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CIVIL WAR MODEL 1859 McCLELLAN SADDLE GIRTHS –
SEVERAL NICE SPECIMENS TO COMPLETE YOUR SADDLE:
An absolute necessity in order that the saddle remain on
the horse, and the trooper retain his seat, the girth
was one of the most critical pieces of equipment issued
to the mounted soldier, and yet apparently very few
girths that were issued with the McClellan Saddles
during the Civil War and into the first years of western
Indian Wars remained with the saddles as they passed
into the post-service surplus market. As a result, many
of these historic saddles that exist today in
collections are missing the girths.
While the standard pattern Model 1859 Girth, as
described in the Ordnance Department regulations, was
manufactured with an indigo blue woolen webbing body,
all leather girths, adhering in every way to the
standard pattern save for the material of the body are
well known. Though associated commonly with officer’s
saddles, examples of these leather girths have been
found on the Civil War and early Indian War Enlisted
McClellan Saddles and they consistently lack the
individual flavor associated with an officer’s private
purchase saddle girth.
While there is no definitive explanation for their
existence on the standard issue saddles, it has been
suggested that as the woolen bodies of the standard
issue girths wore out, the leather billets, still in
serviceable condition, were removed and used by the unit
saddlers to make a replacement girth using a leather
body. These leather girths are not particularly common,
but would be a correct addition for either a standard
pattern Civil War McClellan, any of the officer's
McClellan saddle patterns of the period, or one of the
early Indian War McClellan saddles. These all leather
Model 1859 McClellan Saddle Girths are known to have
continued in service with the frontier army through the
early 1870’s.
I currently have the following girths in stock and each
one is described and priced individually below with
accompanying photographs.
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NO. 1 - MODEL 1859 McCLELLAN SADDLE BLUE WOOLEN
GIRTH: A scarce offering of an original Civil
War period Model 1859 McClellan Saddle Woolen Girth,
this specimen is full length with all the components
present and intact. The standard pattern girth as
described in the 1861 Ordnance Department regulations,
this particular girth is identical to the Model 1859
Girth pictured in Figure 2, page 234 of American
Military Saddles, 1776-1945.
This girth is manufactured of indigo or dark blue woolen
webbing; with all of the leather billets, keepers, iron
buckles and “D” ring present and intact and the
girth-billet loop sewn across the center of the girth.
The indigo webbing is in excellent condition, full form
with four minuscule moth pin holes that are not visible
unless the girth is back lit. The leather components
are all very strong and pliable, and the iron buckles
all freely move. The girth measures 19.5” long and 4 ˝”
wide is full length and retains its full form.
This is an excellent example of a particularly scarce
piece of Civil War Cavalry horse equipment. Difficult
to find in any condition and usually missing from most
collections, finding these early girths in this
condition is almost impossible. This girth would
certainly complement your Civil War or early Indian War
Cavalry saddle collection and would be difficult to
upgrade.
SOLD
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NO. 2 - MODEL 1859 McCLELLAN SADDLE GIRTH –
LEATHER VARIANT – VERY NICE CONDITION: An
excellent example of the all leather Model 1859
McClellan Saddle Girth, this is the exact girth pictured
in Figure 5, on page 235 of American Military
Saddles, 1776-1945, and is direct from the author’s
research collection.
This girth, lacking the individual flavor associated
with an officer’s private purchase saddle girth,
conforms to the pattern as the standard Model 1859
Girth. Constructed of a single piece of heavy leather,
the girth has the buckle chape on one end and the “D”
ring and smaller buckle chape on the other. The
buckles, “D” ring, and billet loops are all present and
intact. The leather is all solid, very strong and
pliable. The girth measures 23” long, 4” wide, is full
length and retains its full form. The surface of the
body is crazed, but is stable. This is an excellent
example of a scarce piece of Civil War and early Indian
Wars Cavalry horse equipment that is missing from most
collections and becoming quite difficult to locate on
the loose. (C 67) $475
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NO. 3 - MODEL 1859 McCLELLAN SADDLE GIRTH –
LEATHER VARIANT:
Recovered from a relic
Civil War McClellan Saddle, there is little doubt this
girth was original to the period of use of the saddle
either during the Civil War or during the early years of
the western Indian Wars. This particular girth closely
resembles the girth pictured in Figure 5, page 235 of
American Military Saddles, 1776-1945.
Like the one pictured in that reference, this girth is
formed from a single piece of heavy black leather,
however this specimen features additional buckle safes
added to the ends of the body. The roller buckles and
billet loops are present and intact and the leather is
still very strong and pliable. Measuring the full 19”
long and 3.25” wide and retaining the full form, this
is an excellent example of a scarce piece of Civil War
Cavalry horse equipment that is missing from most
collections and this girth would certainly complement
your Civil War or early Indian War Cavalry saddle
collection. (0919) $450
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NO. 4 - MODEL 1859 McCLELLAN SADDLE GIRTH –
LEATHER VARIANT:
A very good representative
example of the all leather Model 1859 McClellan Saddle
Girth, this girth closely resembles those pictured in
Figure 5, on page 235 of American Military Saddles,
1776-1945.
Like the ones pictured in that reference, this specimen
is formed from a single piece of heavy black leather.
The nearside end still retains the roller buckle, billet
loop and “D” ring – all present and intact. The offside
end has the buckle and billet loop, however the buckle
is missing the tongue that engages the girth strap
billet.
The absence of the buckle tongue
is not particularly noticeable and for the purposes of
display would be only a cosmetic concern. Measuring 22”
long and 3” wide, the body of the girth is very pliable
and generally strong with a 1” separation directly below
the nearside buckle and “D” ring chape. This separation
is limited, not traversing the full width of the girth,
but is mentioned here for an accurate description.
In spite of showing some signs of use and age, this is
still a credible example of a scarce piece of Civil War
Cavalry horse equipment that is missing from most
collections and this girth would certainly complement
your Civil War or early Indian War Cavalry saddle
collection. (0341) $295
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