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US Cavalry “C” Branding Iron

Currency:USD Category:Western Americana Start Price:50.00 USD Estimated At:100.00 - 300.00 USD
US Cavalry “C” Branding Iron
SOLD
75.00USDto a********o+ buyer's premium (15.00)
This item SOLD at 2016 May 14 @ 14:09UTC-7 : PDT/MST
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Prior to 1853 there was no uniform method of brand identifying US Cavalry horses. In that year Brevet Lt. Colonel W. G. Freeman suggested a uniform system of branding cavalry mounts, which was adopted by the military. A “US” brand was applied to the right shoulder of the horse. The regiment number plus the letter “D” for dragoons, or the letter “R” for mounted rifles, was applied to the left shoulder. The Company letter was applied to the left haunch. When it was determined that a horse was unfit for army use, the letter “C” representing “condemned” (such as this branding iron) was applied to the right haunch. The identification branding was performed by regimental farriers at headquarters locations. This branding iron was made by a federal contractor for army use in branding horses that had been condemned as unfit for military use by applying the letter “C”. As with other military branding irons, this one is made of brass with the 33-inch iron shaft threaded into the brass head. At some point the threaded opening at the back of the brass letter must have split from hard use. A blacksmith then melted additional iron around the brass head to secure the shaft. This is an original US Cavalry branding iron, which likely saw very hard use during the Civil War and later Indian War periods. 34.5" City: State: Date: ID# 37252