Odd leather item

[considerations]

Ok guys lets see you put on your historical thinking caps.

I am trying to identify the leather portion of this item.  I have already figured out that the metal clip is actually a Civil War era Carbine sling, but I'm having a little trouble with the leather item. 

It looks like its designed to have a wooden shaft inserted into the hole, to be pinned by the rectangular metal pin that you can see in the opening.  It's pretty sturdy, the rim is actually metal covered by leather, but the bottom half is stuffed with padding and is a much softer leather than the top portion, which is very stiff.  What would one pound softly with a padded shaft?  I'm guessing that it has something to do with horses or saddlery or maybe carriage hardware?   I was in a Civil War reenacting cavalry unit and never saw anything like that....course the Confederates weren't as well supplied as the Yanks, so who knows.  The carbine sling was a Yankee military contract.

[considerations]

The silence is deafening...I think it is a "foot" for a pennant pole. In the Cav we used a stirrup boot built for the purpose, but it wasn't pinned and didn't need any padding, so maybe this is for "dismounted" cavalry.

[Redoverfarm]

considerations I am not into civil war history but from the photographs and discription it looks to me to be a flag bearer's pole rest.  Not real sure about the metal pin but maybe to anchor the flag pole in the base as it appears to be removable. 

[glenn kangiser]

That sounds reasonable - I didn't have a clue.