Article claims that Gatling gun was used in 1862.

[Gary of CA]

Here's an old article I found in American Heritage magazine. You can read it by clicking on the link right Here. Your comments, Gentlemen (and Gentlewomen)?

[markj]

Re: Article claims that Gatling gun was used in 1862.

Don't know about that, but the story of Dr. Richard J. Gatling's nefarious contraption has been researched, and written about, to death. I would suggest you cross-check more up-to-date articles and books relating to Civil War era rapid-fire weapons to determine the veracity of this anecdote.

Having gone through a significant portion of the Indianapolis IN papers (i.e., the Daily Journal, the Daily Sentinel, and the Daily Evening Gazette) published between 1861-1865, I can definitely tell you that Gatling's name and activities are mentioned on a number of occasions.

Also of interest is a brief, intriguing item found in the Governor Oliver P. Morton Telegraph Books. Viz:

O. P. Morton to D. P. Holloway, Washington, Dec[ember] 3 [1863]:

I came home because I could not remain longer. When the Gatling guns are received will raise the battery and put into the field.

O. P. Morton

****************

I have attached a pdf of this message for your perusal. The O. P. Morton Telegraph Books are available for viewing online, and downloading, at:

http://indiamond6.ulib.iupui.edu/Telegraph/

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[Bob 125th NYSVI]

Re: Article claims that Gatling gun was used in 1862.

No It doesn't.

It claims a Union Repeating Gun (aka 'coffee-mill gun) was used not a gatling.

This makes sense as the first Gatling was not even available for demonstration until later that year.

[Smokey Toes]

Re: Article claims that Gatling gun was used in 1862.

Sorry to re-open an older thread, but I just read something that really surprised me, so I did a search here and found this thread....here is the excerpt:

Malvern Hill, July 1st 1862
Second U.S Infantry, Sykes’ Division, moving along the Quaker road towards the Crew House.
From "Ten years in the ranks", by Augustus Meyers (1914)
http://www.archive.org/details/tenye...nksu00meyerich


“We marched on toward the place we were to occupy and, when near it, we passed a curious little battery which was stationed alongside of a barn. They were busy firing. I had remarked this battery a few times when it passed us on the road, while we were marching up the peninsula. It consisted of a small gun-carriage and limber drawn by two horses; on
the gun-carriage was mounted a single steel barrel, somewhat longer and heavier than an ordinary gun-barrel, but of about the same calibre; there was a cranked handle to turn and a hopper to receive cartridges. The soldiers named it the "coffee-mill battery." It really looked like a large coffee-mill mounted on wheels, except for the barrel. It required the services of three men to fire the gun one to feed cartridges into the hop-per, another to raise or depress the barrel and swing it right or left in a quarter-circle and to take aim, while the third man turned the crank which caused the explosion of the charges.
I think there were six of these guns, and their pop-pop-pop was quite rapid and continuous as we passed by them. They were the elementary production of the later inventions the mitrailleuse and gatling guns.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitrailleuse

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Re: Article claims that Gatling gun was used in 1862.

A fine example of an original "Coffee-Mill" gun is on display in the Hall of Valor at New Market Battlefield State Historic Park.

They also have an original Williams gun on display as well.

Paul

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Article claims that Gatling gun was used in 1862.

If someone wrote something then it must be true.

:p