This article is intended to give a hand in how to pack you and your mount for a Mounted Infantry impression. I will give a list of items that I carry and how I pack them and where I carry them. The packing and carrying of items is from personal experience and/or documented sources.

• Horse
• Halter with lead and link strap
• Bridle/bit
• Picket pin and rope
• Saddle, Girth and 6 blanket straps
• Saddle Blanket
• Saddle Bags
• Surcingle
• Surcingle
• Crupper
• Binoculars
• Feed Bag
• Brush
• 2 Days feed
• Carbine Thimble
• Hoof pick
• Hatchet
• Hardee Hat
• 2 Shirts
• 2 Drawers
• 2 Pairs Socks
• 1 Jacket
• Suspenders
• 1 Pair Boots
• 1 Trouser
• Cards/Money/Dice
• Bible
• Letters and Paper/Pencil
• 4 Candles
• Small lamp tin
• Haversack
• Knife/Spoon/Fork combo
• Canteen
• Canteen Half
• Small cup with wire bail
• Waist Belt
• Cartridge Box
• Carbine Sling and Buckle
• Rifle
• Cap Box
• Food
• Poncho
• Gum Blanket
• Shelter Half
• Wool Blanket
• Caps
• Rounds
• Cleaning Kit
• Housewife
• Extra twine
• Straight Razor
• Soap

Here is my method for packing.

• I start off with the horse with halter already on the horse.
• First fold the saddle blanket appropriately and place it on the horse.
• Next, fold your sleeping blanket and put that on top of the saddle blanket.
• Then place your shelter half on top of the sleeping blanket to protect it from rain and other moisture.
• Now place the saddle on the horse. I then will tighten up the girth somewhat to hold the saddle in place.
• The next thing I do is take my rubber gum blanket and lay it out (rubber side down).
• I then place my extra shirt, extra pair of drawers and socks on the blanket. I will also put my small candle box (with candles), bible, cards, writing papers and letters on top of the extra clothes. I then fold the sides of the gum blanket over to cover this and the ends I also fold up slightly. I then take this rectangle and role it up into a tight tube.
• This tube is then placed over the cantle of the saddle and secured with blanket roll straps.
• I then will usually secure my small cup, with wire handle, to one of the blanket roll straps at the cantle of the saddle. I insure that the cup will not rub the horse.
• I next secure my extra surcingle around the pommel of the saddle to act as my breast collar. The end of the surcingle loops around the cantle and lays on the horse so that I can loop the other end of the surcingle around and buckle it to the end that loops around the cantle.
• I take my rain poncho, fold it into a tube also, place that at the pommel of the saddle, and also secure it by blanket roll straps.
• I then attach the crupper to horse and saddle.
• Next I place my saddle bags over the stud at the cantle of the saddle. On one side of the bag I will put my hoof pick, extra ammunition and cleaning kit. On the other side of the bag I will put my housewife, shaving razor, soap, extra twine and perhaps extra candles.
• If not already done so, I will then attach the carbine thimble to the right stirrup.
• I then put the feed in the feed bag along with the picket pin and rope and perhaps attach the brush to the feed bag strap.
• I place the feed bag on the left side of the saddle, looping the feed bag strap through the pommel.
• Next I place the binoculars on my surcingle that is acting like a breast-strap. I will hang these from the right side and secure them with an extra blanket roll strap or knapsack strap.
• I will then cinch up my girth further and place the saddle surcingle on the horse and tighten this up.
• Then I will put my knife/spoon/fork combo set in my haversack and put the food in the haversack.
• I then place the haversack over the cantle blanket roll and let it hang on the left side of the horse.
• Finally, I will attach the hatchet (which has a small sling for it) to the left side of the cantle next to the feedbag.
• Now I can put the bridle on my horse!

OK – now that the horse is outfitted. I can start on myself.

• Drawers, socks, trousers, shirt and jacket go on as standard for thousands of years.
• Next I put my boots on. You can tuck your pants into your boots which was done by some regiments, or wear them outside of your boots as per regulation.
• Money and dice go into my pocket on my jacket … just in case.
• Waist belt should be placed on next with cartridge box and cap box on it. The waist belt should hang around your belly button and not your hips.
• Next thing I put on is my Carbine Sling.
• I then put my canteen on which hangs on my left side. I attach my canteen half (which has small wire loops on it) to the outside of my canteen. The canteen half can also be carried in your haversack.
• I now attach my rifle to my Carbine Sling, put my hat on my head, and am then ready to ride!

As previously stated … this is just how I do it. There are certainly variations. But the Federal Mounted Infantry under Wilder’s oftentimes were outfitted in this manner (aside from the binoculars). Some exceptions are:

• Most of Wilder’s brigade only carried the carbine sling and rifle on them while riding. They oftentimes hung their cartridge box and sling, haversack and canteen to the front of the saddle.
• It appears that they dispensed with the blanket roll all together and instead used their knapsacks, which was attached to the cantle of the saddle right over the saddlebags. They would have most likely had their extra clothes and personal items in the knapsack. Since they did not have the blanket roll the gum blanket was also placed under the saddle.
• Depending on if they had rations or not, The box and sling was either carried on the left or right side of the pommel. Why this was done? I have no clue … nor do the authors of the letters and diaries expound on this peculiarity. I can only assume that since the haversack and box and sling were carried on the front, that they would try to place the box and sling opposite to their bulging haversack full of food.
• Wilder’s men carried Spencer Rifles, so they did not carry cap boxes and thus had no need for waist belts. They only carried a sling with the cartridge box attached.
• The haversack was carried on the pommel and not the cantle.

I am guessing that most of the stuff was carried on the pommel of the saddle for easy access and because of the fact that the knapsack and saddlebags probably took up a great deal of room at the cantle.