Very little is known about the manufacture of saddlery at the Columbus Arsenal as most all of its records were destroyed by Gen. James Wilson’s expedition from Tennessee through Alabama and Georgia at the close of the war. However, it is known that as of September 1863 the Columbus Arsenal was issuing sets of saddle […]
Arsenals & Depots
Columbus Arsenal
The city of Columbus Georgia was a very important contributor to the Confederate war effort. Located on the Chattahoochee River in southwest Georgia it was also a major railroad and shipping center and therefore critical for Southern manufacture. A spur of the Montgomery and West Point Railroad crossed the river from the west while the […]
Sources for Montgomery Arsenal Information
Major Contract Supplier to Montgomery Arsenal
MAY, CHARLES P. 8 Market St., Montgomery, Ala. Another Antebellum and postwar saddlery. This firm produced large numbers of cavalry equipment by contract to the Montgomery Arsenal from May 1861 through April 1864 including: saddles (1,245 Jenifer and three “Spanish”); bridles (1,914 halter-Bridles); valises (2,765); halters (36); bits (33); nose bags (2,805); martingales (93); cruppers […]
Saddle Manufacturing at the Montgomery Arsenal
1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 Civilian Purchases, some manufacturing Early 1861 of various models Jenifer: Spring/Summer 1861 – Aug 1863 McClellan: Aug 1863 – End of War SADDLES MNUFTR’D AT MONTGOMERY: (Summary from major contractors only) 3 2,917 1,248 ? ?
Montgomery Arsenal Saddles & Horse Equipments
Montgomery’s war time leather equipment production was apparently significant. Many tens of thousands of infantry accoutrements, saddles and other horse equipment were manufactured here much of it apparently under contract. The following information was taken from the records of two prominent local commercial contractors to the arsenal, “Joseph Gue & Co.” and “Charles P. May”, […]
Montgomery Arsenal (Station): 1862 – April 1865
Montgomery was a major center of manufacturing activity for the Western Confederacy. Large governmental facilities were located here including an Ordnance Arsenal, Quartermaster Depot, a Medical Depot and pharmaceutical laboratory, a Nitre and Mining District Headquarters and a Naval Storehouse. In addition, the ironclad steamer THE NASHVILLE was built at its docks along the Alabama […]
Sources for Nashville Arsenal Information
NATIONAL ARCHIVES, WAR DEPT. COLLECTION OF CONFEDERATE RECORDS-CHAPT. IV, GROUP 109. Records of the Ordnance Bureau, Vol. 8, 9, 19, 78 & 79, 104, 105. Records of contracts and Ordnance stores purchased, received and issued at Nashville and Atlanta 1861-1862. CONFEDERATE ORDNANCE MANUAL- REGULATIONS FOR GOVERNMENT OF ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT, C.S.A., Richmond, Va. 1862 PLOUGHSHARES INTO […]
Saddle Manufacturing at the Nashville Arsenal
1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 Civilian Purchases, some manufacturing April – summer 1861 of military patterns: McClellan: Summer 1861- Feb. 1862 NASHVILLE SADDLE PRODUCTION NUMBERS: (1861 is incomplete but 1862 accurate) 2,922 1,130 —– —– —– NASHVILLE CONTRACT PRICES Oct. 1861 through Jan. 1862 Saddles: $22.50-$26 Bridles: $ 3.50 Halters: $ 2 Saddle Bags: $ […]
Nashville Arsenal / Depot Pattern Calvary Saddle & Horse Equipments
In spite of the loss of many records in the Depot fire there is ample documentation surviving or available from contractor’s files which describe the horse equipment made under contract at Nashville during its brief existence. In a letter from Lt. Wright to Col. Gorgas on Jan. 31, 1862, Wright writes, “I get an excellent […]
Nashville Arsenal and Armory: October 1861 through February 1862
South 3rd and Mulberry St., Nashville, Tenn. October 1861 through February 1862 The Nashville Arsenal and Armory was first put in operation under the State of Tennessee The Nashville Arsenal and Armory was first put in operation under the State of Tennessee Ordnance Department in the Spring of 1861. On September 18, 1861 Capt. K. […]
Sources for Macon Arsenal Information
NATIONAL ARCHIVES WAR DEPARTMENT COLLECTION OF CONFEDERATE RECORDS, GROUP 109, MACON ARSENAL RECORDS, 3,4,6,7.32,36,58,59 _, 83 and 101. Microfilm Collection at the Washington Library, Macon, Ga. MACON, GEORGIA’S CENTRAL CITY By Kristina Simm, 1989 Windsor Pub. HISTORY OF MACON GEORGIA By Young, Gholson & Hargrove, 1950, Lyon, Marshall & Brooks Press of Macon. GEORGIA SUPPLIERS […]
Saddle Manufacturing at the Macon Arsenal
SADDLE MANUFACTURING AT THE MACON ARSENAL 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 Jenifer 1862? – Aug 1863 **McClellen Aug 1863 -May 1864 Texas May 1864-End ** Includes some cloth saddles MACON SADDLE PRODUCTION ISSUES: (Incomplete-Represents only numbers available) 1,850 387 ? ?
