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Re: Training manual used by Regular Army
"What manual was used?", while there is no specific answer, can be generally answered by the question, " What arm was carried?"
From the dawn of the army to 1842, the United States arsenals manufactured (in quantity) smoothbore muskets with different ignition systems (Yes, I know about the Hall rifles, but those were specialty weapons).
A series of tactics, first instituted by von Steuben, was used generally until 1815. In 1813, Winfield Scott came up with his own modified system of tactics, used it with success, and had it adopted by the army in 1815. Scott stayed with the army until 1862, and his tactics were used exclusively and with success up until the 1850s.
The United States began manufacturing a percussion ignition rifle beginning in 1842 (The model 1842 rifle or Mississippi rifle). These rifles did not replace the generic smoothbore weapons at that time. Because rifles were traditionally thought to be slower to load, the powers that be felt that a different set of tactics was needed. Peace time army sizes prevented the 1842 rifle from coming into general use, but there was an arm of the service spedifically for rifles. Tactics were copied from the French and Prussian manuals for that arm. Army drill specialists began writing new manuals for this short weapon. Hardee's was selected. If you look at any copy of Hardee's tactics, you will note that it is called "Light Infantry" and was not designed to be used by regular, smoothbore carrying troops. All the illustrations in the manuals specifically show shorter, two-banded weapons, and show soldiers wearing the uniform of the rifle corps.
Beginning in 1855, the United States began production of a rifled as the standard weapon of manufacture. This production was so revolutionary, booklets were created and issued explaining all the parts of this new weapon and how they fit together. This weapon was a hybrid of the 1842 short two-banded rifle and the traditional long three-banded musket, creating the oxymoronic term rifle-musket. Slowly, ever so slowly, this weapon replaced smoothbore weapons throughout the army. However, the "rifle" was still the term used for the shorter weapon. Scott's tactics were considered the tactics of choice for the longer weapon, and Hardee's the tactics of choice for the shorter weapon.
Then the war started. Hardee left the US Army for the Confederacy, and took his tactics with him. He was considered personna non gratta in the US Army, and Silas Casey was given the job of plagerizing Hardee's work, inserting just enough changes learned in the previous 5 years so that the United States wasn't actually using Confederate drill manuals.
August Kautz, in his 1863 work "The Company Clerk" states that the drill manual issued by the army to all officers was Casey's Tactics.
Does this clear anything up? No, not really. Just wanted to add some more historical perspective.
"What manual was used?", while there is no specific answer, can be generally answered by the question, " What arm was carried?"
From the dawn of the army to 1842, the United States arsenals manufactured (in quantity) smoothbore muskets with different ignition systems (Yes, I know about the Hall rifles, but those were specialty weapons).
A series of tactics, first instituted by von Steuben, was used generally until 1815. In 1813, Winfield Scott came up with his own modified system of tactics, used it with success, and had it adopted by the army in 1815. Scott stayed with the army until 1862, and his tactics were used exclusively and with success up until the 1850s.
The United States began manufacturing a percussion ignition rifle beginning in 1842 (The model 1842 rifle or Mississippi rifle). These rifles did not replace the generic smoothbore weapons at that time. Because rifles were traditionally thought to be slower to load, the powers that be felt that a different set of tactics was needed. Peace time army sizes prevented the 1842 rifle from coming into general use, but there was an arm of the service spedifically for rifles. Tactics were copied from the French and Prussian manuals for that arm. Army drill specialists began writing new manuals for this short weapon. Hardee's was selected. If you look at any copy of Hardee's tactics, you will note that it is called "Light Infantry" and was not designed to be used by regular, smoothbore carrying troops. All the illustrations in the manuals specifically show shorter, two-banded weapons, and show soldiers wearing the uniform of the rifle corps.
Beginning in 1855, the United States began production of a rifled as the standard weapon of manufacture. This production was so revolutionary, booklets were created and issued explaining all the parts of this new weapon and how they fit together. This weapon was a hybrid of the 1842 short two-banded rifle and the traditional long three-banded musket, creating the oxymoronic term rifle-musket. Slowly, ever so slowly, this weapon replaced smoothbore weapons throughout the army. However, the "rifle" was still the term used for the shorter weapon. Scott's tactics were considered the tactics of choice for the longer weapon, and Hardee's the tactics of choice for the shorter weapon.
Then the war started. Hardee left the US Army for the Confederacy, and took his tactics with him. He was considered personna non gratta in the US Army, and Silas Casey was given the job of plagerizing Hardee's work, inserting just enough changes learned in the previous 5 years so that the United States wasn't actually using Confederate drill manuals.
August Kautz, in his 1863 work "The Company Clerk" states that the drill manual issued by the army to all officers was Casey's Tactics.
Does this clear anything up? No, not really. Just wanted to add some more historical perspective.
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