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Percussion Caps in CS Cartridge Bundles

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  • Percussion Caps in CS Cartridge Bundles

    Not sure if I'm asking in the correct forum, but here goes.
    I've been revisiting some old reading a doing a bit of new in anticipation of "Vicksburg is the Key". One issue on the Confederate side appears in multiple sources, and that is a shortage of percussion caps. Seems there was, according to the sources I have read, a considerable effort to get them into Vicksburg once the siege had begun. Seems ammunition wasn't the problem, but a shortage of percussion caps was.

    Now, I know US arsenal packs of ten cartridges came with twelve percussion caps. I've always assumed that CS arsenal packs followed this pattern as well, but am I wrong on this? If they did follow that pattern, how would there be a shortage of musket caps. (Or, were the caps included in those packs notoriously unreliable?)

    I want to recreate my CS arsenal packs as authentically as I can, and I thought adding the twelve percussion caps was a matter of course, but now, because of this reading, I'm left wondering if I was wrong to assume such?

    Answers?
    Warren Dickinson


    Currently a History Hippy at South Union Shaker Village
    Member of the original Pickett's Mill Interpretive Volunteer Staff & Co. D, 17th Ky Vol. Inf
    Former Mudsill
    Co-Creator of the States Rights Guard in '92

  • #2
    Re: Percussion Caps in CS Cartridge Bundles

    According to The ordnance manual for the use of the officers of the Confederate States Army (1863), "Cases for Percussion caps- These are rolled on a former, .54 inch in diameter, choked at one end and tied. Twelve caps are put in, and the case is closed by twisting the open end of the case."

    Obviously this doesn't mean that some may not have followed the reg but that is what was supposed to be in there.
    Dustin C Herr

    Yocona Rip Raps
    "Res Ipsa Loquitur."

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    • #3
      Re: Percussion Caps in CS Cartridge Bundles

      Thanks Dustin, that's my reference too. However, I'm wondering if it was followed. Otherwise, why would a shortage of caps be an issue?\
      Warren Dickinson


      Currently a History Hippy at South Union Shaker Village
      Member of the original Pickett's Mill Interpretive Volunteer Staff & Co. D, 17th Ky Vol. Inf
      Former Mudsill
      Co-Creator of the States Rights Guard in '92

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Percussion Caps in CS Cartridge Bundles

        A poor batch of Caps/ Powder, Perhaps?
        Tyler Gibson
        The Independent Rifles

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        • #5
          Re: Percussion Caps in CS Cartridge Bundles

          The issue at Vicksburg may have occurred because they were using imported english ammunition. English cartridge packs do not contain cartridge caps, they are bundled separately. If the original crates the ammo was shipped over in were broken apart prior to being issued, that may account for the lack, or separation of the caps from the cartridges.
          I dont have anything stating that they were definitely using English Ammo at Vicksburg, but it is more than likely based on how much we know English ammo was used.
          [B][I]Mike Dougherty[/I][/B]
          Princess Anne Grays/ Lee's Sharpshooters
          [URL="http://princessannegrays.weebly.com"]http://princessannegrays.weebly.com[/URL]
          [URL="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=188825421123"]The Princess Anne Greys/ Lee's Sharpshooters on Facebook[/URL]

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          • #6
            Re: Percussion Caps in CS Cartridge Bundles

            Tyler, I too had considered the bad batch of caps idea.

            Thanks Mike! I have a reference sir! In The History of the 3rd Reg. Louisiana Infantry (Bearss and Tunnard) Tunnard states they were issued new Enfield riflemuskets and English ammunition. :) Now, I'm sure everyone wasn't necessarily getting this issue, but if the 3rd was, certainly others were getting it too. That fact goes farther to explain why there would be a cap shortage than any other reason I've come across, etc. I had completely forgotten that English ammo didn't come with caps. (Interestingly, Tunnard remarks about how horrible their Mississippi rifles were, constantly mis-firing and I believe bad ammo too. He states that once they got their Enfields and the new ammunition, the Federals across from them took notice.

            That bad news for me now though is that I reproduced standard .58 riflemusket cartridges for this next weekend's program, "Vicksburg is the Key", and we'll be portraying the 3rd La. (I didn't have a stencil or stamp to reproduce the label. Weak excuse I know, but it's mine and I'm sticking to it.)
            Warren Dickinson


            Currently a History Hippy at South Union Shaker Village
            Member of the original Pickett's Mill Interpretive Volunteer Staff & Co. D, 17th Ky Vol. Inf
            Former Mudsill
            Co-Creator of the States Rights Guard in '92

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            • #7
              Re: Percussion Caps in CS Cartridge Bundles

              I seem to remember mentions of "cap bags" being in brigade ordnance trains. Each bag would have "x" number (I wanna say 1000, or is it 10000? off the top of my head) caps in it. I'll have to go back and see if I can find something about them.....

              Will MacDonald

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              • #8
                Re: Percussion Caps in CS Cartridge Bundles

                Warren,

                As the siege drug on they were making most of there ammunition in town. This is mentioned in several of teh frist person accounts that I have read. They evidently had minnie molds availible. Lead came from the spent bullets that were all over the place and powder was being salvaged from dud rounds fired in by the Federals. All sorts of paper was used to make the cartridges. Caps had to be smuggled through the lines, sometimes 100,000 at a time in tow sack brought in by riders. I'm not sure they were even in 10 round packs for the ammo rolled in town.
                Mark Hubbs
                My book, The Secret of Wattensaw Bayou, is availible at Amazon.com and other on-line book sellers

                Visit my history and archaeology blog at: www.erasgone.blogspot.com

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                • #9
                  Re: Percussion Caps in CS Cartridge Bundles

                  And don't forget that perussion caps are easy to loose. It can happen that, when in the heat of battle, a cap or two can be lost when getting one out of the cap pouch.
                  Thomas Pare Hern
                  Co. A, 4th Virginia
                  Stonewall Brigade

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                  • #10
                    Re: Percussion Caps in CS Cartridge Bundles

                    Thanks! I think between Mike and Mark, I've got the answer.
                    Warren Dickinson


                    Currently a History Hippy at South Union Shaker Village
                    Member of the original Pickett's Mill Interpretive Volunteer Staff & Co. D, 17th Ky Vol. Inf
                    Former Mudsill
                    Co-Creator of the States Rights Guard in '92

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Percussion Caps in CS Cartridge Bundles

                      Interesting thing I stumbled upon while trying to search for the physical location of the Houston Depot and Austin sub-depot.....

                      "The Military Board, established in 1862, built a percussion-cap factory and a cannon foundry at Austin, but only the cap factory contributed much, reportedly producing 100,000 caps during the last year of the war. "


                      Citation
                      James L. Nichols, "CIVIL WAR INDUSTRY," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/o...articles/dzc01), accessed July 17, 2013. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
                      Brian Shajari
                      Tolerance Lodge 1165 AF&AM, Texas
                      Co. L, 1st Texas Volunteer Infantry Regiment Lone Star Rifles
                      Hawaii American Civil War Roundtable Group


                      Proud descendent of: PVT William B. Wales, Louisiana Crescent Regiment
                      and Pvt. James Groves, Jr., Co. K, 6th Louisiana Cavalry

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