"Small Arms at Gettysburg by regiment" Topic

Is there an online resources that states what type of rifles each regiment had? I'm specifically looking at Hood and McLaw's divisions. Actually, I'm trying to find out what the regiments in those two divisions were armed with at Chickamauga, but I'm sure knowing what small arms they had at Gettysburg will be close.

Odds are very good that they all had Enfield rifle-muskets by then, with maybe a few almost identical Springfields.

Don't know about online, but I just took a peek at Bowden's Armies At Gettysburg, in which he states that all of the CSA infantry regiments were armed with rifled muskets.

Scott Migus' books on Gettysburg are well researched as to who had what at that time. Dyer's compenduim of the Civil War might help as well. Dyer I think is on line somewhere on the net.
VR
James Mattes

Try and find a copy of "Ready..Aim..Fire" by Thomas. It lists ammunition types for both sides by battalion, based upon both historical records and battlefield recover of spent rounds by location.

IIRC, 1st Texas still carried .69 Springfield muskets, 4th Texas had Enfield rifles, and 5th Texas and 3rd Arkansas carried Enfield Rifle-Muskets.

I'll do some digging myself and see what else I can locate for you.

Respects,

Damn! Tim you beat me to it and this was an easy one too. Dang! :)

1st Texas was armed with Model 1842 .69 cal smoothbores, (pumpkin slingers), until 1864…then they got Enfields….

The "Report of the Armament of the Regiments of McLaws' Division, 20 May, 1863" in the papers of Lt. Edwin Taliaferro, the ordnance officer for McLaws, should give you a baseline to work from.

Barksdale's Brigade
13th Miss – 171 .58 Springfield Rifle; 252 .57 Long Enfield; 6 .57 Short Enfield Rifle; 4 Other Rifles Meant for Cavalry Service; 2 .54 Miss Rifles.
17th Miss – 206 .58 Springfield Rifle; 234 .57 Long Enfield; 11 .57 Short Enfield Rifle; 2 Other Rifles Meant for Cavalry Service.
18th Miss – 248 .58 Springfield Rifle; 93 .57 Long Enfield; 11 .57 Short Enfield Rifle; 2 Other Rifles Meant for Cavalry Service.
21st Miss – 113 .58 Springfield Rifle; 252 .57 Long Enfield; 45 .57 Short Enfield Rifle.

Wofford's Brigade
Cobb's Legion – 68 .58 Springfield Rifle; 10 .57 Short Enfield Rifle; 152 .57 Enfield Musket; 70 .69 Springfield Musket.
Phillip's Legion – 227 .58 Springfield Rifle; 13 .57 Short Enfield Rifle; 102 .57 Enfield Musket; 173 .69 Springfield Musket.
16th Ga – 95 .58 Springfield Rifle; 99 .57 Short Enfield Rifle; 187 .57 Enfield Musket; 70 .69 Springfield Musket.
18th Ga – 113 .58 Springfield Rifle; 1 .57 Long Enfield; 24 .57 Short Enfield Rifle; 134 .57 Enfield Musket; 50 .69 Springfield Musket.
24th Ga – 176 .58 Springfield Rifle; 18 .57 Short Enfield Rifle; 248 .57 Enfield Musket; 112 .69 Springfield Musket.

Semmes' Brigade
10th Ga – 165 .58 Springfield Rifle; 61 .57 Long Enfield; 5 .57 Short Enfield Rifle; 2 Other Rifles Meant for Cavalry Service; 2 .54 Miss Rifles; 13 .69 Springfield Musket.
50th Ga – 10 .58 Springfield Rifle; 33 .57 Long Enfield; 18 .54 Miss Rifles; 33 .69 Springfield Musket.
51st Ga – 90 .58 Springfield Rifle; 239 .57 Long Enfield; 20 .57 Short Enfield Rifle.
53rd Ga – 31 .58 Springfield Rifle; 50 .57 Long Enfield; 1 .57 Short Enfield Rifle; 37 .69 Springfield Musket.

Kershaw's Brigade
2nd SC – 90 .58 Springfield Rifle; 250 .57 Long Enfield; 30 .57 Short Enfield Rifle; 3 Other Rifles Meant for Cavalry Service; 1 .54 Miss Rifles; 5 .69 Springfield Musket.
3rd SC – 84 .58 Springfield Rifle; 86 .57 Long Enfield; 2 .57 Short Enfield Rifle; 38 .54 Miss Rifles; 199 .69 Springfield Musket.
7th SC – 78 .58 Springfield Rifle; 260 .57 Long Enfield; 9 .57 Short Enfield Rifle; 2 .54 Miss Rifles; 27 .69 Springfield Musket.
8th SC – 175 .58 Springfield Rifle; 65 .57 Long Enfield; 4 Other Rifles Meant for Cavalry Service; 29 .54 Miss Rifles.
15th SC – 76 .58 Springfield Rifle; 54 .57 Long Enfield; 2 .57 Short Enfield Rifle; 41 .54 Miss Rifles; 208 .69 Springfield Musket.
3rd SC Btn – 23 .58 Springfield Rifle; 38 .57 Long Enfield; 3 .57 Short Enfield Rifle; 155 .69 Springfield Musket.

