Early docs on Federal Picket Pin

[Ken Knopp]

From time to time I come across some information that is not the focus of my studies but might someday be to others. A researcher friend of mine sent this to me. I am not sure if it is common knowledge or something revolutionary but it is new to me. I would hate for this info to be lost or lanquish forever in my records so I am posting it here for others to enjoy, learn from or, posterity, as it may be.


Anyway, it is a pre-war (1855) drawing perhaps an early prototype of the CW Federal picket pin.

It source is a letter from 1st Lt SV Bene in St Louis to the Chief of Ordnance in Washington, Oct 17, 1855. CB-423, OCO, 1855, National Archives.


Ken R Knopp

[arkangel33]

Re: Early docs on Federal Picket Pin

Ken,
Thanks for the post. Benet's name is in so many Ordnance documents its not even funny. Being a good Ordnance department Officer as you can see in the Diagram drawings everything is given in Tenths of an inch. If anyone is contemplating making these you have to have a drafting ruler that reads tenths of an inch!
Mike Brase

[malachi]

Re: Early docs on Federal Picket Pin

Does anyone have a handle on what a side view might look like on this thing? I'm having a hard time with the view presented, then again I'm not that bright...so says my wife.
Greg Tucker

[Paul L Muller]

Re: Early docs on Federal Picket Pin

My wife says the same thing about me, but I think she is mistaken. What I find the most interesting is the size of the lariat. My hay loft rope in the barn is that size, and I can not imagine carrying 35 to 40 feet of that on the saddle...I mean...DAMB!! So much for traveling light. I also have never seem a period photo of the lariat on a saddle, has anyone else? Great post Ken, don't your arms get tired hittin them out of the park all the time?? plm

[malachi]

Re: Early docs on Federal Picket Pin

Paul,
You're a smith...is the head of this thing just upset and then made oval with a hole punched though it? That's the only way I can see it. Do you agree???
Greg Tucker

[Mike_Schramm]

Re: Early docs on Federal Picket Pin

Any chance that the 1 3/4" is the circumference of the rope? That would be about a half inch.

I have not found a contemporary notation, yet. But from 1887, "The Mine Foreman's Handbook of Practical and Theoretical Information". I found this:

As a rule, the nominal size of hemp rope refers to the circumference...

I would be shocked if this is not the case for this situation.

[Paul L Muller]

Re: Early docs on Federal Picket Pin

I have looked a long while at the drawings, and have determined that the head is indeed upset or even folded and welded and then pierced. The CSA pins I make are basically the same thing, but these Fed. pins are tapered. I do not pretend to be any kind of expert on these matters, I leave the lofty burden the MR. Knopp, But this is truly much less a pin than what we know as the "federal pin" If anyone wants one of these "prototypes" let me know...looks like fun. plm

[Paul L Muller]

Re: Early docs on Federal Picket Pin

OH YES; Mike, you are on to something with the circumference of the rope. I laid out a string and marked it for 1 3/8 and wrapped it around a trapped shaft and it is 1/2 inch rope. Good for you. plm

[Steven Dacus]

Re: Early docs on Federal Picket Pin

While this thread is more than 3 years old, I was wondering about the strap illustrated in the middle of the diagram:

The 1861 Ordnance Manual clearly lists the picket pin and lariat as standard horse equipage, but does not list that 1'10" strap in the middle of diagram in this thread. My question is what would that strap be for? From practical experience in picketing our horses for hundreds of hours per year, we have gone to a single leg strap to picket our horses by the foot rather than by the halter. I am wondering if that is the purpose of this strap. My experience has shown me that if one uses the picket pin/Lariat and attaches it to the Halter/bridle/or anywhere on the neck or head of the horse, then it is likely that the horse will eventually get tangled up (time-frame of this inevitable result depending on the experience of the horse). Since we have switched to using a strap that we put over the front foot and then attaching the lariat to that, we have almost eliminated tangles while picketing.

As Tom Craig stated in a recent review of campaign riding in another thread, picketing (not a high-line...actual picketing) is not something I have seen employed in the east while it is almost necessary out west where pre-planning logistics is impossible. I have also found it an important aspect of our hobby as it makes us experience the room necessary to picket a small company of horses; the need to let the horses eat a decent portion of the day, or else the horse will not perform as needed by day three (which as been our experience in not allowing our horses to eat much the first two days due to being in the saddle for 16 or more hours); and much more. That is one reason I do like campaign events that cover dozens of miles and thousands of acres.

As you can see from the following pictures, our experience is as follows:

This picture demonstrates the "standard" location where most attach the lariat to...directly to the halter:


This picture is during our "Boot Camp" for our new guys in spring...Notice the horse tied by the halter.


This is usually what happens to most horses who picket by the halter. Because their head is elevated, their feet get wrapped in the line. A horse who is trained to give to pressure is invaluable in this situation. We found this horse like this after a few hours in this predicament...just waiting for us to un-tangle him:






This last picture is an example of what we do currently (unfortunately using modern equipment).We use a black leather strap to put around the front foot, and then attach the other end of the lariat to the picket pin. This has almost eliminated the constant tangle/struggle:


While I might be wildly off on this thread, I think it is worth noting.

