Emory Upton's Post-War 1866 or 1867 Drill Manual

[Pennvolunteer]

All,
I volunteer with the Fort Sill Museum on the Model 1841 6 Lb gun crew, and do Infantry living history for the Civil War as well, but the Fort Sill Museum wants to begin an Indian Wars Infantry unit equipped with Trapdoors. We all know Casey's and Hardees, but for this period and equipment, I think the correct manual is Upton's "A New System of Infantry Tactics, Double and Single Rank, Adapted to American Typography and Improved Fire-Arms" (published in 1867).
I know this is sort of out of the AC lane, as it goes to Post-war, but I have been all through the internet trying to find this, and the best I can do is find exerpts, articles, and a comparison with Hardee's, but no copy of the manual. If anyone can help with immediate post-war drill for frontier troops equipped with Allin conversion muskets or production trapdoors, I'd appreciate the information.
And yes, I know there were troops out here on the frontier as late as 1868 with Model 1861 and 1863 Springfields, and fought in Nov-Dec of that year at Washita with that equipment, but the museum director wants to use trapdoors.

[markj]

Re: Emory Upton's Post-War 1866 or 1867 Drill Manual

All,
I volunteer with the Fort Sill Museum on the Model 1841 6 Lb gun crew, and do Infantry living history for the Civil War as well, but the Fort Sill Museum wants to begin an Indian Wars Infantry unit equipped with Trapdoors. We all know Casey's and Hardees, but for this period and equipment, I think the correct manual is Upton's "A New System of Infantry Tactics, Double and Single Rank, Adapted to American Typography and Improved Fire-Arms" (published in 1867).
I know this is sort of out of the AC lane, as it goes to Post-war, but I have been all through the internet trying to find this, and the best I can do is find exerpts, articles, and a comparison with Hardee's, but no copy of the manual. If anyone can help with immediate post-war drill for frontier troops equipped with Allin conversion muskets or production trapdoors, I'd appreciate the information.
And yes, I know there were troops out here on the frontier as late as 1868 with Model 1861 and 1863 Springfields, and fought in Nov-Dec of that year at Washita with that equipment, but the museum director wants to use trapdoors.

Oooohhhhh, too bad you posted your question when you did. I sold my original copy of "Upton" on this very AC forum just a few weeks ago for a mere $35. The edition was 1872, but it appears to have been identical to the original 1866 edition. The good news is that original copies of "Upton" do pop up on EBay from time to time--I've seen a couple offered for sale just within the last month or so. In fact, an 1869 printing is currently being offered for $135 (an outrage!).

http://cgi.ebay.com/Uptons-New-System-of-Infantry-Tactics-1869_W0QQitemZ290111107208QQihZ019QQcategoryZ29223QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

I also noticed this, which might be of help:

http://cgi.ebay.com/TACTICS-FOR-NON-MILITARY-BODIES-by-EMORY-UPTON-in-1870_W0QQitemZ260160422162QQihZ016QQcategoryZ2196QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The other good news is that "Upton" is available on microfilm and you can order it through interlibrary loan. I did so myself several years ago.

Emory Upton reportedly began working on his manual as early as Spring 1864 and seems to have actually used some of it within his command in 1864-1865. Upton appears to have completed a finished draft by early 1866 and thence conducted public demonstrations of his new system, most notably at West Point, on one or more occasions. Upton's magnum opus was adopted fairly quickly even by state militia organizations--the Adjutant General of New York directed adoption of the new manual, on 23 August 1867, by the National Guard State of New York (NGSNY). This was only three weeks after the U.S. Army did so. My copy of "Upton" was inscribed by its original owner, a member of the Venango County PA "Greys," and dated 1876.

Bottom line: place an order for the microfilm through interlibrary loan and you should be able to get it in fairly short order.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[Pennvolunteer]

Re: Emory Upton's Post-War 1866 or 1867 Drill Manual

Thanks, great info, appreciate it.

[markj]

Re: Emory Upton's Post-War 1866 or 1867 Drill Manual

Thanks, great info, appreciate it.

The University of Central Oklahoma, at Edmond OK (about 90 minutes from Fort Sill), has the 1873 printing of "Upton" available on microfiche. Here are the particulars:

Main Author: Upton, Emory, 1839-1881.
Title: A new system of infantry tactics, double and single rank [microform] : adapted to American topography and improved fire-arms / by Emory Upton.
Variant Title: A new system of infantry tactics, double and single rank
Format: Book
Publisher: New York : D. Appleton, 1873.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Call Number: LAC 14656 (Microfiche)
Status: Not Checked Out

Location: Microfiche Collection 4th Floor South (Non-Circulating)
Description: Microform
iv, 392 p., cix leaves of plates : ill., plans.
Subject(s): Bugle-calls.
Infantry drill and tactics.
Military calls.
Persistent URL: http://librarycatalog.ucok.edu/cgi-b...gi?BBID=164768

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[john duffer]

Re: Emory Upton's Post-War 1866 or 1867 Drill Manual

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=upton&bi=0&bx=off&ds=30&kn=tactics&sortby=2&sts=t&x=86&y=4

You can buy a hardcopy reprint , there are several at abebooks.com from $35 for new to $225 for an 1867.

