22nd Regiment New York National Guard, Enfields

[CJACK3723]

I've been researching the 22nd NYNG through written accounts and photographs for a while now. Yesterday I found the top photo and a few things jumped out at me. While most of the photos show soldiers armed with P56 rifles or perhaps commercial variants thereof, the soldiers in the photo below appear to have carbines. I found the photo of the corporal with the rifle-musket a year ago and thought it was just a one off. The LOC photos are full of wonderful details and you can see a nice subtle variety in arms, clothing, and accoutrements.

Are these P53 Artillery Carbines? They look short enough and seem to have small rear sights.



There is also this picture identified as Corporal Joseph P. Goodliff of Co. I. He is armed with a regular P53 Rifle musket with socket bayonet and appropriate scabbard.




- Chris Jackson

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Christopher Jackson

[Redbeard]

Can't help but notice those are all Sergeants or First Sergeants, except for the one officer and the drummer. All the guys with rifles/carbines are Sgts. Does that mean anything in this context?

[CJACK3723]

Mr. Nolan,

I noticed that too, I'll look more closely at the other photos, to see if any lower enlisted have carbines or other NCO's have rifles. One thing I can say for sure, is that Corporal Goodliff is the only man I've seen with a rifle musket. Overall I think this is neat, you don't see many Enfield pattern carbines in use with Northern troops. Schwalm and Hoffmann noted in "European Arms in the Civil War" . 2018, that they were only able to identify 530 artillery carbines imported, 480 of those in a single batch by Naylor. They do believe others may have been imported by states and private speculators. Jan Gordon mentions in his article in "North South Trader's Civil War Vol 34 No 3/ 2009" that the regiment applied to both the federal government and state for arms but none were available and so they purchased their own two-band Enfields with sword bayonets.

I'll have a better answer to your question by tonight.

- Chris Jackson

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Christopher Jackson

[CJACK3723]

I had a quick but pretty thorough look to the photos in my folder and it appears that only the NCO's have carbines. I did find a picture of the color guard showing them with a mix of carbines, swords and revolvers. Another show a First Sergeant E.J. Allen with what looks like a carbine.






- Chris Jackson

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Christopher Jackson