The CS pack saddle is something most of us have never considered, simply because most have never seen one. In forty years of collecting, I have only seen one other example; I saw an identical one in the Pamplin Historical Park Museum thirty years ago. I admired it then, but never saw another in all these years.

Though now virtually unknown, before and during the War Between the States, they were commonplace. The pack saddles and their use required skilled men, well trained in the art of packing a saddle so that neither animal, nor the ordnance it carried was damaged. The pack animal could move an average of 30 miles a day and carry 250 pounds of supplies.

Pack saddles have been used since biblical times, albeit to fit a camel at that time. The most basic design preceding and during the War was the Crosstree, like that shown here. This style would later be called the "Sawbuck” and with modifications were used as long as cavalry existed.

When cavalry was on the move, unless only a short raid, their food and forage had to go with them. And whether short or long, their ammunition had to go with them. They also needed to carry shoes, tools, nails, leather and in a pinch, the pack could carry a mountain howitzer. There must have been many thousands of these pack saddles manufactured, but there was no reason to preserve them. After the War, the leather would have been stripped off and used for harness; the wood for other purposes or simply as firewood.

This example is pristine. The CS marking remains clear and the saddle remains relatively tight, though some looseness has occurred due to the shrinkage of the wood. The leather remains complete and remarkable strong and supple. The condition cannot be overstated.

Flawless!

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