Sibley

[Widow Windship]

I am looking for the proper way to set up a union cavalry camp, on campaign, with Sibley tents.. Any help would be apprecieated

[RJSamp]

I am looking for the proper way to set up a union cavalry camp, on campaign, with Sibley tents.. Any help would be apprecieated

I don't have a 'correct' answer for you.....but was reading last night in "10 years in the ranks US Army" where they set up Sibley tents when the wagons came up on a snowy night.....they used their iron Picket Pins to make holes in the frozen ground.....and then drove their wooden tent stakes into those holes. Otherwise it would have been tough work indeed.

With 12 - 17 men per tent, I'd love to think that you sent up the camp per normal (front side of the tent across the street are your picket lined horses....and the back of the next company street's tents are on the other side of the horse) except you space out the tents a little more to keep your tent's horses more in front of your tent.

What I don't think happened is that it looked like an Indian encampment....circles of Sibley's by company and a regimental pony herd....

[Tom Craig]

I would have to say that RJ is right on this one. The official regulations lay out a cavalry camp with a row of company tents, then the company horses, and then the next row of tents and so on. They don't describe types of tents so one would presume that the type doesn't matter.

Not having done any research on this I would think that the application for cavarly on campaign using sibleys would be pretty limited... Twelve-fifteen guys in a tent with their tack would be interesting to see though! A few years back when we did one of the McDowells we had four guys in each A tent with their gear and tack and that was pretty tight!

Take care,
Tom Craig

[Andrew German]

Greetings:

I'd have to ask first where and when you are speaking of. In the Eastern theatre, Sibley tents were not very common among cavalry regiments even in the fall-winter 1861 training days. The 1st Maine seems to have had them in its frigid winter camp in Maine (Tobie, p. 13), and some of the regular regiments may have had them, but the 1st Pennsylvania camped in the winter of 1861 outside Washington in a mix of shelters but there was not a Sibley in sight. I think once regiments got into the field, and as the regimental wagons were left far behind, Sibleys were even less common. Photos suggest that the regiments guarding D.C., such as the 2nd Massachusetts, had them in their fixed camps into 1864, but again they are prominent for their uncommonness. Shelter halves were issued in mid-1862 to eliminate the need for Sibleys in the field.

However, if you have documentation for the use of Sibleys, here's what the Army Regulations say about cavalry camps and bivouacs:

Revised U.S. Army Regulations of 1861 describe the specifications for a camp of cavalry:
524. In the cavalry, each company has one file of tents–the tents opening on the street facing the left of the camp.
525. The horses of each company are placed in a single file, facing the opening of the tents, and are fastened to pickets planted firmly in the ground, from 3 to 6 paces from the tents of the troops.
526. The interval between the file of tents should be such that, the regiment being broken into column of companies, each company should be on the extension of the line on which the horses are to be picketed.
527. The streets separating the squadrons [two companies] are wider than those between the companies, by the interval separating squadrons in line [12 paces, or 36 feet]; these intervals are kept free from any obstruction throughout the camp.
528. The horses of the rear rank are placed on the left of those of their file-leaders.
529. The horses of the Lieutenants are placed on the right of their platoons; those of the Captains on the right of the company.
530. Each horse occupies a space of about 2 paces [6 feet]. The number of horses in the company fixes the depth of the camp, and the distance between the files of tents; the forage is placed between the tents.
531. The kitchens are 20 paces in front of each file of tents.
532. The non-commissioned officers are in the tents of the front rank. Camp- followers, teamsters, &c., are in the rear rank. The police guard in the rear rank, near the centre of the regiment.
533. The tents of the Lieutenants are 30 paces in rear of the file of their company; the tents of the Captains are 30 paces in rear of the Lieutenants.
534. The Colonel’s tent 30 paces in rear of the Captains’, near the centre of the regiment; the Lieutenant-Colonel on his right; the Adjutant on his left; the Majors on the same line, opposite the 2d company on the right and left; the Surgeon on the left of the Adjutant.
535. The field and staff have their horses on the left of their tents, on the same line with the company horses; sick horses are placed in one line on the right or left of the camp. The men who attend them have a separate file of tents; the forges and wagons in rear of this file. The horses of the train and of camp-followers are in one or more files extending to the rear, behind the right or left squadron. The advance post of the police guard is 200 paces in front, opposite the centre of the regiment; the horses in one or two files.
536. The sinks for the men are 150 paces in front–those for officers 100 paces in rear of the camp.

Bivouacs
540. A regiment of cavalry being in order of battle, in rear of the ground to be occupied, the Colonel breaks it by platoons to the right. The horses of each platoon are placed in a single row, and fastened as prescribed for camps; near the enemy, they remain saddled all night, with slackened girths. The arms are at first stacked in rear of each row of horses; the sabres, with the bridles hung on them, are placed against the stacks.
541. The forage is placed on the right of each row of horses. Two stable-guards for each platoon watch the horses.
542. A fire for each platoon is made near the color line, 20 paces to the left of the row of horses. A shelter is made for the men around the fire, if possible, and each man then stands his arms and bridle against the shelter.
543. The fires and shelter for the officers are placed in rear of the line of those for the men.
544. The interval between the squadrons must be without obstruction throughout the whole depth of the bivouac.
545. The interval between the shelters should be such that the platoons can take up a line of battle freely to the front or rear.
546. The distance from the enemy decides the manner in which the horses are to be fed and led to water. When it is permitted to unsaddle, the saddles are placed in the rear of the horses. (Revised United States Army Regulations of 1861 (Washington: G.P.O., 1863)

Andrew German

[RJSamp]

Greetings:
530. Each horse occupies a space of about 2 paces [6 feet]. The number of horses in the company fixes the depth of the camp, and the distance between the files of tents; the forage is placed between the tents.
(Revised United States Army Regulations of 1861 (Washington: G.P.O., 1863)

Andrew German

Thanks Andrew, now I remember where I read this....in the Infantry their is a prescribed distance between each tent (which we shrink to just about zero for shelter halves)......in the Cavalry the number of horses per 'tent' sets the depth. 12 men in a Sibley, 12 horses on the picket line at 6 feet per horse....72 feet between center poles....less the 12' radius times 2 tents = 48' between Sibley's.....