CHAPTER SIXTH.

PACK-SADDLE AND HARNESS FOR MOUNTAIN ARTILLERY.

Head-Gear
    BRIDLE
    THE BIT
    HALTER

Pack-Saddle
    SADDLE-TREE.-WOOD
    IRON
    PARTS or LEATHER ETC., OF THE BODY
    PAD
    CRUPPER
    BREECHING
    BREAST-STRAP
    LASHING GIRTH AND ROPE

Packing the Mountain Howitzer

The mountain howitzer and its carriage are either carried on packmules, or the gun is mounted on the carriage and drawn by mules harnessed to it.
The ammunition, forge, and tool chests are carried on pack-mules; or, when the roads are good, may be carried in common carts.
The equipment is the same whether the gun and carriage are packed or drawn, except that the lashing-girth and lashing-rope are not required for draught.
COMPOSITION.--The harness complete is composed of the head-gear, the pack-saddle,--which is common for packing the gun-carriage or chests,- the crupper, the breeching, the breast-strap, and the lashing girth and rope.

Head-Gear.

The head-gear is made of black bridle-leather. The buckles and loops are iron, japanned, (black.)

BRIDLE.-1 crown-piece: one end is split into 2 billets, and the other into 1 billet and 1 buckle-strap, for the cheek-pieces and throat-lash; 1 buckle No. 10, and 1 standing-loop, sewed to the throat-lash; 1 buckle No. 10, and 1 standing-loop, sewed to the top of the crown-piece for the billets of the winker-straps.
1 brow-band: the ends, doubled and sewed, form loops for the crown-piece to pass through.
2 cheek-straps: each has 2 buckles No. 8, and 5 standing-loops; one end buckles to the billet of the crown-piece, and the other to the bit.
2 winkers, made of two thicknesses of leather, sewed together by a seam around the edge; 2 winker-straps, sewed to the top of the winkers, and fastened to the buckle on top of the crown-piece.
1 leading-rein: made of a single strap; one end is sewed to the ring on the right end of the bit, the other end passes through the left ring, and has 1 wooden toggle, sewed in a loop at its extremity, and 1 leather washer on the inside of the toggle.

THE BIT.-It consists of 1 bar and 2 rings, 2.25 inches, made of wrought iron, and tinned.

HALTER.--The halter is the same as that used for field artillery, (page 144.)

Pack-Saddle.

It is composed of the tree, the parts of leather, &c., of the body, the pad and girtha.

SADDLE-TREE.-WOOD, (ash, oiled.)-2 arcs, each made of three pieces, halved into each other, glued and fastened together with 6 screws No. 14, 1 inch, in the front arc, and 8 screws No. 14, 1 inch, in the rear arc: a circular notch is cut in the top of the arcs, for the gun; 2 transoms, fastened to the arcs by bolts, which pass through their entire length: each transom has a circular notch cut in it for the trunnions of the gun; 1 cross-bar, let into the transoms, and fastened to them by 2 screws No. 16, 2 1/2 inch, in each end:
a circular notch is cut on top of the cross-bar, for the gun; 2 inner side bars, let in flush with the inside of the arcs, and fastened by 8 screws No. 14, 1 1/4 inch, in each end; 2 outer side bars, mortised into the arcs; 2 round bars: a round tenon on each end passes through the lower end of the arcs, and is fastened by 1 screw No. 16, 2 1/2 inch, which also strengthens the bearing-notch for the ammunition-chests.
IRON.-1 front arc-plate, with hooks on the ends, fastened to the front of the front arc by the assembling-bolts and by 2 rivets No. 2 B; 1 staple, riveted to the middle of the front arc-plate; 1 rear arc-plate, with hooks on the ends, fastened to the rear of the rear are by the assembling-bolts and by 2 rivets No. 2 B; 1 staple, riveted to the middle of the rear arcplate; 2 assembling-bolts No. 1, octagonal heads and nuts, connect the front and rear arcs; 4 staples. for lashing-straps, fastened to the arcs by 2 rivets, each No. 2 wire.
PARTS or LEATHER ETC., OF THE BODY.--2 pieces of hemp webbing, 2.5 inches wide, stretched from the front to the rear arcs at the top of the hollow, and nailed to the inside of the arcs with tacks; 1 cover, (black bridle-leather,) stretched over the hemp webbing, the inner sides bars and round bars, and nailed to the inner side of the arcs: a strip of thin leather is put under the heads of the tacks; 2 flaps, (harness-leather,) folded round the round bars, and sewed to the lower ends of the cover and arc-lining; 2 arc-linings, (harness-leather,) nailed to the side of the front and rear arcs, the lower ends sewed to the flaps; 4 lining-straps, nailed to the inner side bars and round bars; 2 thill-straps, with 1 buckle No. 6 and 1 standing-loop, pass over the round bars and form loops for the shafts of the gun-carriage.
6 girth-billets, sewed to the inside of the flaps, three on each flap: they pass through slits in the flap to the outside; 4 iron loops No. 4, for breeching and breast-straps, embraced in the leather loops, sewed to the inside of the flaps and passing to the outside through slits; 4 lashingstraps, with 1 buckle No. 8, and 1 standing-loop, fastened to the inside of the lower end of the arc by 1 screw No. 14, 1 inch; 4 billets for lashingstraps, fastened to the outside of the arcs, near the top, by 1 screw No. 14, 1 inch, and 1 staple, each; 2 shoulder-strap tugs, with 1 buckle No. 6 and 1 sliding-loop each, fastened to the front of the front arc by 1 screw No. 14, 1 inch, and 2 nails, 10-oz.; 1 loop and toggle, fastened with 1 leather thong to the iron loop on the front arc-plate; 2 safes, nailed to the outside of the outer side bars.
PAD.-1 top, (sheep-skin;) 1 side and end, (sheep-skin,) sewed to the top and lining; 1 lining, (strong canvas,) stuffed with straw and hair, and quilted. It is fastened to the arc-lining and flaps with 10 leather thongs.
GIRTH, (hemp webbing,) 7 1/2 inches wide.-6 buckles No. 8, and 6 standinq-loops, embraced in the ends of leather loops, sewed to the girths.

