Tampions

[50th VA Corporal]

Typically, where did the US / CS infantryman keep his tampion? Was it one of the items that was stored in the pouch of his cartridge box?

Would my assumption be correct that re-enactors using a piece of string or leather attaching it to their musket sling swivel and placing it into their sling loop considerd "farby"?

James T. Lemon
50th VA Corporal

[Todd Watts]

Re: Tampions

Probably in a pocket or haversack would be my guess. I have seen several pictures of men with muskets that have the tampions in the muzzle. But I can't recall seeing any that had a tampion dangling from the gun or sling.

[Secesh]

Re: Tampions

I believe the correct spelling is tompion...?

[Michael Comer]

Re: Tampions

When I carry one I keep it in my pocket. I would think that having one dangling around on your sling swivel would really get in the way and would not work very well. As to farby - it's in the eyes of the beholder but I would venture to guess that there would be some raised eyebrows.

And, yes, the spelling is tompion.

[Jim Mayo]

Re: Tampions

What is the easiest way to carry it? If it is not in the barrel of the gun it's probably in the trouser pocket or thrown away. Soldiers will always find the easiest way to do things. Quite a few of the brass enfield type are recovered in CW sites. Some have even been shot and have the bullet still embedded in the cap. Of course all the wood ones are long gone.

[Todd Watts]

Re: Tampions

:DYes, the correct spelling is tompion. It would be really farbby to have a "tampion" in the barrel. Also yes, I think that having one dangling fromt he front of the gun would be a good way to lose it since it will hang on everything including the front rank man. They did use them routinely judging by the numbers dug at battlefields of all dates. Fuller, in his book stated that men of the era were trained to keep the tompion in the muzzle when it was not in use, exactly opposite of the modern breachloader way that would encourage drill instructors to punish a soldier caught with anything in his muzzle. The numbers recovered that have a bullet wrapped around the tompion's brass peg attribute to the reason why. There's one like that at The Blockade Runner recovered from a June '63 (Liberty Gap) battlefield that shows that as of the middle of the war soldiers were indeed keeping them in use even when the guns were loaded.

[Hank Trent]

Re: Tampions

Um, actually, same etymological root, both acceptable spellings.

From the OED:

http://www.sorabji.com/d/dictionary/oxford/Tampion/

tampion n. (also tompion)1 a wooden stopper for the muzzle of a gun. 2 a plug e.g. for the top of an organ-pipe.
Etymology: ME f. F tampon, nasalized var. of tapon, rel. to TAP(1)

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Charles Heath]

Re: Tampions

James,

From the way you phrase the question, I suspect you already know NUG-PEC answer. Take the time to find a copy of Paul Johnson's Civil War Cartridge Boxes of the Union Infantryman, and give it a good read, especially the references to the various tools, and the intended contents of the cartridge box implement pouch.

[Roger Hansen]

Re: Tampions

According to Sam Watkins (1st Tenn Inf), he carried his gun stopper along with the wiper (rag) in his trouser pocket.

Roger Hansen

[Charles Heath]

Re: Tampions

According to Sam Watkins (1st Tenn Inf), he carried his gun stopper along with the wiper (rag) in his trouser pocket.

Roger,

Does Watkins specifically say "rag," or does he really mean "wiper?"

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Tampions

To echo others, my OPINION is that they were probably typically carried in the muzzle of the gun--something that is not often seen at many reenactments.

I carry mine either in the muzzle or in my pocket--those are the two easiest solutions as I view it.

[BobbyHughes]

Re: Tampions

....exactly opposite of the modern breachloader way that would encourage drill instructors to punish a soldier caught with anything in his muzzle.

Not necessarily accurate. We used muzzle covers (the newer version of the tompion) to keep sand and dust out of our weapons.

[Todd Watts]

Re: Tampions

Yes, the muzzle caps/covers do the same thing as a tompion, but are "shoot-through or shoot-away covers. The bore is not plugged with these items. The only way the muzzleloaders would no have suffered bulged or burst barrels when firing with the tompion in the bore is the fact that the black powder is lower pressure coupled with a loose-fitting tompion. As we are aware, with regulary use the tompions get pretty loose. After a few months of use, they were so loose that the air being forced out ahead of the ball was probably enough to get it moving out to relieve the pressure. Some, as we have seen recovered, still got hit by the ball at or near the muzzle.

A higher-velocity modern round with smokeless powder pressures will almost certainly bulge or blow a barrel if even a loose tompion were plugging the muzzle.

[Poor Private]

Re: Tampions

My dad a WWII vet told me one time they used the uhhh( how to phrase this politely) umm sexual device to cover thier muzzels. Cheap and furnished by the gov't and no need to remove when the weapon was needed for action. He told me thats what a old WWI sarge told the platoon to use during wet conditions -- raining, river crossings, and landing craft.

[JustRob]

Re: Tampions

I imagine you are referring to a "marital aid" of the latex variety - because those would definitely work.

I didn't realize the "French Envelopes" we available to the Doughboys in WWI.