Blacksmith in the cw

[trappedonrr]

I have an old farriers forge. I am thinking about starting to do some blacksmithing. Nothing too fancy, just Nails, hardware, and candle and lamp holders. Has anybody studied on this?

[flattop32355]

If it's a mobile forge, the artillery will love you.

[1stTexas]

In 1862 at Washington Arkansas, my great grandfather Pvt. Peyton Green Whaley, enlisted in Col. James C. Monroe's 1st Arkansas Cavalry Regiment, C.S.A., known as the "Rawhides" . He was detailed as an overseer of colored laborers and blacksmiths at a blacksmith shop in Washington, Arkansas. He remained on that assignment until his regiment was moved into action in northern Arkansas. The blacksmith shop in Washington Arkansas made and supplied the famous Arknasas Toothpicks, Confederate D-Guard Bowie knives for Confederate infantry and supplied nails and horseshoes to the Confederate cavalrymen. That was James Black's Blacksmith Shop where James Bowie had his first knife made and was lost at the Alamo in 1836.

Ferrarius is latin for "metal" and faber ferrarius means "metal worker" or blacksmith. The Confederate army had no trained veterians. The cavalrymen had the responsibility for most of the care for their horses. The more professional type veteriary care came from blacksmiths and ferriers assigned to the cavalry regiment along with a few "horse doctors", who lacked any professional veteriary training. Before and during the war, all the veterinary colleges were in New York, Boston and Philadelphia.

In 1862, in the Union Army, a Veterinary Sergeant was assigned by the Quartermaster Department to every three battlions of cavalry with a portable forge. In 1863, the grade of Veterianry Sergeant was dropped and each regiment of cavalry was assigned a Veterinary Sergeant Major with the pay of $75 a month. These ranks were filled with qualified civilian veterinary surgeons with several farriers working under them.

[hanktrent]

Well, there's how a blacksmith spent his day in the period, and how a modern blacksmith might run a little parttime business at reenactments. Not sure which you're asking about. I can speak a little about the former, but don't know much about the latter.

Artillery mobile forges like Bernie mentions were amazing things: http://www.reillysbattery.org/EquipHorses/SptEquip/forge1.jpg

But I bet you're talking about the little forge with the crank-type blower? (a random image from Google Images)http://www.ironjohnny.com/in_the_news_1007.gif

You see those all the time at old time craft shows and mainstream reenactments, but I've not yet run across documentation that they were something you'd see in the 1860s. In the period, horses were typically brought to farriers, not the other way around, so forges didn't need to be portable, and the same for most machinery repairs, like mowing machines, threshers and such.

If you have information on the little blower forges or other small portable forges of the period, and the context in which they were used, I'd be interested in learning more about it.

The other thing is that in the 1860s, it wasn't as economically viable anymore for blacksmiths to make nails and small items in individual shops, let alone away from their permanent shop, unless perhaps in isolated communities like out west--again, I'd be curious on the economics of that. Nail making machinery was turning out cut nails in factories that were shipped by the barrel, and similar small items were being made by blacksmiths in hardware factories as well, so individual blacksmiths working alone were focussing more on repair work of vehicles and machinery.

Now that's speaking very broadly of course, and there were individual exceptions, and a look at a blacksmith's daybook from the general time and place would show just what was going on.

And also, that has absolutely nothing to do with the viability of making and selling items on a portable forge in a modern reenacting/craft fair venue, where the economics and expectations are entirely different. Those folks seem to do quite well making hooks, hangers, and other items for reenactors and primitive decor, as they always seem to be busy with spectators, but I have no idea of the actual economics behind it.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Kevin O'Beirne]

A great place to learn and even practice are the various 19th Century museum villages that exist all over the Northeast and Midwest, such as Old Bedford Village in Pennsylvania, Genesee Country Village in western New York State, Hale Farm and Village in northeast Ohio, and many, many others. Many such places have a working blacksmithy and folks can become members of these museums and either take classes or become volunteers to learn and practice 19th Century skilled crafts and farming. In my opinion, these museums are under-utilitized by reenactors, other than as places to hold an event now and then. Reenactors should look at them as reenactor universities.

[trappedonrr]

Thanks. I am just trying to figure out something more to do at events then just blow powder.(I do love that). The portable forge I have is a crank blower type that has a handle and pulley system to blast. I know it is from the early 1900 (my great, great uncle used it) but I cannot verify. I have slowly started investigating this.

[Dave Myrick]

.

In 1862, in the Union Army, a Veterinary Sergeant was assigned by the Quartermaster Department to every three battlions of cavalry with a portable forge. In 1863, the grade of Veterianry Sergeant was dropped and each regiment of cavalry was assigned a Veterinary Sergeant Major with the pay of $75 a month. These ranks were filled with qualified civilian veterinary surgeons with several farriers working under them.

Boy I bet the company farriers in the Federal Cavalry Service would have loved to know of this.
Seriously, in the Federal cavalry service there was a farrier allocated for in each company according to regulations. These men were overseen by the Regimental Veternary Surgeon. The regimental veternarian was required to have graduated from a verternary school or pass an equivalent examination. He was responsible for the health of the regiment's horses and their shoeing. All of this is outlined in Congdon's Compendium, Cooke's and Poinsett's.
The company farrier's forge and tools were carried with the company baggage as were the company saddler's.


Dave Myrick