GREAT piece on the Federal Cavalry remount depot- Geisboro in Wash DC!

[Ken Knopp]

Folks, here is a great research piece (in a cw blog) about the Federal Cavalry remount depot better known as Geisboro Point Cavarly Depot in Washington DC. GREAT, well rounded piece with historical information and overlay maps. A GREAT read and very well done.

Here is the opening line teaser.....

Geisboro Point Cavalry Depot, Parking for 30,000 Horses
The area once known as Giesboro Point is now occupied by the Department of Defense's Joint Base Bolling-Anacostia. The installation's major tenant organization, the Defense Intelligence Agency, is observing its 50th anniversary this year. However, nearly 150 years ago, this parcel of land was not a military intelligence headquarters, but the logistics hub of the Union Army's cavalry in the Eastern Theater. By providing a ready supply of mounts to the Army of the Potomac, Giesboro Cavalry Depot made an important contribution as the army slugged it out in Virginia. Over 200,000 horses were received, issued, died or sold at Giesboro during the war...............

Take a look!...

http://civilwarwashingtondc1861-1865.blogspot.com/2011/08/geisborough-point-cavalry-depot-parking.html

Ken R Knopp

https://www.confederatesaddles.com

[Brett Bondurant]

Re: GREAT piece on the Federal Cavalry remount depot- Geisboro in Wash DC!

Nice article and great blog he does. Thanks for sharing.

[Andrew German]

Re: GREAT piece on the Federal Cavalry remount depot- Geisboro in Wash DC!

Excellent information, thanks for connecting us to it.

Dismounted cavalrymen were sent there for remounting, housed in tents or barracks and put to guard and fatigue duty until they could return to their units with fresh horses. However, General Meade noticed that all too many were too anxious to go there for easy duty and access to Washington so he imposed restrictions. By late fall of 1863 cavalrymen were acting as "cowboys," driving herds of horses back to the cavalry camps to replace condemned horses.
A related action was the creation of the position of regimental veterinary surgeon in the spring of 1863. He was charged with inspecting and treating horses, and condemning disabled horses, either to death for disease or return to a cavalry depot for reconditioning.
Considering the rudimentary state of federal cavalry horse management at the beginning of the war, this was a pretty enlightened process.
Andreww German

[The Egyptian Homeguard]

Re: GREAT piece on the Federal Cavalry remount depot- Geisboro in Wash DC!

30,000 horses now you know why in the one picture of the loading docks there are dozens of kegs of horse shoes... I'd seen most of the images before, but not the aerial image! Cool link Ken. Z

[TopKick1833]

Re: GREAT piece on the Federal Cavalry remount depot- Geisboro in Wash DC!

I have been to the modern day site on the AFB. You can track where the depot use to be pretty easy. Although the shoreline has changed a good bit since then, it is still pretty cool to go up if you can stand the traffic.

R/S