Cavalry Farriers

[Kurtlg]

I had a great-great uncle who was a farrier in the third Michigan cavalry . All of the images I have found from the war show Farriers dressed in what appears to be civilian garb. I found a small bit of information that said they were not considered noncombatants and were issued weapons and were expected to participate in the fighting . Is this true or did they stay behind with the traveling forges ?

 

[Eric Wittenberg]

They typically remained behind with their forges, but could and would fight if needed.

 

[Rhea Cole]

Artificers, i.e., farriers, wheelwrights, sadlers, RR technicians, harness makers, wainwrights, etc., were well paid civilians working in the vast U.S. support system.

'The Cavalry' book in the 10 volume Photographic History of the Civil War has a unique section on the Union remount system. Dozens of farriers are pictured posing with their aprons on.

Enlisted farriers were paid $25.00 / month. Artificers did not participate in drills or stand guard duty. After a cross country march, (+/-) 10% of the 100 horses in an artillery battery would need shoeing. An advance from Nashville to Murfreesboro on the MacAdamized pike (think farm to market gravel road) at least 1/2 of the horses would be reshod. The farrier was absolutely essential to keep a battery mobil.

Farriers have a highly technical understanding of the mechanics of horse movement. Adjusting the angle of a hoof is the difference between a sound horse & a lame horse. It is far more than just banging nails into a hoof. (re: Larry Mullens, master farrier)

Qualified farriers had years of practical training. A US army farrier was not alone. He had a traveling forge, limber / six horses, a wagon / four horses, a personal mount & drivers & helpers. Needless to say, this crew was no where near the fighting line. They were strictly a support element.

Every trooper routinely carried horse shoes & nails. It was routine to tighten a loose shoe or replace a broken or thrown shoe. That was a far cry from trimming a hoof, heating & shaping a shoe to match the hoof & adjusting the angle to compensate for a problem. For that a forge, iron stock, tools & craft are necessary.

I thought it important to establish what it took to be a farrier. While they had weapons for self defense, artificers were far too busy & valuable to be in the firing line.

 

[damYankee]

My g g grandfather, Geo. W Davis, was a farrier in the 4th Iowa Cav.
He enlisted at 32, he was already a blacksmith, wagon builder and farrier. When my grandmother passed away, I found letters my great grandfather had sent her, filling her in on family history, he states his father, George W. Davis was wounded several times, I have found his pension forms etc.
It has been my impression that most of time, especially during large battles, everyone from cooks to commanders, cavalry to artillery and waggoners etc, were never that far from the fighting, at least never far enough away not to be a target.

 

[Kurtlg]

My g g grandfather, Geo. W Davis, was a farrier in the 4th Iowa Cav.
He enlisted at 32, he was already a blacksmith, wagon builder and farrier. When my grandmother passed away, I found letters my great grandfather had sent her, filling her in on family history, he states his father, George W. Davis was wounded several times, I have found his pension forms etc.
It has been my impression that most of time, especially during large battles, everyone from cooks to commanders, cavalry to artillery and waggoners etc, were never that far from the fighting, at least never far enough away not to be a target.

Although I don't recall the exact Union artillery unit , on the first day at Gettysburg support staff repaired a gun carriage while under heavy fire and I believe they saved the gun .