What say you all?

[Mark Choate]

Re: Early docs on Federal Picket Pin

Steven,
Back many years ago, when doing long campaigns like Red River, Selma, Griersons, Ohio Raid, etc. we would picket the horses very frequently but always to the front foot. The strength of the neck or rear leg is greater than the front leg and it did not present as much resistance. Regardless, the horse needs to be trained to picket gradually and not simply "introduced to it" when on a campaign. One major reason is injury to legs. As your photos show, they will eventually get rope around other feet and if they are not broke to it, will "saw" the rope into the foot just above hoof. Takes about one second for a bad friction cut to take place and it is the devil to heal. We largely used cotton rope as friction less than hemp.

Just two more cents worth.

[Steven Dacus]

Re: Early docs on Federal Picket Pin

Mark,

Excellent reply. Those are my points exactly. I was hoping someone had documentation to support this during the war.

[Jeff Nichols]

Re: Early docs on Federal Picket Pin

Anchoring to limbs, be it fore or hind, in my experience, is begging for an injury. Suspensory tear, stifle/hock blowout...can't see the reward being worth the risk. Bad enough when one sits back hard tied with a halter.

As has already been me mentioned, obviously they need to be broke to whatever method is employed; that said, anything can happen, as we all well know. I think it's fair to assume that most incidences of resistance result from them not being as solid as they should be with either tension about their heads and/or legs/feet.

Those that rent vs own are at a significant disadvantage in this regard.

Tom mentioned the likely farbishness of the oft overused picket line, which is most likely completely true. Question is, is an undocumented improvised hobble/ "pastern cuff" any better in terms of authenticity? I don't know.

It would seem to me that, although I've personally not seen specific references to it, either, that assigning rotating horse watch (akin to vidette duty) might be an option...taking a page out of the old "ounce of prevention, pound of cure" book.

I think sometimes it's easy to make this stuff harder than it needs to be, if that makes sense.

[Steven Dacus]

Re: Early docs on Federal Picket Pin

Jeff,

Agreed on the possibility of being just as farby by using an undocumented single leg hobble. That is what I thought and currently believe. However, the reason I replied to this thread was that the original picture posted actually seems to document a strap that might have been used.

While it may be more hazardous than many may be used to, that cannot be the excuse to not do it. For instance, proper use of link straps is rare as many horseman don't want to connect authenticity due to the danger of a blow-up and injury.

I believe as cavalry Reenactors we have a mission to train our horses as much as possible to do everything a cav horse was expected to do. As mentioned, however, this is not possible for those who rent.

[Jeff Nichols]

Re: Early docs on Federal Picket Pin

Steve-

I must have missed the image you mention...will go back and see if I can pull that up.

Didn't mean to suggest that something should necessarily be avoided due to its inherent danger...if that was the case we probably wouldn't be involved in this at all.

My point was more along the lines of the reality of what they were forced to do through necessity for several years versus what we can do practically over the course of a weekend. Both man and beast became accustomed to more over a period of weeks than we could hope to in however many years' worth of weekends.

Seems that we are in agreement that, where applicable, exposure through training is the key to speeding up the learning curve, as it were...to whatever extent possible, where ever possible.

That said, we still, at the end of the day, do not find ourselves in the same situation as they did...that being, when all is said and done, the mount serving as an expendable tool of war... reasonably replaceable (albeit not so much so as the war progresses, and particularly dependent on which side of the conflict one finds himself).

As hard as one might try, that can be damned hard to portray with absolute authenticity...unless one is willing to sacrifice the animal, as they ultimately were.

[Steven Dacus]

Re: Early docs on Federal Picket Pin

Jeff,

I agree that we are making the same point. To a further extent cavalry seems to have been going a different direction as people treat their horses like they treat their undisciplined children (spoiled). A well trained and disciplined horse, who has the necessary respect for his rider is invaluable. As those who have used my horses can attest (sorry Chris B.) the only horse that I can say will do anything is the one I ride regularly; all our other ones just "make do". However, with weekly training,we have been able to train all our horses to picket with small diameter rope (dangerous for rope burns), hobble, link to the curb and much more that mainstream events don't allow. We were at one event that actually wrote a policy banning picketing because when a horse pulls it out of the ground if it gets spooked, the iron stake can sling-shot around and hit someone. Personally, that is a risk I am willing to take. Of course I am of the opinion that if cavalry reenactors can beat the crap of each-other with sabers on horseback, I feel the infantry should be allowed to fix bayonets in the field. Sometimes, safety has become the excuse not to come as close to history as possible.

But back to this thread, I would love to find ANYTHING first person talking about how they fed their horses when on campaign and for how many hours a day. I'm assuming that anytime the column stopped, troopers probably allowed their mounts to eat.