Sets of English Cavalry Equipments were sold to officer’s in great numbers from Augusta. The majority of these were sold as single sets to individual field officers, provosts, surgeons and Engineering officers for “their own use” but late in the war they appear to have been issued in larger numbers to unit commanders for issuance to enlisted men.
English Cavalry Equipments included the saddle, with girth, surcingle, bridle, saddle cover and possibly other equipments.
English Artillery “numnahs”, or felt saddle pads, were imported and sold seperately though it appears likely that some were generally issued to Confederate cavalry and artillery beginning in October 1863.
The following are a sample shipments of imported English cavalry equipments arriving in Augusta from the port of Wilmington. These also represent the only shipments made to Augusta from Wilmington in all of 1863.
Arrival Date from Wilmington Item
8/ 1/63 Ten cases Cavalry saddles & equipments.
9/10/63 Two barrels saddlery
9/12/63 Six bales Horse Blankets
12/19/63 85 Casks Cavalry equipments.
– Oil Cloth saddles and saddle bags first appear in August of 1864. Late in the war they were issued in great numbers with even important people such as local quartermaster Major Winnemore and Brig.Gen. Fry were provided these saddles for personal use.
– By far, the horse equipment item most issued, and no doubt manufactured at Augusta, in the greatest numbers was horse brushes and curry combs. Literally thousands, in lots of multiple dozens were shipped all over the South. Richmond particularly, was the largest recipients of these. There is little doubt Augusta was the main supplier and probable manufacturer of these two items to the Army of Northern Virginia and elsewhere. Interestingly, curry combs do not appear on the record until late December of 1862 while thousands of brushes had been, up to this time, shipped from Augusta. Both were shipped in relatively equal amounts after this date.
– At various times large amounts of printed goods for ordnance Bureau record keeping were printed in Augusta and shipped to the commanding officers of the other arsenals including Savannah, Macon, Montgomery, Mt. Vernon, Selma, etc.. These included cash vouchers, long and short receipts, slave rolls and employee records.
– At various times allotments of lead would be shipped out to the other arsenal establishments where cartridges were made including Atlanta, Columbus, Selma, etc. This may coincide with the arrival of pigs of lead from abroad.