Macon Arsenal Pattern Saddle & Horse Equipment
A large collection of Macon Arsenal and Armory records have survived. Unfortunately, most of what is left is unrelated to horse equipment. What remains is very limited and widely scattered leaving one to piece together the available information. Nonetheless, the following information about Macon’s “purchased and fabricated” horse equipments can be discerned:
Macon Arsenal
Geographically located in the Deep South at an important transportation crossroads yet away from the threat of Federal forces, Macon was selected in April 1862 as the future location for the Confederate center of military manufacture and supply. That June, at the behest of the Ordnance Department’s Master Armorer James H. Burton, it was decided […]
Clarksville Ordnance Harness Shops Production
The following production output from the Clarksville Shops represents the only complete records available. June 1862 through August 1863: Wheel and lead harness 1,146 sets* Jenifer Saddles 206 “Plain” Jenifer Saddles 98 Officers Quilted (seats) & Hoods (Stirrups) Saddle 102 “Shafted” (seats) Jenifer Saddles 4 Skeleton Jenifer Saddles 5,350 Skeleton McClellan Saddles 230 Single English […]
Richmond Saddle Issues
Just a few days prior to the evacuation of Richmond in April of 1865, an editorial was published in the Richmond Enquirer showing the principal issues from the Richmond Arsenal from July 1st 1861 through January 1st 1865 . This list, provided by Chief of Ordnance Josiah Gorgas, indicates that 69,418 cavalry saddles (possibly including […]
Richmond Saddle Production
“TROOPERS” SADDLE MANUFACTURING: 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 Civilian Purchases, some manufacturing April – Fall 1861 of various models* —————– 1st Model “Patent” Jan. – Nov. 1862 Jenifer ——————– 2nd Model Nov. 1862- Spring 1863 New Jenifer* ———- Jenifer/McClellan June – Nov. 1863 and “Transition “ Saddle ——– 1st Model McClellan Nov. 1863 – April […]
Richmond / Clarksville Saddles & Horse Equipments
Trooper’s Saddles: Predominantly “Skeleton” Jenifer (or “New” Jenifer) pattern saddles were issued to troopers until the summer of 1863. At the same time the McClellan saddle (or some variance of it) was manufactured in limited numbers by a few commercial contractors until the summer of 1863 when the Ordnance Department began a gradual changeover of […]
Richmond Arsenal
The Richmond Arsenal was established with the Confederate government’s move to Richmond from Montgomery Alabama in May 1861. On June 2nd, Josiah Gorgas arrived in Richmond and sought to find locations for Confederate ordnance establishments and his headquarters. The James River front proved to be a natural location, for clustered in a surprisingly small area […]
Sources for Selma Arsenal
WAR DEPT. COLL. OF CONF. RECORDS, GROUP 109, “CITIZENS FILE” NATIONAL ARCHIVES, WAR DEPT. COLLECTION OF CONFEDERATE RECORDS-CHAPT. IV, GROUP 109. Records of the Ordnance Bureau, Vol. 90, 91, 91 _ Records of correspondence form the Richmond Arsenal. CONFEDERATE ORDNANCE MANUAL- REGULATIONS FOR GOVERNMENT OF ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT, C.S.A., Richmond, Va. 1862 Selma: Her Institution and […]
Saddle Manufacturing at the Selma Arsenal
1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 Jenifer: Spring 1862-Aug 1863 **McClellan Aug 1863 – End of War ** Includes issue of cloth covered saddles SELMA PRODUCTION NUMBERS: (Summary from major contractors only) 25 3,508 ? ? ?
Smith, N. – Selma, Ala
N. Smith was a large producer of every facet of, and obviously high quality cavalry and artillery horse equipments to the Selma Arsenal from August 1862 through June 1864. Very complete records of this company exist from March 1863 to March 1864 indicating this company had contracts for horse equipments and supplies totaling over $491,700! […]