Discharging of firearms after being relieved from picket duty.

[markj]

Re: Discharging of firearms after being relieved from picket duty.

So it would seem that at least a few regiments did this. If that is the case then maybe firing practice was not as rare as some historians have claimed. I think it might be worth looking into some day, even if just out of curiosity.

I found the bit about the bullets found at Petersburg interesting. The location sounds like an ideal spot for safely discharging firearms. Is it at all possible these may have been spent rounds dropping behind the lines?

Is "A System of Target Practice for the Use of Troops When Armed with the Musket, Rifle-Musket, Rifle, or Carbine" the only manual that describes what you are to do with the loaded firearms after picket or guard duty? I have been looking through what manuals I have available to me and have found no mention.

You might find this potentially interesting:

NARA RG 109, Ch. VIII, Vol. 340 "Miscellaneous Orders Received and Issued, Newman's Battalion of Tennessee Volunteers. 1862-1864.

General Order 15 HQ Breckenridge's Division, Tullahoma TN, 27 February 1863

"The loss of all cartridges issued to men and not expended by legal order will be charged against them at the rate of 25 cents per cartridge."

Circular, HQ Hardee's Corps, Tullahoma, Tenn., 11 April 1863

Summary: Directs target practice of 4 rounds per man at a pre-distanced target

************************************************** ****************************
Hd" Quarters Browns Brigade
[Wartrace Tenn] April 28th 1863

General Order
No 20

Many Guns having lately been Condemned as unserviceable The tubes being bursted and other wise damaged it is hereby ordered that the bursting of Caps and snapping the piece be Strictly prohibited Unbreeching or taking the Guns to pieces is forbiden [sic] at all times

By order Brig Genl Brown
C G Rogers
A A Genl


Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[john duffer]

Re: Discharging of firearms after being relieved from picket duty.

Somewhere I've come across mention of a large number of dug rounds that had been pulled at Appomattox. I'd think in many cases it was safer than firing in the midst of a large number of troops and less apt to cause false alarms.

[Jimmayo]

Re: Discharging of firearms after being relieved from picket duty.

Those rounds were pulled because the Confederates had surrendered. One whole regiment pulled their rounds and subsequently this regiments position was found and verified by a modern day relic hunter because of the pulled bullets. Chris Calkins wrote about this in one of his publications.

[Jimmayo]

Re: Discharging of firearms after being relieved from picket duty.

Mark,

Just curious how sentries pulling rounds would have saved hundreds of rounds for Braggs Command. I would have guessed that pulled rounds would have been dropped as trash. Would they have done something to recycle the pulled rounds?
Craig Wolfe

The Confederates recycled a lot of war material. I wouldn't be surprised if these rounds were turned in to be re-made. For example, on the Howlett line the CS government paid soldiers for the unexploded Union artillery projectiles they could collect. It got so that before a shell was even cool, if it didn't explode somebody was picking it up. This info came from Kricks "Parkers Virginia Battery" which is a real good read.

[cavscout148]

Re: Discharging of firearms after being relieved from picket duty.

From "The Buckeye Vanguard: The 49th OVVI:
Near Shiloh:
"Company F was coming in off picket duty and it was the custom to discharge their muskets. The provost marshal quickly put them under arrest and ordered them all to carry rails as punishment. Colonel Gibson arrived soon after and in inquired to the reason for punishment. He immediately went to the provost marshal's quarters and proceeded to give him a piece of his mind, in a stern voice and using choice words. The boys were soon ordered to drop their rails and return to their quarters, which they quickly obeyed."

[Philip cav]

Re: Discharging of firearms after being relieved from picket duty.

The book "Rebels At Rock Island" mentions that this practice was done by the camp guards .. I would post the quote, but I don't have the book near me at this time.

[Bill]

Re: Discharging of firearms after being relieved from picket duty.

Given the number of pulled rounds found at the camps, I think it's fair to say that discharging weapons after guard duty was not a universal practice. From the soldier's point of view, it was probably easier to pull the round rather than cleaning the rifle after firing one shot. (I think most of us know what a pain that is!)

[DocReynolds]

Re: Discharging of firearms after being relieved from picket duty.

U.S. Regulations 1861, on page 61 discusses the disposition of the old guard as it retires Paragraph number 396 includes the following language:
"Before the men are dismissed, their pieces will be drawn or discharged at a target."

It would seem that it would be the choice of the commanding officer....(I have note similarly checked my Confederate regs) but the two often coincide

[Dreamer42]

Re: Discharging of firearms after being relieved from picket duty.

In reading the book Diary of a Dead Man Ira Pettit describes being given the order to discharge his weapon once he was relieved from guard. At the time he was stationed in a fort in New York with the 11th US Regulars. It would seem logical to have the guard do this in a more permanent post rather than near the front where this type of thing could either alert the enemy, or be confused by other pickets as a probe or some such.

- Jay Reid
Dreamer42
9th Texas