Interestingly, he goes to the Ellsworth/Hardee/Kentucky Swing stack. I haven't spent enough time to really try to understand it but line, column, etc movements are based on fours in a way that confused me pretty quickly.

[markj]

Re: Emory Upton's Post-War 1866 or 1867 Drill Manual

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Sear...sts=t&x=86&y=4

You can buy a hardcopy reprint , there are several at abebooks.com from $35 for new to $225 for an 1867.

Interestingly, he goes to the Ellsworth/Hardee/Kentucky Swing stack. I haven't spent enough time to really try to understand it but line, column, etc movements are based on fours in a way that confused me pretty quickly.

Here's a note I pulled from an article I wrote a few years ago.

Upton, Emory (Major-General, U. S. Army). A New System of Infantry Tactics[,] Double and Single Rank Adapted to American Topography and Improved Firearms. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1867, p. 314. Upton’s 1867 manual was, in fact, transitional in that it borrowed heavily from Silas Casey’s 1862 manual while grafting on Upton’s own approach to single-rank formations to be used in conjunction with the newly-adopted Springfield breech-loading rifle. [Upton appears to have begun practical demonstrations of his new system at least as early as Summer 1866]***The United States Army and Navy Journal approvingly noted in its 29 September 1866 number that on Friday, 21 September 1866, General Upton and [a company of West Point] cadets

gave an exhibition drill of his tactics before the [Army] Board appointed to examine the various [tactical] systems [proposed for adoption]…[the] drill at West Point was a very handsome one…[and] the principles of the system are remarkably simple, and when once thoroughly understood there is but little chance of blundering. The General was able in an hour and [a] quarter to instruct the company which had no previous knowledge of his system, so thoroughly that at the end of that time he was enabled to make them go through the entire school of the company correctly.

Furthermore, subsequent items in the “Militia Department” of the Journal clearly show that some NGSNY units evaluated and/or adopted Upton’s system in late 1866 and early 1867—several months before the Army belatedly accepted it for use.***

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[Pennvolunteer]

Re: Emory Upton's Post-War 1866 or 1867 Drill Manual

Gents,
Great comments and a tremendous help for me. Interestingly enough, I realized today that since the Artillery School librarian works for me, I could put her to work on this Fort Sill museum support mission. She found we had an 1867 copy, but unfortunately it is in our rare book collection and in poor shape. However she is getting with the Army Historical Education Center who is responsible for digitizing old manuals and see if we can get them to put it on electrons on the free Army History web site. That will help not only our museum, but be available to the public.

[RJSamp]

Re: Emory Upton's Post-War 1866 or 1867 Drill Manual

The edition was 1872, but it appears to have been identical to the original 1866 edition. The good news is that original copies of "Upton" do pop up on EBay from time to time--I've seen a couple offered for sale just within the last month or so. In fact, an 1869 printing is currently being offered for $135 (an outrage!).
Regards,

Mark Jaeger

Stephen Ambrose wrote a neat book on Upton.....he goes into the changing of the manuals from ACW to 1867 to 1872-4. Although I haven't read any of the post war manuals (at length) I could have sworn that changes were made to the basic 4's system (which Upton added to ALL branches of service) of tactical deployment based on lessons learned from the 'swarmistes' tactics of the Franco-Prussian war.

At minimum, the bugle calls changed from the 1867 to the 1872-4 manuals, crafted by Truman Seymour..with a new To the Standard (Color) [it's the modern version you heard in the Service or at Boy Scout Camp], a new Charge (the 'Hollywood' version, based on the French "Pas de Charge"), and a new Tattoo (1st Part French "To Extinguish Lights", 2nd Part Hanoverian "Zapfenstreich" / English "Last Post").

Anyway, I wouldn't be too quick on stating that there were no changes between the 1867 and 1872-4 versions of Upton's tactic's manuals. I use 1872-1874 as each year featured the release of his new manuals by Branch of Service.....I thought 1872 was Cavalry, 1873 Artillery, 1874 Infantry but it's been a few Years/Beers since I read Ambrose' book.

[15nyve]

Re: Emory Upton's Post-War 1866 or 1867 Drill Manual

Reprints based on original copies of Upton's 1867 and 1873 Manuals for Double and Single Rank are available from INVICTUS (a Division of Johnson Graphics), POB 317, Decatur, MI 49045 (269) 423-8782 (269) 423-7413. They can also be obtained from Fort Ontario (315) 343-4711. I worked with Mr. Johnson to get them reprinted for the fort which interprets the 1868 period, and for the General Miles Marching and Chowder Society (GMMCS), an Indian Wars living history infantry group which goes into the field or barracks every September for five days.

Paul Lear
15th NYVE