Ordnance Records of the 7th Virginia Cavalry

[Mississippian]

Decided to do a Virginia Regiment today, this was Turner Ashby's regiment, some really good stuff from 1863.


CSR of Maj. D. Hatcher

Month of August 1863 (For Co. A)

606 Colts Army Pistol Cartridges
90 Colts Navy Cartridges
500 Pistol Cartridges
24 Musket Cartridges
1 Carbine
54 Burnside Cartridges
3 Bridles
12 Halters
1 Saber
2 Saber Belts
4 pr Spurs and Straps
20 Sharps Carbine Cartridges

September 30th 1863 (For Co. A)

21 Carbines
1 Carbine Sling
8 Gun Slings
24 Sharps Cartridges
40 Burnside Cartridges
606 Colts Army Cartridges
96 Colts Navy Cartridges
25 Musket Caps
750 Pistol Caps
5 Halters
6 Sabers
5 Saber Belts
36 Haversacks
30 Canteens & Straps
18 Cap Pouches
9 Cartridge Boxes
8 Curry Combs
2 Horse Brushes
6 Bridles
2 bottles oil

November 30th 1863 (For Co. A)

60 Sharps Rifle Cartridges
310 Colts Army Pistol Cartridges
36 Colts Navy Pistol Cartridges
2 Saber Belts
1 Haversack

Dec. 31st 1863 (For Co. A)

6 Carbines
1 Saber Belt
4 Gun Slings
9 Gun Boots
29 Haversacks
6 Curry Combs
6 Bridles
9 Halters
9 Bridles
12 pr Spurs and Straps
2 Saddle Blankets
80 Sharps Cartridges
20 Enfield Cartridges
458 Colts Army Cartridges
78 Colts Navy Cartridges
150 Mississippi Rifle Cartridges
10 Burnside Cartridges
35 Pistol Caps

CSR of Lt. Col. T. Marshall

Ordnance Stored Turned over to Ordnance officer to be repaired and returned, March 5th 1863

1 Sharps Rifle
3 Joyslin Rifles

Ordnance Stores Turned over to Ordnance Officer, Cavalry Division, March 11th 1863

2 Percussion Muskets (Serviceable)
5 Enfield Rifles
5 Austrian Rifles (Repairable)
3 Austrian Muskets
390 Enfield Rifle Cartridges

March 31st 1863

1340 Sharps Carbine Cartridges
3050 Colts Army Pistol Cartridges
1720 Colts Navy Pistol Cartridges
200 Horse Pistol Cartridges
1000 Muskets Caps
430 Savage Pistol Cartridges
17 Robs' Carbines (Robinson Sharps?)
500 English Pistol Cartridges
5800 Pistol Caps
91 Sabers
100 Saber Belts
31 Saddles
34 Bridles
35 Halters
33 pr Spurs and Straps
64 Curry Combs
64 Horse Brushes
170 Burnside Cartridges
100 Enfield Cartridges
250 Mississippi Rifle Cartridges
12 Mississippi Rifles
420 Merrill's Cartridges
3 Merrill's Carbines
1 Sharps Carbine
1 D.B. Shotgun
200 Haversacks

Will MacDonald

[FloridaConscript]

Will,

really appreciate you doing this? Do you just check out the CSRs for the ordnance officer on fold3.com?

Hope you do a Florida regiment oneday, just for giggles.

[Mississippian]

Bryant,

The records are on fold3 but they are very very scattered. You have to know where to look. I've looked at some Florida units before and there is very little there, but I will keep looking.

I was trying to do Maryland C.S. Cav units this morning, but the computer ate them. You can really see an interesting mix of captured carbines, Mississippi rifles, and richmond rifle carbines. Another thing I've noticed is that ANV regiments are tending to favor the .44 cal pistol over the Western favored .36.

Will MacDonald

[FloridaConscript]

Will,

I've been looking through some company grade officer CSRs of units I have a particular interest in (48th Ga, 5th Fl) and there is some random stuff in there. A lot of pay vouchers and reimbursements for horse fodder (19th C. mileage checks). Did find a requisition 40 pairs of English shoes for Co. K 48th Georgia from may of 1862, and it was filled! Cool stuff.

