Spencers at Willamsport, MD 1863

[Preston County Rider]

In the excellent book "One Continuous Fight: The Retreat from Gettysburg", I came across the following -

Custer and Kilpatrick rode along the flank of the marching column. "As we neared Williamsport, Gen. Custer came dashing across the fields, and said to me "First two companies advance carbine, balance, draw saber and charge into the town"" recounted Major Luther S. Trowbridge of the 5th Michigan Cavalry. Trowbridge replied "General, this regiment is armed with the Spencer rifle, and we can't carry that at the position of advance carbine."

Georgie told them to draw pistols and saber and then charge - you gotta love the boy!

thought this was a neat Spencer reference - maybe Custer should have dismounted the boys and let them use those Spencer rifles!

(I posted this on the CWR web because I am not familiar with the command "Advance carbine, balance". I reenact dismounted cav so this is not a command I've heard.

PCR

[Two Flints]

I'll take a stab at this . . . Calvary advance steady in-line orderly straight-line attack (balanced attack)

Two Flints

[Arizona Trooper]

I'll take a shot at it, so to speak. Advance carbine when mounted is to hold the carbine with your right hand at about the lock, with the butt down near (or on) your right leg. You actually can do it with a Spencer rifle, I have. It would be really foolish to try in battle though. The gun is heavy and without a carbine sling should you drop it, it's gone. I'm not familiar with "Balance", but suspect it means to return the carbine across your lap after firing. From there, you can either reload or draw saber. Without a carbine sling, your Spencer would depart as soon as you went for for the saber. Slinging one over your shoulder so you could draw a saber would be a neat trick at a gallop. Even at a trot, the gun pretty much attacks you when you try to sling it. Add to that the fact that a rifle half slung over your right shoulder is a major disadvantage when trying to swing a saber! Maj. Trowbridge had the right idea!

[Jobe Holiday]

Interesting, hence the Spencer Rifles that have had an assortment of after-market shoulder belt sling attachments added to them!

Jobe

[bluesuit01]

A quick look through Cookes and Poinsetts manuals doesn't produce the command to "balance", but Cookes speaks of "balancing" the horse.

  In reining back the horse must be well in hand and well balanced; he can then make an equal use of all four legs, and raise them equally from the ground. Before reining back the horse should be square to the front, his head home, and light in hand; then apply both legs, retaining a steady feel of both reins to make the horse lift one of his hind legs.  It is at this moment that a double feeling of both reins will oblige him to recover his balance by stepping backwards.  Place him straight to the front by bringing his haunches to the right or left as may be required; then give him his head, and make much of him.

At first a few steps backward is all that should be required of a horse; if he bring his hind legs too much under him, ease the hand, and apply both legs to make him regain his balance forward; and for this reason always use the legs first, and then feel the reins; because if you feel the reins first, the horse throws his weight back;and the more weight ha throws on his hind legs the less able he is to lift them, which is a necessary preliminary to stepping back.

[Trailrider]

(snip) "Trowbridge replied 'General, this regiment is armed with the Spencer rifle, and we can't carry that at the position of advance carbine.'"(unsnip)

The M1860 Spencer Army rifles had an infantry type sling, which could have been used to sling the rifle across the trooper's back, but wouldn't have been much good in a mounted attack.  You probably could balance the rifle across the pommel, but trying to manage your horse and work the action and shoot would have been difficult at best.  I agree with Custer at that point: sling the rifle, draw sabres and/or pistols and charge! IIRC, Custer's brigade mixed it up with JEB Stuart's troops in a sabre duel, but also dismounted and fought with their rifles...until they ran out of ammo and were withdrawn from the fight. (Maybe not the same skirmish...I forget.)