A Confederate McClellan Saddle.....

[Ken Knopp]

This is just too cool!! I shot these photos at the Franklin CW show this weekend past. This saddle is a rare bird that never even made it into the building at the Franklin Show. Fact, it hardly got out of the owner’s car...just long enough for me to photograph it. Anyway, it is the “real deal”!! ........
A Richmond Arsenal McClellan!!

Note the “CS” pommel plate, clipped corner mortice plates, it has a thirteen inch seat employing iron rings of 1 ½ inches (interior dimensions). The gullet is four inches wide. Obviously , it was once fully finished with leather skirts and quarter straps, etc. but little now remains.

Fresh out of an anonymous collection. I do not believe this saddle has ever seen the light of day- never been photographed or published anywhere. I present several photographs of different angles for your viewing please.

Stay tuned! This is just the first post of some real cool stuff. When I get some time later tonight or tomorrow I will be posting some even rarer birds......two Confederate bridles with bits!! And, lots of other artifacts as I have time this week. Even more items will be posted to my web site very soon.

* Sorry the photos are not the best. I did not have much time nor facilities to set up a properly lite backdrop, etc.


Ken R Knopp

https://www.confederatesaddles.com

[Forrestcavalryman]

Re: A Confederate McClellan Saddle.....

WOW! What a treat that must've been! Did the owner know what he had?

[Ken Knopp]

Re: A Confederate McClellan Saddle.....

Andrew....Oh yes! He knows. Collector's are notoriously excentric. This fella is a fine person. He has told me about this for years but this is the first time I have been able to see it. Very secretive. He has other items which I hope to one day see and photograph.
I once worked on another old reclusive and very secretive collector for 4-5 years before he would let me see anything. He would tease me by sending me polaroid photos of all kinds of saddles and artifacts. When I would call and ask him about them quite often he would act like he did not have it. Did not know what I was talking about. Finally, he said I could come see him at his home. So I drove all the way from Nashville to St Louis. Once there he would not let me see the collection but would only bring me one artifact at a time. All the while playing mind games by asking me what I would like to see or, "what if he had this or that", I photographed about a dozen saddles and a number of other artifacts but then he was "done". No more. About 3 or 4 years later he died. When the family auctioned off his collection- he had over 60 saddles! And, loads of other things. The family neted about half a million dollars. Strangely, some of the nicer saddles I had seen were not offered at the auction which leaves me to speculate just what he really had that "I did not see nor knew about". I could go on with other stories but you get the idea.

Ken R Knopp

[Paul L Muller]

Re: A Confederate McClellan Saddle.....

Gosh Ken, you ought to write a book, Mabe include civil war saddles and stuff...well , think about it. plm

[J.H.Berger]

Re: A Confederate McClellan Saddle.....

Very interesting pommel shape Ken. It is different than the Arty McClellean from Richmond depot in your book!

[Outrider]

Re: A Confederate McClellan Saddle.....

I own an original pommel shield off of one of those Confederate Macs. It is exactly like the one on this saddle. I would sell it too if anyone has a notion of building one. Just thought I would throw that out there.:wink_smil

[ButtermilkRanger]

Re: A Confederate McClellan Saddle.....

Is it just me, or does the pommel shape seem to have more in common with an '04 than a Federal '59?

[forrestcav]

Re: A Confederate McClellan Saddle.....

It reminds me of a slick fork texas tree in the way the pommel is more rounded than tapered like a 59' mac. Looking at it from the front, but still seems to have the mac slant and taper looking at the profile. IMO