Tennessee Rifle

[Tyler Underwood]

Folks,

While doing some research on Johnsons Brigade I was reading a little about the 25th TN. The author (R.C. Sanders) makes mention that the 25th received captured weapons from a Federal home-guard. "...received as a great treat, as it was then only partly armed with what were called Tennessee Rifles."

Later at Red Sulphur Springs, TN. "Here the regiment received about three hundred Tennessee Rifles."

A quick Google search yielded the obvious hunting rifles of the period, but found no examples of standardized military weapon that was called a "Tennessee Rifle"

My library doesn't contain any information on these, with the exception of the aforementioned quotes. Has anyone ever run across a reference like this before or seen an example of one of these rifles?

[MarkTK36thIL]

Re: Tennessee Rifle

I'll check my Confederate Rifles and Muskets by Madaus and Murphy, but there are several examples of CS Kentucky style rifles that had the barrels turned near the muzzle to accept a socket bayonet, along with some saber bayonets as well. I'll get the exact pages tonight.

[PMFerringer]

Re: Tennessee Rifle

Sounds to me like the country rifles that were militarized.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Tennessee Rifle

Hallo!

I have not (yet) see the name applied to denote or connote a particular rifle.

NUG, one runs into either a loose 19th century term for a "Southern Mountain Rifle" (sometimes aka bear rifles) class of longrifles as the longrifle followed the frontier west. Meaning, a certain Southern Mountain Rifle-looking longrifle of the 1800-1820-ish era out of Virginia, North Carolina, southern Kentucky, and eastern Tennessee with curved wide butt plates, curved (typically) walnut or maple stock profile, wide trigger guards with a rearward "hook," sometimes banana shaped patch boxes or grease holes, sometimes coin silver sourced inlays, and typically iron furniture.

What often happened in history is that the ancestral "Pennsylvania" rifle kept getting renamed as the frontier moved west from the east coast its "children" becoming Virginia Rifles, Ohio Rifles, and thanks to a popular ballad about the War of 1812/Battle of New Orleans- Kentucky Rifles.

My guess here, is that they are talking about Tennessee styled Southern Mountain rifles- likely made as flintlocks, maybe, possible converted to percussion. Such often ended up in 1861ish Confederate calls for donated weapons of any kind to meet early War shortages.

Curt
Fond of Virginia Rifles

[Tyler Underwood]

Re: Tennessee Rifle

I had also thought he might have been referring to militarized civilian rifles. I did find it interesting though that he called 300 issued weapons all by the same name, which to me implies that the are all standardized.

[MarkTK36thIL]

Re: Tennessee Rifle

I wonder if they were referencing some oddball CS manufactured rifle. Tyler, shoot me your cell number and I'll send you some stuff from M and M.

[Craig L Barry]

Re: Tennessee Rifle

Curt is right, this almost certainly refers to local variants of the Southern Mountain or civilian hunting rifle, by whatever name you choose. Hog rifle, bear rifle, mountain rifle, etc. Pictures of Western Theater Confederates with these rifles are not hard to find.

[Brent Brumagin]

Re: Tennessee Rifle

There are multiple military rifles produced in TN. There was a manufacturer in Franklin TN, I don't have the name with me--there are multiple of these in the Wray Collection. Also, there were military rifles made in Goodlettsville, and a couple other locations thru the state. Most all of these are similar to the "Mississippi" rifle.

There is a good book written by Mr. Jones at the Atlanta History Center that has photos and information on these rifles. Thank you.

Brent Brumagin

[jtrotta]

Re: Tennessee Rifle

There is a "Tennessee Rifle" for sale here, with plenty of info to read on it:

http://www.collegehillarsenal.com/shop/product.php?productid=1982&cat=9&page=1

From Tim's write-up:
"Harlan & Mason’s first deliveries were on October 1, 1861 when they delivered 81 Tennessee Rifles at $16 each."
"...suggesting that they may have been “Mississippi” rifles and the term used to describe the guns was more patriotic fervor, implying “Tennessee made” rather than “Tennessee pattern”. This is supported by another receipt that bills for “Tennessee Rifles” but notes in the payment section “Mississippi Rifles”.

[David Jarnagin]

Re: Tennessee Rifle

According to Moses Wright of the Nashville Arsenal there were 2 contracts for rifled muskets from the State of Tennessee. One to the Nashville Arms Co. and the second to A. L. Maxwell. According to Wright neither effected anything, but if someone did a little digging on these two firms more information and maybe production number may be found. The big problem according to Wright was the locks.

Muskets is not where I am doing research right now so I will pass it along.

David Jarnagin
djarnagin@bellsouth.net

[Tyler Underwood]

Re: Tennessee Rifle

John, great info on the link and thank you for sharing it! I suspected that there was a Tennessee variant of the '41.

David, I am definitely going to be digging into these firms some more as time permits. I will certainly share my findings with everyone.