Use for charcoal by cavalry?

lupaglupa

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In the various records I have for my great-great-grandfather is a voucher for 16 bushels of charcoal received at Griffin, Georgia, August 22, 1864. He was 1st lieutenant for Company K in the 12th MS Cavalry. I assume they wanted the charcoal for gunpowder but, knowing absolutely nothing about how one makes gunpowder, I'm hoping for some context. Would the cavalry be making their own gunpowder at this point in the war? How much would 16 bushels make? It seems like a lot. And if so, was this just for his company or was he getting supplies for the battalion? Any insight anyone has would be welcome!
 
Here are three photos of a traveling forge I took at a reenactment last year in Hillsborough, NH. I've been going there for a number of years but I've never seen this before. They had an actual fire going and were bending horseshoes. But they would have been called up to fix anything - especially the iron rims of the wagon wheels.

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Blacksmiths were issued Bituminous Coal. If you check any of the ordnance manuals, they list 250 lbs of bituminous coal as carried in the coal box of a Traveling Forge (search on the word "Forge" if you are looking for specifics in the online Official Records of the...) . Charcoal burns up quickly, so a great deal more would be needed if charcoal was/is used by a blacksmith. That would be a lot more bulk to carry around. Traveling Forges were equipped and assigned in two ways, Artillery and Field Park. Since I have not found references to Forges specifically put aside for Cavalry, most likely they were serviced by smiths servicing Field Park for use of everyone other than artillery.

Here is a picture of the Traveling Forge that I built. Museum Collector's Specialities Company cast the domed fireback to period specifications, it is designed to preheat air going into the fireplace. I don't know if they are being made anymore. I even built the wheels, the hooks, wheel washers, etc etc, lots of iron parts. I made the tools to make the wheels. Making tools and the wheels are a big part of why it took over 3,000 hours to build this Traveling Forge, over a four year period. The vise is period and correct, and not cut down from a leg vise. The anvil is period Mousehole. Although I made two break-chains, only one is used on the Forge. Apparently they used a break chain only on one wheel.
Traveling Forge built by David Einhorn author of the book Civil War Blacksmithing cropped.jpg
 
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Okay, so if the charcoal wasn't for a forge...??? Is this a requisition others have seen? Did other cavalry units use charcoal?

I'm intrigued! And very impressed with the expertise y'all have.
 
Although gunpowder is easy to make, I can see no reason for any field unit making their own. I can only suggest that this particular requisition for charcoal may have been as a replacement of unavailable coal.
Thanks to @NH Civil War Gal and @unicornforge for the great photos and information!
One of my family, German immigrant Christian Friedrich Eberle, was a blacksmith with Battery I, First US Artillery from November 1860, until discharged at Brownsville, Texas, July 1867.
 
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No, they would not be making their own gunpowder. Ammunition was issued in cartridges. My guess is they had a blacksmith and the charcoal was for that use.

Could this be a fuel used in steam engines of ships, etc? I know it would make sense just to collect wood but is charcoal better fuel for the weight?
 
Could this be a fuel used in steam engines of ships, etc? I know it would make sense just to collect wood but is charcoal better fuel for the weight?
I don't think a cavalry officer would be collecting fuel for ships but it was fuel for something. Who knows for sure. My guess would still be for a blacksmith, maybe they couldn't get their hands on good coal, but there's no telling for sure.
 
A cavalry or artillery horse would need shoes replaced quite often, considering the rough terrain and being on long marches. A pair of shoes would rarely last 4-6 weeks under those conditions. The farriers/blacksmiths were a VERY important part of the Cavalry; without well-shod animals, it would considerably hinder a regiment's mobility.
 
If it was a smaller amount I would say Water filter maybe ? In a pinch you can break up charcoal in a handkerchief and run water through it to somewhat purify it
Maybe they did it on a larger scale but I'm probably way off

Great idea, but they weren't there yet with charcoal anyhow. They knew tainted water was bad but they didn't know germ theory and some were still iffy even on tainted water, believe it or not!
 
Two forms from the Compiled Service Records of 1st Lieutenant Bernard B. Guion, of Capt. Basil C. Manly's Company A, 1st North Carolina Artillery:

-Requisition for 2 1/2 bushels of coal.

-On August 4, 1862, the battery signed for possession of what seems to be items strictly associated with a traveling forge: 1 traveling forge; four horses; two sets wheel artillery harness complete; two sets lead artillery harness complete; and one set blacksmith implements for forge.
 
In the various records I have for my great-great-grandfather is a voucher for 16 bushels of charcoal received at Griffin, Georgia, August 22, 1864. He was 1st lieutenant for Company K in the 12th MS Cavalry. I assume they wanted the charcoal for gunpowder but, knowing absolutely nothing about how one makes gunpowder, I'm hoping for some context. Would the cavalry be making their own gunpowder at this point in the war? How much would 16 bushels make? It seems like a lot. And if so, was this just for his company or was he getting supplies for the battalion? Any insight anyone has would be welcome!

A lot of great information has already been provided regarding this OP. I would add that each company in a cavalry regiment had a Farrier and a Blacksmith in its ranks and they were essential in keeping the regiment`s horses and equipment in service. So on average, each cavalry regiment would have about 10 Blacksmiths and 10 Farriers on hand to service it`s needs. The Blacksmiths were required to make numerous things for the regiment from iron, and charcoal was necessary for them to do so. They were responsible to shoe horses, mules and repair equipment such as wagons and horse tack (saddles, stirrups, bridles, halters, reins, bits, harnesses, martingales, breast plates, etc...). I am pretty certain that the charcoal was for the Blacksmith and Farrier as no-one else in the regiment would have need of it.

lupaglupa, I would be interested in seeing the voucher request, from which to glean more information. The 12th Regiment Mississippi Cavalry were in Brig. General Samuel Wragg Ferguson`s Cavalry Brigade at this time and operated alongside the 2nd Regiment Alabama Cavalry, the 56th Alabama Partisan Rangers, the 11th Regiment Mississippi Cavalry and the 9th Regiment Mississippi Cavalry. Could you post the voucher here so that I can look at it?

On 20 Aug 1864, the 12th Regiment Mississippi Cavalry as part of Ferguson`s Cavalry Brigade, had just experienced some very difficult fighting against Brig. General Judson Kilpatrick`s U. S. Cavalry at the Battles of Nash`s Farm and Lovejoy`s Station south-east of Atlanta. On 21 Aug 1864 they were reported out on raids in the area of Decatur, Georgia east of Atlanta and patrolling along the 3 major railroads that connect through Atlanta, skirmishing and fighting in spots all day long. Which brought them to Griffin on 22 Aug 1864, where they went into camp for a couple of days, south of Atlanta below Lovejoy`s Station and were reported as being out on raids along the railroads which also included quite a bit of skirmishing and fighting. On 24 Aug 1864 they were responding to more threats of Federals "tearing up (R/R track) and burning (bridges and locomotives)" in the same areas.
 
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