Blacksmith's Traveling Forge History and Specifications

A traveling forge is a complete, mobile blacksmith shop stocked with tools, fuel, metal bars and equipment of the trade. Military forges were built to exact specifications that changed as technology advanced. Civilian units were built to suit the whims of their owners. Throughout the world, for eons; army forges traveled with artillery units, hospital groups and troop wagon trains-repairing and maintaining battle damaged and road weary equipment. Their history is richly described in this work. One original forge from the American Civil War is known to exist today. By the time of the late Indian Wars, traveling forge design had nearly reached perfection. The 20th Century would see an astounding three-branched evolution of the machines. The old horse-drawn units were condemned to the back lots of surplus war material dealers.