US Army cavalrymen in the early days of the post-bellum Indian Wars were largely issued the Spencer and Sharps carbines before the M-1873 Trapdoor Springfield Carbine was introduced. Those early carbines used a specially designed leather shoulder sling, modeled after those of the Civil War, but scaled down to a more narrow width. Designed to support a cavalry carbine while on horseback, the long sling looped over the trooper’s shoulder and hooked to the saddle ring on his carbine. This US Army Indian Wars Cavalry "E.A. CROSSMAN" Marked Leather Carbine Sling is in Good Condition, with some overall drying, fragility, and age wear evident. Most interestingly, it boasts the classic post-Civil War “narrow width” design, sports a fully intact brass closure buckle and a thick steel snap hook to attach to the saddle ring on the carbine, and is stamped at the middle back with the oval logo of its maker, “E.A. CROSSMAN & Co. / NEWARK / -N.J.-”. E.A. Crossman & Co. was listed in the Newark directories as a harness maker during the 1860s, and the firm changed its name to E.A. Crossman Jr. in 1868, dating this piece to ca. 1866-1868. A fine example of a very rare, original US Army Indian Wars Cavalry "E.A. CROSSMAN" Marked Leather Carbine Sling. Lastly, this carbine sling comes directly from the personal collection of renowned US military firearms author and historian Bruce Canfield, and a signed letter of authenticity stating as such will accompany this piece.