By Ken R Knopp
Author’s Note: The following information has been compiled over many years of my research in Confederate saddlery and documents. It sources are that of several readily available books, articles and artifacts. Since my main area of research has not focused on Federal equipment or manufacturing, I must admit it may contain a few errors and is certainly not as complete as I would like it to be. I only present it here for others as a handy reference guide and possibly as a source for those who might want to pick up the mantle and complete the research.
The following lists comprise contractors or suppliers of cavalry saddles and horse equipments, i.e. halters, bridles, bits, girths, cruppers, etc. and their required hardware. Specifically “hardware” is: all types of buckles; rings; saddle shields, ovals and foot staples; curb chains; link strap hooks, rosettes, some times bridle bits and other miscellaneous iron or brass components that make up the horse equipment saddlery.
It is possible that not all of these companies were the actual manufacturers. Many appear to have “farmed out” to other manufacturers at least a portion of their Federal government contract orders and other needs. Also important, not all production was for Federal Government contract orders. Many suppliers sold horse equipment commercially to the Militia, state regiments and companies, officers and even individuals. This is only a limited list. No doubt there were other companies or manufacturers who provided these items also.
U.S. GOV’T CONTRACTORS OF ARMY SADDLES AND HORSE EQUIPMENTS:
The following arsenals or companies are known to have had contracts with the Federal Government to provide saddles and/or horse equipments for the Army.
| FIRM: LOCATION ITEMS SUPPLIED | ||
|
Allegheny Arsenal |
Pittsburgh, Pa | Complete Saddles/Equip. |
|
Alexander Barclay & Co. |
204 Market St., Newark, NJ | Bits |
|
Child, Pratt & Fox |
Saddles and Horse Equip. | |
|
Jennin E. Condict & Co |
Chicago, Ill. | |
|
Wooley Condict & Co. |
Chicago, Ill. | Grimsley/McClellan Saddles |
|
Eben A Corbet |
St. Louis, MO | |
|
Edwin A Crossman & Co |
Newark, NJ | Halters & stirrup straps |
|
Josiah Cummings |
Springfield, MA. | Bridles, halters, saddles, traces & collars |
|
D. Demarest & Co. |
Newark, NJ | Saddles |
|
Thornton Grimsley Co. |
St. Louis, MO | Grimsley saddles & equip |
|
Hansel & Braeutigam |
Philadelphia, PA | Saddles |
|
H. Head & Co. (Head & Boon) |
Quincy, Mass | Bridles & halters |
|
Heatheral & Cosker |
Cinn., OH | Saddles |
|
Hoover, Calhoun & Co. |
NYC | Nose bags,saddle bags, links, surcingles, girths |
|
John How |
St. Louis, MO | Horse Equipments |
|
Emanual Metzger |
Philadelphia, PA | Horse Equips., bridles, halters |
|
C. Prudden |
Philadelphia, PA | Cavalry saddle trees |
|
Nece & Rueben & Co. |
Philadelphia, PA | Saddles, Horse Equip sets |
|
George Peters (Peters & Benner) |
Newark, NJ | Saddles, bridles, stirrups, halters, surcingles |
|
John Reid |
Cincinnati OH | Horse equipments |
|
Sickles & Co. |
St.Louis, MO | Cruppers |
|
Turner & Sibley |
Chicago, Ill. | Cavalry Equipments |
|
Warren H. Wilkinson |
Springfield MASS | Bridles, halters |
|
E. Waters, Co. |
Troy, NY | Art. drivers & valise saddle trees |
|
Watervliet Arsenal |
Complete Artillery & Cavalry saddles & Equipment | |
FEDERAL CIVIL WAR ERA “SADDLER’S”:
The following is a list, though by no means complete, of known Civil War era “saddlers”. In some cases it is not entirely clear if these companies had Government contracts or simply sold saddle and horse equipment products commercially. In addition, some may not have manufactured but merely “supplied” the products as middle-men. Many of these companies were apparently in the business both before and after the war supplying the wants of both civilians and the Military.
