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Re: Pistol packing civilians
Casey,
If you can get a copy of Journeys to the Land of Gold: Emigrant Diaries from the Bozeman Trail, 1863 - 1866 by Susan Badger Doyle, they discuss the firearms they carry, where and how they carry them, etc. I didn't notice any mention of spare ammunition other than the number of shots each man carried, but I didn't read beyond what specific guns they were carrying, so they may have, especially during the '63 and '66 fights with the Indians. There is mention of revolvers, pistols and vest pistols along with various other firearms.
Also, as a side note, the American Heritage Center in Laramie, WY has a set of letters called "The James Bertenshaw Family Letters" that may be of help. (It'll cost you copying and shipping, I think, to get them - you can find the center online at http://uwcatalog.uwyo.edu/record=b2135545~S3 .) I read them a few years ago, and can't remember if he discusses guns or not, but he traveled by wagon to the Montana gold fields during the CW years, and is very detailed about life in the gold camps in his letters home. Really good stuff.
Warm regards,
Janet Wragge
Casey,
If you can get a copy of Journeys to the Land of Gold: Emigrant Diaries from the Bozeman Trail, 1863 - 1866 by Susan Badger Doyle, they discuss the firearms they carry, where and how they carry them, etc. I didn't notice any mention of spare ammunition other than the number of shots each man carried, but I didn't read beyond what specific guns they were carrying, so they may have, especially during the '63 and '66 fights with the Indians. There is mention of revolvers, pistols and vest pistols along with various other firearms.
Also, as a side note, the American Heritage Center in Laramie, WY has a set of letters called "The James Bertenshaw Family Letters" that may be of help. (It'll cost you copying and shipping, I think, to get them - you can find the center online at http://uwcatalog.uwyo.edu/record=b2135545~S3 .) I read them a few years ago, and can't remember if he discusses guns or not, but he traveled by wagon to the Montana gold fields during the CW years, and is very detailed about life in the gold camps in his letters home. Really good stuff.
Warm regards,
Janet Wragge
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