QUAERE VERITATEM TUNC CONSERVA
This is a direct transcription of a small pamphlet printed by the Quartermaster Dept, circa 1924. It is the most concise and descriptive reference on the Phillips Pack Saddle I’ve seen yet, so I’ve included it in it’s entirety. This document courtesy of the Rock Island Arsenal Museum. INTRODUCTION Tests of pack saddles for the …
Of all the speculations about the design evolution of the McClellan military saddle, the clearest ‘progenitor’ is that of the Campbell cavalry saddle of 1855. I don’t intend to delve into the various other theories here – that sort of debate can go on for far longer than most peoples attention span and patience!In 1855, …
The prototype saddle first fabricated by Lacey & Phillips, through the coordinating efforts of Capt. George McClellan, was delivered about 20-21 December, 1856, to the War Department in Washington, DC. Its description can be determined primarily by taking the M1857 model, and adding back all the pieces and parts that were removed from its predecessor.The …
One of the real treats that occasionally happens for the student of old historical artifacts is the discovery of a true rarity. Not just a hard-to-find item but an item that could be termed a ‘unicorn’ – so rare is it that there is no readily apparent logical reason that it should still exist. Such …
This is a rather simple descriptive post – many years ago, I was given an image of a plate showing the basic French hussar saddle, of similar vintage to the formation of the American dragoon regiments, and the Ringgold saddle This first plate is the illustration used in the 1826 cavalry tactics manual that was …