| FIRM: LOCATION | |
|
Roswell Bartholomew |
Hartford, Conn |
|
Horatio Beall & Co |
Washington DC |
|
William Bell & Co |
?? |
|
Cullen Brown |
Detroit |
|
A.S. Carner & Co. |
Washington DC |
|
M C McKinny Chase & Co. |
Boston |
|
Arthur Clendening Co. |
Allegheny City, PA |
|
William Gilmore & Co. |
Pittsburg, PA |
|
Henry G. Haedrich |
Philadelphia, PA |
|
Samuel A. Hagner |
Philadelphia, PA |
|
Hannibal G. Hamlin, Jr. |
Cincinnati, OH |
|
R.P. & S.P. Harner |
Philadelphia, PA |
|
Jenkins & Lilly |
Baltimore |
|
Lyman J Lloyd |
Albany, NY |
|
John M Migeod |
Philadelphia, PA |
|
Richard E. Miles |
Louisville, KY |
|
Edward P. Moyer |
Philadelphia, PA |
|
Sherman Nichols & Co |
Washington DC |
|
John Norgrove |
Chicago, Ill |
|
Peck Bros. Saddlery |
New York |
|
Schuyler, Hartley & Graham |
19 Maiden Lane, NY (Paris France and Birmingham, England) |
FEDERAL CONTRACTORS OF “HARDWARE” (Lorinery) FOR SADDLES AND HORSE EQUIPMENT:
The following contractors had Federal Government contracts to supply saddle or horse equipment “hardware” (sometimes called lorinery”) i.e. buckles, rings, squares, halter bolts, escutcheon plates, etc.; bits, curb chains, picket pins, etc. and sometimes other equipments. It is highly probable most of these contractors were also the manufacturers of their products. This list is by no means complete as to the contractors or the products they supplied.
Another important aspect of the hardware supply question that is not addressed here is just how much, or specifically, what items were imported from overseas. It is common knowledge Germany, Great Britain and France provided some arms, equipment and materials for the Northern war effort. It is also believed that some of the domestic military suppliers imported hardware products for finishing saddlery or for sale here. Obviously more research and knowledge is needed before conclusions can be made. Unfortunately, surviving European documentation may be limited by the passage of years and possibly even destroyed as a result of two World Wars.
| FIRM: LOCATION ITEMS SUPPLIED | ||
|
Alexander Barclay & Co. |
204 Market St. Newark, N.J. | Bits |
|
Carrington Mfg. Co. |
Waterbury, Conn. | Shields, ovals, etc. |
|
Condict, Wheeler |
Newark, N.J. | Bits, curb chains, ovals, shields |
|
Stephen Condict |
52 Lake St. | Saddle Hardware for |
|
John C. Wooley & Frederick King |
Chicago, Ill. | Grimsley and McClellan saddles |
|
Eben A. Corbet |
11 N. Main Saddlery Hardware,or 109 N. 4th St. Louis, MO | Pack saddles |
|
James M Frazee & Co. |
46-50 Mechanic or 16 Mechanic, Newark, N.J. | Brass & blued curb chains, bits, watering bits, rosettes, saddles, hardware |
|
Thornton Grimsley Co. |
64 Main St., St. Louis, MO | Grimsley Saddles and horse equipment |
|
William S. Hansell & Sons |
114 Market, Philadelphia PA | Saddles |
|
Hoover Calhoun & Co. |
27 Chambers NYC | Link straps, surcingles, girths |
|
John How |
134 N. Main, St. Louis, MO | Saddlery hardware, horse equipments |
|
James, L Howard & Co. |
50-52 Asylum St., Hartford, Conn. | Artillery bits and brass buckles |
|
Moores & Co. |
Cincinnati, OH | Saddles, horse equipment, hardware. |
|
O.B. North & Co. |
65 or 71 North Franklin to Green, New Haven CONN | Malleable Iron, Bits, Picket pins, sling swivels, saddle hardware. |
|
William Powell & Co. |
247-249 W. 5th, Cincinnati, OH | Brass stirrups, Tree mountings, rosettes, bits, stirrups |
|
J.B. Sicles & Co. |
142 N. Main, Stl. Louis, MO | Horse equipment |
|
William P. Wilstach & Co. |
38 North 3rd, Philadelphia, PA | Picket Pins, spurs, saddle hardware, cavalry bits |
PROBABLE GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS OF SADDLE & HORSE EQUIPMENT “HARDWARE”:
The following contractors provided “saddle hardware” during the War. It is unclear what these items were, if they had Federal contracts or merely provided these goods commercially.
| FIRM: ADDRESS LOCATION | |
|
Joseph Baldwin |
204 Market St. Newark, NJ |
|
John Cross & Co. |
523 Main Louisville, KY |
|
Benjamin F. Eaton |
70 Bowery NYC |
|
Mathews & Sayre |
1 Alling St. Newark, NJ |
|
James E. Mooney & Co. |
Indianapolis, IND |
|
Fredrick Reynold |
34 Mechanic Newark, NJ |
|
Roys & Wilcox Mfg. Co. |
NYC |
|
Sulgrove & Reynolds |
Indianapolis, IND |
|
Van Wart (Irvin) & McCoy |
17 Platt St NYC |