rifle butt, or spare horseshoe in the round mess tin (so it gets dented, who bloody cares), then spash a little water into it, and allow a few minutes before feeding.
Horses digest Barley quicker and more efficiently if it's cracked and moistened, and that way don't need nearly so much of it.
On the march most "good doers" will only need barely a half coffee cup of cracked Barley twice daily for their average campaign workload, chaff/hay of course as much as they have will have time for; and realistically they won't get time to over feed.
The old Russian Imperial Cossacks were renowned for the excellent condition of their horses even on campaign, and that was because they stopped at every opportunity to drop the bit and let their horses graze, even while they were mounted.

Kim Stewart-Gray

[Lance Stifle]

Re: Feed Rations in the Field

One other thing, my Grandfather told me that whenever they'd knocked a few Turks over they would always take the time to rifle through their gear to scrounge any horse tucker they might have on them.

Now that's an authentic horseman.

Just a thought, something we should include at reenacting events ! LOL

[BigD]

Re: Feed Rations in the Field

Lance, great information! Where are you located Mate? I've been to Australia a number of times. I have a horse friend who has a place in the Blue Mountains. Been to most places from Geelong to Brisbane, but would love to do a walkabout in the Outback sometime. Sounds like the feed rations over there were handled similar to here during the ACW. Barley sounds like it was the primary grain rations carried for good reason. I agree about the wagon trains following the troops as they campaigned, they were so vital to keep the supplies flowing to the troops. It is unfortunate that they aren't represented in numbers at CW LH events so the genearl public can understand what it took to support troops in the field. There is a very interesting piece about the Mule-driven supply wagons in the documentary "The Horses of Gettysburg" I recall a rather heroic dash by a mule driver through heavy fire to reach troops who were running short of ammunition. Too bad that wasn't portayed in the movie.

Dennis DeAtley

[GeraldTodd]

Re: Feed Rations in the Field

Welcome aboard Dennis.
Nothing to add really, except I use the 6" x 24"ish bag with a center tie to divide the two rations and carry it bent in two in the nose bag which I hang on the offside pommel ring.