carrying a musket on horseback

[forrestcav]

Re: carrying a musket on horseback

I carried my two bander on my back for over ten years.I did make a wider canvas sling for for it. Now i use a bucket.

[fortdonelsonrelics]

Re: carrying a musket on horseback




To add to Jerry's post regarding Spencer's, here is another variation of how some of the Wilder's specific Spencers have been found to be modified to be carried with a carbine sling. There is also image evidence of this being done as well - this particular one is a 123rd Illinois, the others I have seen were in the 72nd Indiana and 17th Indiana Identified guns. I have not seen any from the 98th or 92nd - but does not mean they didn't do it, just haven't seen any out of those particular regiments. The 98th Illinois records were destroyed after Chickamauga I believe, so we do not know their exact numbers. But nonetheless, it is an example of how some of the men carried their three band Spencers.

John Walsh

John Walsh of Fort Donelson relics has shown me many examples of wilders brigade indentified weapons with wear mark patterns on them that (might,might )indicate that the guns were placed on the pommel of the saddle.
Other people may have other evidence.

Again I don't strap my gun to any thing. This is most true as I do CS. When I ride Federal of courseI use the the sling they were provided..That sling would not work well on a 3 bander. I think it would drag the ground..

This has been discussed before you might use the search button here on the site to get the older conversation.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: carrying a musket on horseback

Hallo!

Wilder's images show a "mix" of Spencers with no slings, standard slings, and the "cartbine ring."

Without getting into the discussion of "art imitating life" or not...

Here is a lithograph, likely or maybe done from field sketches, a column of Wilder's brigade passes a blockhouse on the NAshville and Chattanoga Railrod:





Curt
Former Spencerian

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: carrying a musket on horseback

Hallo!

Sorry. PhotoShop and Photobucket are NOT cooperating today. I have tried four times to get an enlargement to post.

:(

Sixth variation:



Curt

[Mark Choate]

Re: carrying a musket on horseback

John,

Thanks for your post and the photos really help a lot. I have a book on the 72nd Indiana Cavalry (Wilder's) that I have borrowed and will soon read. I will jump into it early to see if I find any such references as these.

Curt,
I appreciate the etchings that you posted, too. You should have tried it one more (7th) time on the enlargement. "And on the 7th day God rested and saw that it was good."


thanks,
Mark

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: carrying a musket on horseback

Hallo!

Danke!

Here is a (possible) third variation on a Wilder's theme. This unidentified sergeant has a sling mounted on the rifle's lower sling swivel. Now, the curse is I do not know if there is a full length version of this image or not NOT cutting it off above the knees. Plus it is grainy.
But if my eyes are not playing tricks rather than the Wilder "saddle ring" bar arrangement, the other end of the sling does not go to the barel band sling but rather is buckled around the wrist.



Or the pesky qustions... one of a kind, aberration, one man's adaptation, or a multiple man private purchase thing or issuance?

Oh, I like the pockets... :)

Curt

[fortdonelsonrelics]

Re: carrying a musket on horseback

Here is a better scan of the image, I used to own it (or a version of it), but I had an identified one. It is of Edwin A. Irvin (Irvine) he was with Company B of the 92nd Illinois Infantry. He enlisted as a private in 1862 and discharged in 1865 as a Sgt, unfortunately I cannot find when he was promoted do I cannot pin down a time frame of this photo being taken, however, the backmark had a Huntsville, Al backmark, so it was probably later in his military career.

John Walsh