Enfield Artillery Carbines

[Mississippian]

I've been finding more and more of these in Ordnance records from the Mississippi area in 1863-64. Just found more than 400 were issued to Red Jackson's Division in Sept. 1863, complete with Saber Bayonets! Plus the large issue to the 1st MS Partisan Rangers in June 1864 leads me to think these are slightly more common that we have been lead to believe, at least in this area. How many were actually brought over, Wasn't it only a few thousand?

Thoughts?

Will MacDonald

[Silas]

Re: Enfield Artillery Carbines

I can hear loud cheers from a certain sector of the reenacting spectrum who have have been shown a kernel of truth for a limited situation which will be stretched into bushel upon bushel of corn as complete justification for all situations.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Enfield Artillery Carbines

Hallo!

Yup, one needs to be careful making an exception a rule.

That being said twice..

There were three models of British Artillery Carbines with CW provenance. A P1853, a revised version in 1858 (Second Model), and a third in 1861 to a lesser extent.

A "typical" entry is Josiah Gorgas' February 1863 batch.. and I will list only the Enfield part (62% being "'Enfields"):

70,090 long Enfield rifles
9715 short Enfield rifles
354 Enfield carbines

It does not specify cavalry or artillery versions, or models.... or army or naval short rifles.

US Ordnance purchased 480 artillery carbines- 420 from Naylor & Company and 60 from Schuyler, Hartley & Graham. As well as 50 from Howland & Aspinwall. (Although some argue about types)

Confederates were happy to get them. Bulloch purchased 1000 naval carbines for the CS Navy.

In October 1862 Jeb Stuart wrote asking to exchange rifles for Enfield artillery carbines then in infantry hands.

CS Ordnance reports show that P1856 Cavalry Carbines and P/1853 Artillery Carbines (including Secnd Model of 1858) was over 8100 with half going to the ANV and the other half to the AOT.

For our purposes, it gets... "hairy" trying to figure out WHICH model/pattern CAvalry or ARtillery they often are referring to. And the other side of the coin are issues of the numbers of P1861 Artillery Carbine (hobby name "musketoon") being reporduced by the Italians and the pesky subject not getting into discussions of Indian non-firing model or wall hanger decorator guns I believe are offered as the P1856 or P1861 Cavalry Carbine IIRC.

IMHO, this revovles back into the hersey of using the type of firearm researched and documented to the unit, time, and place being portrayed. And if a repro is available to use short of restored originals.

Others mileage will vary...

Curt

[Mississippian]

Re: Enfield Artillery Carbines

Here is the ordnance record in question:

Ordnance Stores turned over at Canton MS, Sept 11th 1863, from Capt. Clark, O.O. Cavalry in MS, to Capt. Bond, O.O. Jackson's Division:

33000 Enfield Cartridges cal .57
16000 Austrian Rifle Cartridges cal .54
96 Austrian Rifles cal .54
96 Bayonets
420 Artillery Carbines cal .57
420 Saber Bayonets
200 Cartridge Boxes
200 Cap Pouches
200 Waist Belts
200 Shoulder Straps

Will MacDonald