Crupper.
1 dock with 1 buckle No. 10, and 1 standing-loop, sewed to each end: it is made of a single piece of leather, rounded; 1 body, split at one end into 2 billets for the dock; 1 back-strap, sewed to the body at one end, with 2 seams, leaving an open space for the passage of the loin-strap: the other end passes through the staple on the rear arc-plate, to 1 buckle No. 6, and 8 standing-loops, sewed in between the body and back-strap; 1 sliding-loop on the back-strap, near the saddle.
1 loin-strap passes between the body of the crupper and the back-strap, to the buckle of the tugs on the breech-strap.

Breeching.
1 breech-strap; 2 side-straps, sewed at one end to the breech-straps the other end passes through iron loops on the pack-saddle, or through the staples on the shafts when the harness is used for draught, into 1 buckle No. 4, and 4 stand-loops, sewed between the breech-strap and side-strap; 2 tugs, for loin-straps: each tug has 1 buckle No. 6, and 8 standing-loops, sewed to one end-the other end embraces 1 iron loop No. 6, which is fastened to the breech-strap by 1 chape; 2 safes, sewed to the under side of the tugs, with 2 seams, the length of the tug.

Breast-Strap.
1 front strap; 2 side straps, one end sewed to the front strap: the other end passes through the iron loop on the flap of the pack-saddle, or through the staples on the shafts, when the harness is used for draught, back to 1 buckle No. 4, and 3 standing-loops, sewed between the front strap and side strap; 2 shoulder-straps, sewed at one end to the front strap, the other end passes to the tugs on the front arc.

Lashing Girth and Rope.
1 girth, (thick leather,) the ends folded and sewed with 8 seams; 2 iron hooks, the bar embraced in the loop formed at the end of the girth.
1 lashing-rope, (2 1/2 inch rope,) 10 feet long: it is used in connection with the girth, to secure the pack to the saddle: weight, 1.06 lb.

Packing the Mountain Howitzer.
The howitzer is placed on the pack-saddle, the muzzle to the front, in the recesses cut in the bows and transoms: it is lashed with the lashing-rope.
The shafts are placed upside-down on the same pack-saddle, the cross-bar on the neck of the cascable: the shafts are lashed with the bow-straps.
The carriage is placed on the pack-saddle, the axle-tree against the front face of the front how: it is fastened by the lashing-rope. The wheels are placed on the same pack with the carriage, one on each side, the small end of the nave against the pack between the bows, one of the spokes resting on the arm of the axle-tree: they are lashed with the bow-straps.
The ammunition-chests are suspended with chains, on hooks, on each side of the pack, and lashed with lashing-ropes.

TO PLACE THE HOWITZER ON THE SADDLE.

Three men load the howitzer on the mule. Introduce the rammer-head into the bore; place the loop of the handspike over the cascable; carry the piece to the saddle, approaching by the croup; raise it and place it in its bed. Three men load the carriage, taking hold of it by the arms of the axle-tree and by the end of the trail.
Four men load 2 ammunition-chests, and hook the 4 chains at the same time.
The load ought to be fastened securely, so as to form, as it were, a part of the animal, and should be raised as little as possible above the mule's back.