AOT Muskets

[Rockbridge]

I have been doing some research into portraying a soldier in the AOT circa 1863 - 1864. And in my research i have come across a generally accepted fact, that being that .69 caliber muskets were still in wide use by the AOT in 1864. However, when I start digging into uits, they seem to have been armed with rifles at some point in early 64 before the Atlanta campaign. So, before i start pulling out whats left of my hair, does anyone happen to know of any infantry units in the AOT that were using smoothbores in 1864? Thanks for the help.

[FloridaConscript]

Re: AOT Muskets

[http://www.blueandgraymarching.com/a...oods-corp.html

this is by division, but going on the #s I'd start with Stephenson's division and go from there.

[Rockbridge]

Re: AOT Muskets

Thank you!!!

[LWhite64]

Re: AOT Muskets

Jeff, Also, what particular unit are you interested in portraying? I might be able to help.

[Cyclesmith]

Re: AOT Muskets

In a general sense Smoothbores, Springsfields and Enfield were all commonly seen the AOT in '63-64. In the Quartermasters report of April 1863 counts of the more than 37,000 arms in Bragg's army 44% were .69 cal Smoothbores, 37% were Enfields and 14% were captured Springfields with the balance being a variety of other weapons.

[Archie R. Lib]

Re: AOT Muskets

Todd -

What about the Lorenz rifle muskets? They were pretty popular in AoT I thought....Especially in 63-64?

R

[Cyclesmith]

Re: AOT Muskets

Rich-

Yes they were, especially in mid '63 through '64. I sorta skewed my last post more as a "common reproduction guns for the sake of impressions" answer and the original post was interested in Smoothbores, so I left out the Lorenz. The Quartermaster report of the spring of '63 (noted above) records 633 "Austrian" rifles. In the QM Report of the spring of '64 it is documented that 37% of the AOT carried the Lorenz. That shows a major increase in the Lorenz in 1863. Many historians that I have read concluded that many of the early imports of Lorenz Rifles were stored (no not all of them)... however, there was a effort to standardize the AOT with Rifles after Murfeesboro. Also there was very high demand for Rifled arms in 1863, consequently there was very high demand for foreign gun in 1863-64... This has much to do with the Tennessee depots being no longer available to the AOT, by January '64 they were mostly pulling out of the Atlanta Depot... so that put an increased demand on foreign guns... and the AOT soldiers documented nasty habit of tossing their guns during retreats also putting increased demand on foreign arms. Also exchanged trooped being re-equiped for battle. For example I know the 10th Texas was issue Lorenz after they were exchanged in (I think) 1863. All these things put an increased demand on these guns.

As far as reproductions go the best I've seen are from Lodgewood... they make a reproduction stock and assemble original parts on it, often with a springfield ramrod.

I would also note that I have found the numbers of Lorenz to be inaccurate, as it was not uncommon for some reports to list Lorenz as "Enfields"... I assume because they kinda looked alike, and I've also heard that some reports were a tad lazy and just listed all foreign guns as "Enfields"... I have no real documentation for that, but I did read that somewhere.

[Ghostrider_58]

Re: AOT Muskets

Does anybody have any ideas on Cleburne's or French's Divisions during the '64 Tennessee Campaign?
Best,
Drew

[Gallo de Cielo]

Re: AOT Muskets

Drew,

I have a manuscript presently with a publisher examining the 9th Texas Infantry which post-Murfreesboro served in Ector's (late Young's) Brigade, French's Division.

The only arms references I have for the unit are Enfield rifles which are referenced during the Atlanta campaign. One soldier reported that they literally shot the rifling out of their weapons due to the constant sharpshooting.

If you are interested in French's Division, I would strongly recommend "Two Wars"- his autobiography and journal from the Mexican and Civil Wars. Blue Acorn Press reprinted it a few years back and I believe it is still available. A fantastic reference.

Additionally, the OR's may offer some insight. Take this report from French of the Atlanta Campaign:
On several occasions over 2,000 rounds of artillery has been expended in a day on my front by the enemy…From time to time the enemy would continue to press in my vedette line until at last the skirmish line of the enemy was established by gradual advances in a few places to within 200 yards of mine. Along these lines the firing was incessant to the ends and so severe was the fire that all the ordinary timber between them of moderate size was killed and the foliage dried up and withered. In one small field in front of my line the expended balls covered the ground like hail, and from there I believe it was over 10,000 pounds of rifle-balls were picked up by my soldiers and delivered to the ordnance department

[Michael Comer]

Re: AOT Muskets

Wow! 10,000 lb.s of rifle-balls at an average of 1 oz. each = 160,000 rounds. That's a lot of shootin'!

[Ghostrider_58]

Re: AOT Muskets

Thanks for the info!

[Rockbridge]

Re: AOT Muskets

Jeff, Also, what particular unit are you interested in portraying? I might be able to help.

well, to be honest, I had not really picked a specific unit. I was trying for a "generic" AoT impression, but I wanted to find a unit, or several, that were armed with smoothbores for authenticity sake. I would prefer an Alabama, Mississippi, or Texas regiment in that order, but really any would do. I am trying to "break the mold" out here that reenacting Gettysburg is the only way to go. The AoP and ANV are great, but there were a lot of guys out west too that did A LOT during the war and are often over shawdowed. Just trying to shed some light on them.

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: AOT Muskets

well, to be honest, I had not really picked a specific unit. I was trying for a "generic" AoT impression, but I wanted to find a unit, or several, that were armed with smoothbores for authenticity sake. I would prefer an Alabama, Mississippi, or Texas regiment in that order, but really any would do. I am trying to "break the mold" out here that reenacting Gettysburg is the only way to go. The AoP and ANV are great, but there were a lot of guys out west too that did A LOT during the war and are often over shawdowed. Just trying to shed some light on them.

Good luck Jeff! If its not an ANV, TX, VA, Irish or Scottish or has some kind of CA connection involved they wont have anything to do with it.

[lwtaggart]

Re: AOT Muskets

"Hood's and Mclaws' Divisions of Longstreet's Corps would bring their Richmond Rifle Muskets with them to Chickamauga". Quote taken from Author, Paul J. Davies, "C.S. Armory Richmond."

George Taggart

[robert-m]

Re: AOT Muskets

Some troops at the surrender at Durham Station in 65 had flintlocks, shot guns, squirrel rifles, all kinds of long arms along with the arms that the vast majority of us use today. " Enfield, 55 and 61 Springfield, and a few Austrians, and some 42's." But the "Richmond" really wouldn't have been seen hardly at all in the west until the later of 63. As the same for many of Longstreet's men traveling through their home states and some their home towns on the way to Ringgold station, as all they could do was wave hi to their towns and farms. They were on trains, and even then they may not have known where they were.