Non-Enfield English Muskets and Rifles

[Mississippian]

Gents,

Over the past days I have been going over ordnance records for deep south and western depots, and one thing that I find surprising is the large numbers of Non-Enfield British muskets and rifles I see. For example, on June 2nd 1864, the Macon Arsenal sent to Lt. Cunningham, O.O. at Savannah:

1320 Tower Muskets cal .75
140 Tower Muskets cal .70
100 Tower Rifles cal .70

I have seen another record showing that the garrison at Vicksburg was sent 1000 English Muskets in December 1862. I also know the 48th North Carolina was issued a large number of English Muskets when organized in 1862 and the 27th Louisiana was issued old British Brunswick rifles.

I find it an interesting subject, perhaps having a few in our ranks wouldn't hurt....

Will MacDonald

[Pumpkinslinger]

Re: Non-Enfield English Muskets and Rifles

Dang, I thought my .69 cal bore was hard to feed, I can only imagine getting a .75 to fire right without ramming paper.

[GrumpyDave]

Re: Non-Enfield English Muskets and Rifles

"Just a few in our ranks"

One would think the Quartermaster, especially on the Federal side, would have the common sense to issue muskets purchased like this, to entire companies if for no other reason the issuance of ammunition. And, the individual soldier, who needed ammo, wouldn't want some odd ball caliber, just in case he needed ammo in the middle of something important.

And, on the Southern side, with the amount of odd ball stuff they were purchasing, just to supply their ranks, the same would hold true, even more so.

Imagine trying to get companies with these odd calibers supplied. The North had the ways and means to get most of thei odd stuff out of service. The South just had to deal with it.

One or two in the ranks, poor representation of history. Get a whole company with them, true to history in the right unit or regiment.

[Mississippian]

Re: Non-Enfield English Muskets and Rifles

Dave,

As you well know, common since doesn't often win out. I will have to find the specific order but right before the Vicksburg campaign U.S. Grant had to order his men to switch arms between companies because there was such a mixture of arms in them. And in the C.S. army? Forget it, especially out west. A company or even a regiment may have been armed the same when in the camp of instruction, but once out in the field it became a very different story. Broken guns, new recruits, and men coming back from hospital ensured that at any one time there were unarmed men in every regiment and the Ordnance officers clearly struggled to arm them all. For Example, during the Atlanta Campaign I have seen some regiments get sent 4 or 5 different kinds of long arms to make up for shortages at the front. So you could see a mix of Austrian Rifles, Enfields, .69 cal Smoothbores, and even various "Rifles cal .58".

And don't get me started about western C.S. Cavalry.....

Will MacDonald

[Forrestcavalryman]

Re: Non-Enfield English Muskets and Rifles

And don't get me started about western C.S. Cavalry.....

Ah yes.....The wild card of "anything goes"!

[Gallo de Cielo]

Re: Non-Enfield English Muskets and Rifles

All,

Lon Webster's very fine treatise "Entrepot" details some pretty substantial numbers of "non-Enfield" English arms run in from afar. While the better known Enfields and Lorenzes get plentiful coverage, much of Europe was ridding its arsenals of antiquated and older firearms to the weapons-needed Americans.

Regards,