Percussion Caps in CS Cartridge Bundles

[dixieflyer]

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?

[big muddy mess]

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.

[dixieflyer]

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?\

[Tyler Gibson]

Re: Percussion Caps in CS Cartridge Bundles

A poor batch of Caps/ Powder, Perhaps?

[mdougher]

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.

[dixieflyer]

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.)

[Mississippian]

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

[threepdr]

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.

[ACo.]

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.

[dixieflyer]

Re: Percussion Caps in CS Cartridge Bundles

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

[BShajari]

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.