[volcav]

Bryant,

The records are on fold3 but they are very very scattered. You have to know where to look. I've looked at some Florida units before and there is very little there, but I will keep looking.

I was trying to do Maryland C.S. Cav units this morning, but the computer ate them. You can really see an interesting mix of captured carbines, Mississippi rifles, and richmond rifle carbines. Another thing I've noticed is that ANV regiments are tending to favor the .44 cal pistol over the Western favored .36.

Will MacDonald

I wonder if that is by chance or by choice. My guess would be that they captured more .44's in the east because there were more Federal troops armed with them.

[rbruno]

Ok, I am going to go back to this "gun boot" thing because I still find it interesting. And now for a different reason. So far, in the two post on the 7th and 11th VA cavalry (Eastern theater) not one mention of a gun boot. Now, I am not going to ask or wonder what they were/looked liked/described in a manual, but I am going to ask would there be a piece of equipment that was exclusivly issued to a particular theater of the war? Again, it had to be in a ordance order/manual or something to have specs and to be counted and issued. But, would there be something that was issued only in the West? Just more questions.

[Ken Knopp]

Rob, yours is a difficult question to conclusively answer. The fact is we don’t have all the Confederate records from which to draw what might even be considered intelligent or reasonable summations. Those records, that were shipped south or somehow survived the fiery conflagration that consumed the arsenal in Richmond at the end of the war or, the burning, destruction or disintegration of other various Confederate arsenals/depots, etc., represent an unknown portion of the original records. In other words, we don’t know what (or how much) we don’t know. As you can see just from the recent regimental postings alone, one can conjure up many more questions that answers. Additional questions of what was issued from “where” and “when”, “how” it was made by contractors and/or at the arsenals, what was imported, how equipment evolved in materials and patterns during the war, and, particularly in this question, what nomenclature was applied to the equipment, is seriously impaired and, at best, uneven. Despite the latest and exemplary efforts of Will McDonald and others that have heretofore labored in Confederate military culture research we can only draw "flawed" guesstimates about some of this equipment and a very convoluted answer. From my point of view or, what I might actually suggest are "gut" feelings, I make the following observations about Confederate horse equipment.....none of which are "hard and fast" or pervasive:

“Exclusive” to the eastern arsenals (primarily the Richmond Arsenal system and its satellites):
- CS pommel shields//clipped corner mortice plates (made for or at the Richmond Arsenal)

“Exclusive” to western arsenals (i.e. Augusta, Macon, Atlanta, Selma, Montgomery, Nashville, Memphis, Jackson, Columbus Ms, Columbus Ga., and their satellite depots) but NOT necessarily in the TM or in the Carolinas:
- Texas Saddles (although there is some evidence some Texas saddles were perhaps made in limited numbers at a western Virginia arsenal)
- Cloth covered saddles (primarily but not exclusively a Columbus Ga product)


Equipment found somewhat more prevalent or common to varying degrees in the east than in the west.....
- Jenifer saddles
- Single Ring Halters
- Curry combs
- Imported British horse equipment (seemed to make it to the Richmond Arsenal system and the ANV in somewhat larger numbers than to the western arsenals)

Equipment found somewhat more prevalent or common in varying degrees in the west than in the east.....
- Spanish MOSS Saddle Blankets
- Halter Bridles
- Texas saddles

Another critical point I would like to make regarding horse equipment is that while moss blankets, curry combs, hardware and various other equipments were manufactured in the west and often shipped east to Richmond (for the ANV) very few, almost no equipments were made and shipped from Richmond to western arsenals and commands.

I should also point out that certain types of equipments that can be identified to particular makers and therefore, might also be considered exclusive such as Leech & Rigdon Spurs, Nashville Plow works Sabers, etc. etc.


Now, please don’t flame me for posting the above. There are exceptions to everything especially anything Confederate. Based on the above qualifiers noted in the first paragraph these are my “gut feelings” (found in a quickly ageing and deteriorating brain) and the best general way I can answer Rob’s question but, hardly something I would bet my reputation or life upon.

Ken R Knopp
www.confederatesaddles.com