Today in 1861, Union Gen. George B. McClellan, designer of this saddle, is put in command of the Army of the Potomac. Touring Europe with a military commission to identify new military tactics, McClellan came up with a new design for a cavalry saddle. The saddle was simple and less expensive than most. It was light enough not to weigh down the horse, yet it was sturdy and gave good support to the rider and his gear. In its original form the seat was covered with rawhide but was changed to leather in later incarnations. It featured a thick leather skirt and a leather covering for wooden stirrups. In addition, there was a girth strap made of woolen yarn. The McClellan saddle was placed on top of a saddlecloth or saddle blanket. It was adopted by the U.S. War Department in 1859 and it remained the standard issue throughout the history of the horse cavalry. Smithsonian objects: 1) The saddle, 2) an 1888 portrait of McClellan in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution by Julian Scott. Transfer from the Smithsonian American Art Museum; bequest of Georgiana L. McClellan, 1953.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 14:30:19 +0000
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