measurements of picket line rope

[10nycav]

In Hardtack and Coffee, Billings described the picket rope used for artillery horses as being 75 feet long and "1-1/2 inches in diameter." (I am pretty sure this is what he said--but I loaned out my copy of the book so this is from memory. Correct me if I'm wrong!) Obviously, this is a huge rope. He may have mis-spoke and meant to say "circumference," but he seems very accurate elsewhere. If he really meant circumference this would translate to a rope about 1/2" in diameter. Also the strain 12 artillery horses can put on a rope if they got panicked is extreme. My opinion is that a properly set picket line should be about as taut and unyielding as steel cable. I have some friends who went on backcountry excursions in Africa and the picket lines were like this--very heavy and very taut. If they do yield, horses can get caught in them more easily. So maybe he was correct about the 1-1/2" diameter.

Does anyone else have on good authority what the correct measurement for picket line rope was?

Thanks!
Ken Morris
10th Regt of Cavalry NYSV

[GeraldTodd]

The lariat is a 1/2" diameter line 30 feet long.

That description of a picket rope corresponds to some drawings I've seen, H&C included, with the line passing through holes in several posts.

[10nycav]

Are you talking about the lariat that attaches to the picket pin?

Ken Morris

[bluebellybugleboy]

pards: look at that thread on artillery pickett lines , I coppied a lot of stuff that I found in hardtack and coffee , i did it right out of the book . and my hand is cramping so i'm gonna go now.