Civil War Sleighs

[major bill]

While sleighs and sleds pre date the Civil War by centuries, how were they used during the Civil War? This Michigan History Chronicle came yesterday.

I was excited because the "Chronicle" usually don't have Civil War articles.

What the article is about was the fate of seven friends that took a sleigh ride on Christmas 1860. All became officers in Michigan regiments. Some died, some were wounded, others made it to the end of the war. I think this magazine is worth keepi9ng after I finish it. Sadly, I believe it is only available to members of the Historical Society of Michigan.

This made me wonder about the use of sleds and sleighs during the Civil War. Northern forts would have needed horse drawn wood sleds to chop down trees and bring in the fire wood. I am not sure but expect a few officers had real sleighs. In areas with few or no roads the forts would have been completely cut off in the winter, perhaps for months. I assume the Army did not have an official sled design and purchased civilian sleds and sleighs when needed. Same for the soldiers.

During the winter would of it been possible to put armed soldiers on horse pulled sleds and raid enemy territory? Dismount and put on snowshoes to move quickly over snow. Frozen rivers would have provided expressways. Cannons mounted on sleds would have proven to be effective as well.

 

[Sowbelly and Hardtack]

@major bill I have never come across any evidence of sleds or sleighs being used to transport supplies, ordnance or wounded during the Civil War. Nor have I seen any photographic evidence.

With that said one should be careful when comparing the Revolutionary War to the Civil War. A few nights ago I was reading an old thread on how many days of combat did a Civil War soldier see. That thread had references to how many combat days did WW I, WW II and Vietnam soldiers experience. Comparing wars isn't fair since warfare changed and there was no clear definition of the term "combat days".

In Vietnam the definition of combat days varied from unit to unit and the time period in which the individual served. I kept track of my combat days and the combat days of the units I served with.

 

[Stryker65]

Edward B. Nugent was a major, was he not?