The city of Columbus Georgia was a very important contributor to the Confederate war effort. Located on the Chattahoochee River in southwest Georgia it was a major railroad and shipping center. A spur of the Montgomery and West Point Railroad crossed the river from the West while the Muscogee Railroad moved east into central Georgia. At the height of the war no less than five steamers transported goods up and down the Chattahoochee River. More important to the war effort was the city's manufacturing capabilities.

    Columbus had become a major center of industry by the 1850's. It contained a large foundry and prospering paper mill, its grist and flour mills were the hub for local agriculture but most prominent was the huge cotton and wool textile mills producing massive amounts of raw and finished textile goods. Five mills containing literally thousands of spindles and looms produced sheeting, clothing, yarn and wool which firmly established Columbus as the deep South's center for this industry by 1860. Industries, railroad and shipping made Columbus a natural center for production in the Confederate war effort and a logical location for establishment of Government facilities which would eventually include an Armory, Arsenal, Quartermaster Depot and Naval Works.

    In May of 1862, Captain F.C. Humphrey of the Ordnance Department arrived in Columbus to organize and command the Columbus Arsenal and Armory. Up to that time the production of swords, pistols, and rifles in the city had been done by a host of small loosely associated private manufacturers. By the end of the summer the Ordnance Department had began its first large scale manufacturing, principally harness, ordnance and infantry accoutrements on machinery largely from the Baton Rouge Arsenal which had been evacuated when Federal forces threatened that city. In short order, the Columbus Arsenal became the center of a large, sprawling group of private and government shops for the production of ammunition and the manufacture and repair of cannon, swords, pistols, rifles and a host of assorted equipments. In just five months its rate of production was among the better half of all Confederate Ordnance establishments. The city of Columbus fell violently to Federal Gen. James Wilson on April 16^th 1865 in one of the last land battles east of the Mississippi River. In the aftermath, the arsenal, armory, Naval Works, Quartermaster Depot, iron works, large textile mills and much of Columbus’ private industry and property that aided the Confederate war effort were completely destroyed.

Columbus Georgia Arsenal Saddles & Horse Equipments: To obtain more detailed information about Columbus Arsenal horse equipment production and issuances including Ordnance Manual specifications for leather and hardware send $10 to Ken R. Knopp, Confederate Horse Equipment, P.O. Box 1322, Hattiesburg, Miss. 39403.

*****    Be sure to request Columbus Saddle Production specs