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CIVIL WAR CAVALRY
OFFICERS BRASS BOUND McCLELLAN SADDLE SET– INCLUDING AN
IDENTIFIED VALISE, AND YELLOW LEATHER TRIMMED POMMEL
HOLSTERS AND BREAST STRAP – AN OUTSTANDING MUSEUM
QUALITY SET:
Seldom is such an impressive set
of military saddlery assembled, and once in a collection
ensembles of this quality almost never appear on the
open market, usually quietly moving from one collection
to another without seeing the light of day. This
offering includes a custom made Civil War era Officer’s
McClellan Brass Bound Saddle, a Civil War Officer’s
Valise identified to the 1st New Jersey
Cavalry, a pair of yellow enameled leather trimmed
Cavalry Officer’s Pommel Holsters for the Colt Army
Pistols, and a yellow enameled Cavalry Officer’s Breast
Strap.
In
excellent condition, this classic example of a Civil War
officer’s private purchase saddle, built on the familiar
McClellan pattern, incorporates enough unique features
to overwhelmingly argue that this saddle was produced
under a special order for a senior, and very likely
affluent officer. Most unusual, and the only example of
its kind known to exist, the saddle’s seat is entirely
covered in black buff leather rather than the smooth
bridle leather seen on other leather covered seats. The
use of the buff leather suggests that quite possibly
this saddle was manufactured prior to the Civil War and
shortly after, or concurrent with, the adoption of the
McClellan Saddle by the US Army in 1859 as the M1851
Sabre Belts, Sabre Knots and Carbine Slings were all
made of buff leather until the gradual introduction of
bridle leather after the start of the Civil War. While
the buff leather would not be as durable, or frankly as
comfortable as bridle leather, this is the type of
elective feature that an officer was free to include.
The seat leather is pliable and complete, with all
seams intact. The pommel and cantle arcs are protected
with decorative brass molding that also served to
protect the critical seams at these points.
The pommel shield bears a
hand stamped numeral “1”, again indicative of an early
manufacture when the size of the seat was designated by
the numbers 1 through 4, rather than in inches as was
done on later saddles. All of the brass coat strap
mortise plates, the iron foot loops and equipment rings,
and the brass saddle bag stud are present. The full
form skirts are made of bridle leather, attached with
brass screws to the seat, and show no damage or
excessive wear. A pair of slits, carefully cut into the
trailing edge of the off-side or right skirt, suggests
that the officer may well have attached a carbine socket
to the skirt, indicating this saddle was used in the
field by an officer who was more than a casual
observer. The quarterstraps and girth straps are full
length, intact and complete. The equipment rings behind
the cantle are attached in an unusual manner. Rather
than the iron barrel staples as used on the pommel rings
and seen used on most saddles, the cantle rings are
attached with a leather loop riveted to the rear
quarterstraps. The quarterstraps join at an unspaded
“D” ring on both sides and each “D” ring is backed with
a leather chape attached to the ring by a sewn leather
loop around the top of the “D”, again a unique feature
not normally seen.
The stirrup straps are full
length, supporting wood frame stirrups covered with
leather hoods considerably longer than the wooden
frames, featuring exaggerated points on the front and on
each side of the trailing edges. These oversized hoods
are consistent with hoods noted on other Civil War
Officer Saddles, most notably a set of stirrups that can
be seen on a saddle ridden by General Custer in a famous
period photograph. Both stirrups are solid and both
hoods are full form and complete. Finally, completing
the saddle, the original folded leather construction
girth, a classic officer’s saddle accessory, accompanies
this set. Full length and with all of the fittings and
leather keepers present, the girth measures 22 ½” long
and 3” wide and shows only minor evidence of wear and
age and no damage.
The Civil War Officer’s
Saddle Valise is the exact specimen pictured in Figures
13 and 14, on page 327 of The American Military Saddle
1776 – 1945 and is from the author’s research
collection. Both ends of the valise are stenciled in
gilt paint “1st Regt N.J.C.”, identifying the
valise as having belonged to an officer in the 1st
New Jersey Cavalry. Also known as the New Jersey
Cavaliers, the 1st New Jersey was one of the
first state cavalry units to form in response to
President Lincoln’s call to arms and a unit that
distinguished itself throughout the War. Measuring 15”
long and 6” wide, the valise has a 3 ¾” wide flat
bottom. The valise body is made of smooth, black light
bridle leather and the flat ends are wood covered in
textured black leather. All of the straps are full
length, the brass wire buckles are present and both
leather retaining loops are present and intact. Two
coat straps fitted with brass buckles accompany the
valise in order to mount it on the cantle of the
saddle. These early valises have never been common on
the market, as so many of them were simply used to
destruction during the War, so this specimen is indeed a
special piece with its firm identification to a well
known Civil War Cavalry unit.
The pair of Cavalry Officer’s Pommel Holsters is
complete with covers, closing tabs, finials, surcingle
loops, tie down straps complete with buckles, and domed
brass caps at the bottom end, and are joined with a
solid yoke for hanging over the pommel of the officer’s
saddle. The covers are trimmed in yellow enameled
leather with a decorative scalloped edge. The
surfaces of the covers have an enamel or tar-like finish
which served to protect the loaded pistols from the
elements. Sized to fit any of the larger framed
Civil War era revolvers, the holster bodies still hold
their full form with all seams intact. This is a
very attractive set of pommel holsters with the added
value of the yellow trim identifying these pommel
holsters as specifically made for a cavalry officer.
Completing this impressive display is a Cavalry
Officer’s Breast Strap. Like the trim on the holster
covers, the body of the breast strap is highlighted with
yellow enamel and is surmounted in the center by a brass
shield measuring 4 ½” wide and 4” high. The strap
measures 27” long on each side and is 3” wide at the
widest point, narrowing to 1 ½” at the ends. Exhibiting
a high quality of workmanship, the strap is very well
made of a double thickness of leather, with all the
seams intact and the two mounting rings still present.
There is some minor wear to the yellow enamel on one
side, but the loss is minimal and given the rarity of
these cavalry officer’s accessories is really
inconsequential – mentioned here only in the interest of
providing a complete description.
This is truly a stunning
set, sure to be the centerpiece of a Civil War Cavalry
Collection or a display of US Military Saddles.
Collected through the years from old, well established
collections that were built years ago before horse
equipment of this quality began to receive its due
recognition, sets of Cavalry Officer’s Horse Equipments
are simply not found on the open market today and those
few that exist, still rest quietly, and unattainable, in
museums or in private collections.
SOLD |