Keep in mind that, when viewing the various arms listed for McLaws' Division that the overwhelming majority are 57/58 caliber. The Confederacy adapted the same idea as the Federal army and reduced all of the elongated ball (minie' ball) ammunition to .57 caliber so as to service both Springfield and Enfield weapons.

Even though you will see short & long Enfields listed, along with the Springfields, for all intents and purposes the range and rate of fire will be identical. Considering the ranges usually encounters, there would be virtually no difference, too, with the .54 caliber weapons.

respects,

That's a great list Ryan! Thanks! You too TKindred and Murphy!

I know Jerry Coates is/was working on a book concerning this very topic. I'm not sure if he's published it yet, but it may be worth a look on the various book sites.

Kaleb

Cleburne

Can't help but think that by Chickamaugua the ANV brigades would have virtully all carried first rate rifled muskets of very similar effectiveness just as others have mentioned before. Their comerades in arms in the A of Tenn likely as yet did not totally share this advantage in small arms!!

I've read that at Gettysburg the entire Confederate 2nd Corps was armed with Enfields, but it had just routed a Union division in the Valley on their way north and probably captured a nice supply of weapons to replace any odd lots. Longstreet's 1st Corps would not have had that particular advantage, but might have picked up enough on the field of Gettysburg to achieve the same end. (Also, it lost a great many men there, so that it didn't need as many good weapons.)

After looking at that list, can you imagine the logistical problems involved with getting ammo to the guy on the firing line? .58 and .57 bullets would have been easy, but what about the odd Company out armed with the cavalry carbines, Mississippi rifles or the .69 muskets? The supply NCO would have his work cut out for him. Yikes.

-BY

There were still plenty of smoothbores around at Gettysburg. Several of the Iron Brigade regiments had them as did the 12th New Jersey. I have a book somewhere at home with a listing for all the regiments. I'll have to dig it out.

Yup… In the AOP, Thomas lists more than 40 regiments still carrying muskets. It wasn't until the Overland Campaign in spring of 1864 that the AOP took the field with every regiment carrying rifles and rifle-muskets.

Many CS regiments still carried muskets at the end of the war.

In one interesting twist, the 15th New Jersey went into action with some very poor rifle-muskets, mostly 2nd class Enfields. After the battle they were able to scrounge enough well-made, recently issued rifle-muskets to equip the entire unit. Of course, these were Richmond rifle-muskets, the CS variant of the M1855, but hey…..

The 15th NJ used these Richmond Rifle-muskets for several months, until they were issued new Springfield rifle-muskets prior to the Wilderness.

FWIW, the 15th NJ also entered the 1864 campaign as a test unit for Mann's Patent accoutrement set. It was a great idea that replaced the old sling-held accoutrements with belt & shoulder system that better distributed the weight on the soldier, and allowed him to wear the cartridge box as a belly box, making loading much easier.

more may be found here regarding Mann's set:

link

These were well received by the men, with other regiments who saw them clamouring for the same system.

It wasn't only .69, .58, .57 and .54 cal ammunition that had to be supplied. According to Cal Cummings, RSM of the 17th Mississippi, the "Other Rifles Meant for Cavalry Service" would have included the .52 cal Sharps' carbine he was carrying at Chancellorsville.

Ryan,

There is no difference, by mid-1862 between 58 & 57 (actually, 577) caliber ammunitions. Both sides standardized production at .570 caliber so as to service both types of arms. The mention of the caliber in the report cited is simply a requirement of the inspection form. The weapons were different calibers, but they used the same ammunition.

One other thing to consider is that the various trypes of weapons were not spread through the ranks. In virtually every case, a company within a regiment all carried the same caliber, if not the same arm. Thus, the M1841 rifles would be found all in one or two companies, etc.

respects,

Hello TKindred,

Thanks for pointing out the use of .570 calibre ammunition.

Two questions that perhaps you may be able to comment on. Would the small calibre have any noticeable effect on the ballistics of the weapon? I myself am of the "short rifle range" school and wonder this would be another factor in reducing the use of longer range aimed fire?

Secondly, the number and distribution of the short Enfields suggests the possibility that these were carried by senior NCOs. Having acted as a file closer myself, a shorter/lighter weapon would have been of considerable benefit.

Ryan Toews