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MODEL 1908 SADDLE BLANKET – VERY NICE SPECIMEN:
As described in the 1908 revision of the Ordnance
Department manual Horse Equipments and Equipments for
Officers and Enlisted Men, the saddle blanket “will
be made of pure wool…[the color] to be a mixture of
olive-drab shade…[with] an olive-brown border of two
stripes…the blanket to be rectangular, 72 by 84
inches…each blanket to have the letters “U.S.” and the
bursting shell”. In spite of the drab colors, the
1908 Saddle Blanket was one of the more distinctive and
decorative saddle blankets issued by the army during the
span of the horse cavalry.
At the time these blankets were issued, while the
bedding blankets were obtained through contract and
issued to the soldiers from the Quartermaster
Department, the saddle blankets were obtained through
separate contracts and issued by the Ordnance
Department.
This specimen has survived the years in very good
condition, measuring 72” wide and 81” long, very close
to the original dimensions (72" wide, 84" long) and well within any variances
in the manufacturing process by the civilian contractors
and within the range of shrinkage normally encountered
in these blankets as caused by the aging of the wool and
repeated washings through the years. This blanket is
clean with bright colors that show no sign of fading.
As to be expected on any saddle blanket that was used in
surface, there are a few points of wear on the surface
nap, one small stitched repair, and a couple of small (¼”
or less) holes, all of which
are shown in the photographs below. These do not affect
the integrity of the weave nor do they detract from the
quality of the blanket on display under your saddle.
As
directed in the Ordnance manual description, the blanket
is decorated in the center with an embroidered “US” 6”
high, and the Ordnance Department “Flaming Bomb” which
is 5 ½” high. This embroidery is fully intact with no
sign of wear and is plainly visible from both sides of
the blanket.
One corner of the blanket, applied to one surface, is
marked with a unit applied painted stencil. Though
worn, the stencil features crossed sabres with the
numeral "1" above the intersection of the sabres, and
the letters "S. ?. P." above the insignia. I do
not know the significance of the letters, but the
crossed sabres and numeral 1 are consistent with the
known cavalry regiment marking of the period of use of
these blankets.
As you can imagine, these blankets did not survive in
great numbers due to limited years of production and the hard use they experienced in
service, and as they passed on as surplus to the
multitude of post-army agencies, charities and retail
stores they were simply used up with little to no regard
for their historical value. These saddle blankets are
difficult to find in any condition, and the condition of
this specimen with the embroidered insignia still intact
and the unit applied stencil makes it a worthy specimen. This specimen will
certainly be a significant addition to display with any
of the 20th Century US Army saddles. (0456)
$550
NOTE: THE LIGHT STREAKS SHOWING ON THE BLANKET
IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS BELOW ARE RAYS OF SUNLIGHT SHINING ON
THE BLANKET AND NOT FADING, BLEACHED AREAS, OR
DISCOLORATION IN THE MATERIAL.
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