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In an effort to make my own picket pins (since anything cavalry related seems to get harder and harder to find), I have come across the specifications of the painted iron pin in all the available QM/ordnance manuals but it does not specify whether it was milled or forged. Since milling iron was commonplace by this time I figure it would be more common to have milled picket pins vs. forged ones as they would have been easier/quicker to produce. But I have no proof of this hypothesis. Can anyone help?
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Steven Dacus
Casper, Wyoming
11th Ohio Cav (6th Ohio Cav: 1st Bat) -
Re: Were Picket Pins Forged or Milled?
I have wondered this very thing myself. As a smith I can tell you that there is a great deal of forge work and filing in making federal pins. If I can be of any assistance just let me know.
Greg TuckerGreg Tucker -
Re: Were Picket Pins Forged or Milled?
I've excavated a few picket pins from a civil war period site. From the 14 or so we found, all of them were forged. This doesn't necessarily mean that milled ones did not exist, but not one of the ones we found on dig was milled.Eric Urbanas
"If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning." - Frederick Douglass
"These men are all talk! What we need is action!" - John BrownComment
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Re: Were Picket Pins Forged or Milled?
From the draft 1865 Quartermaster Manual:
" Picket pins, ---( to be of good quality American wrough (sp.) iron, painted black.) The parts are, the body, the neck, the swell, the point, lariat-ring, around the neck, 8-shaped 1/4 inch wire, welded, the larger opening for the lariat."Richard MilsteadComment
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