The 7th cav.

[lboos]

RickH, Thanks for your interest. I was not trying to pass the saddle or the saddle bags off as Lt/Col. Custer's personal equip... Just a display that the Cav. used for many years.
Over the years i have talked to many wannabe antique saddle experts, some have written book's on them, and i have found that when i get a chance to talk to them and go over some pic's of antique saddles that i am just as much if not more of a saddle expert then most. Did you notice the screw holes that held the skirts on that the 1904 never had? Tommorow i'll post some better pic's, and let you guess agin, And your off on the bag's also.
Could you please give me your expert opin. on how you date'd the saddle and bags to model 1904?
And thank you for the kind word's..

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[RickH]

First, let me say that I never thought you were saying anything about this equipment as Custer's. Especially since you sourced the items over a long period of time from different owners.

I'm simply making a statement that your items are pattern 1904. Usually you can tell immediately by the color. Earlier period McClellans ( Civil War through Indian War) are always dyed black . The leather was specified to be russett for both equipment and uniform leather at the tuurn of the century. You will find no specs for black leather from just after the Spanish American War until well after WWII.

Next give away would normally be the quarterstrap rigging, but yours is missing. The 1904 had a buckle adjustable quarterstrap. This was used to better fit the individual horse.

I would guess that the nail holes in the bars for the skirt were probably added after the saddle was surplused. The only McClellans I've ever seen that attached skirts in that manner were the 1859 with the rawhide covered tree.

The following is an excerpt from www.militaryhorse.org

The M1872 was essentially a rebuilt civil war surplus saddle, using as many parts of the old saddle as possible. The skirts were removed, and dee ring safes were attached to the rigging. The trees themselves were covered in black collar leather, with all the original hardware being returned to the proper positions. New cinches were obtained. Essentially an interim solution, the M1872 saddle would serve into the late 1870s.

There is some debate as to the shape of the rigging dee safes on the 1872 saddle, which has been further confused by Randy Steffen's illustrations which are basically pure conjecture. Extent specimens of the 1872 are EXTREMELY rare, nearly to the point of legend, so it is difficult to say with any degree of certainty exactly what this model's details looked like.

The saddle you pictured from the Confederate Museum may be a Confederate copy of the McClellan. I believe they made them at the Richmond Arsenal. The few that survive are always russett as the South didn't have any real quantities of black dye.

The stirrup leathers are indicative of the 1904 and the buckles are the same as used on the aforementioned side rigging. Iron stirrups could generally be found on the artillery McClellan's.

Your saddlebags follow the same general pattern as the saddle, russett, three straps, and the 1904 cut. All of the previous gear would have been black and only one other bag followed the same general size and cut. The Model 1879.

A really good recource is Border States Leather. Doug Kidd is one of the most respected saddlemaker and saddle historian out there. All of his work is done to original patterns and leather spec. http://www.borderstates.com/