"Reloading on the move" Topic

Does anyone have any examples of units reloading while moving? I've read about the 140th at Gettysburg smacking the butts of their rifles to reload on the move but I'm not sure how common this practice was.

I recently read a book on Hood's Texans at G'burg (can't remember name)which had them reloading continuously on their second day advance.

Anyone who has tried to reload a muzzle loading rifle musket on the move will tell you that it's extremely difficult. You almost have to define "on the move" because you have to actually pause to do several of the actions.

I'm not sure really, I can imagine it's extremely difficult. I'm only asking really because I have a bunch of marching/charging bodies and a bunch of reloading arms that I'm not using and would like to do a pose I haven't used before in one of my previous units.

I think it the same as other multi-tasking: it is not possible. At some point the person has to stop for a short time in the loading process. I have fired a flintlock musket and rifle and would not attempt loading on-the-move. As for the "smacking the butts of their rifles to reload", the Prussians at the time of the SYW would hit their musket butt on the ground to avoid using the ramrod.

Reloading on the move is not as difficult with a percussion cap as it would be with a flintlock. It's just bite the cartridge, pour, ram, and cap. I would imagine attempting to prime a pan while moving would be much more difficult.

And smacking the butt of a rifle (as opposed to a smoothbore musket) on the ground doesn't work all that well as it doesn't seat the minie ball, and doesn't work at all once the barrel begins to foul.

It isn't difficult at all for trained troops. Once you know how to properly load your weapon, any soldier can do it. Remember, they are not charging, just advancing. Skirmishers do it all the time as well.

While advancing,you simply shift your weapon to the left hand, with the barrel facing outward and towards the ground and slightly elevated. Like at trail arms, but upside down, as it were.

With your right hand, you remove a cartridge from your cartridge box, push up the tail (which is folded down the side ) with your thumb, and then tear it open with your teeth.

Now raise the muzzle up to about a 45 degree angle and pour the charge down. Gravity will cause it to fall into the breech.

With your thumb and forefinger, squeeze the round into the muzzle, and discard the paper wrapper.

Using your right thumb and forefinger, draw the rammer and firmly ram the cartridge down. This only requires a single motion, not the hammering stuff you see in the movies. Removes and reseat the rammer.

Turn the rifle over with your left hand (actually, VERY easy to do) and with your right hand, remove a percussion cap from the pouch on your belt. Angle the rifle across your chest (like at Port Arms) and place the cap on the cone.

Voila! reloaded and ready to fire. Takes less time to do than to read this.

The "ramming the butts on the ground" only serves to potentially crack the stock, and shows that the ammunition you are using is way undersized, and thus likely to be quite ineffective. It could really only work with muskets and round ball ammunition, and then only if you tossed away the paper wrapper instead of using it as wadding to help seat the round. It looks kewl in the movies, and when Richard Sharpe demonstrates it, but it just isn't done.

Even if it WERE done, that could only word the first 3 or 4 rounds, because after that you'd need the rammer due to fouling slowly building up in the bore.

V/R

It can certainly be done. The ramming process will be the trickiest part and trying to do this while advancing in close order would probably result in a lot of bumping and cursing :) And it would certainly take longer than when just standing.

"I'm only asking really because I have a bunch of marching/charging bodies and a bunch of reloading arms that I'm not using and would like to do a pose I haven't used before in one of my previous units."

Re that issue, make a new unit – I use my ACW reloading figures as part of a firing line (with both standing and kneeling firing figures). This is also a place for those figures that just don't fit in with a moving body of troops.

That's what I try to do, I have 20th Maine in a ragged firing line, 83rd PA and 44th NY in a combination of charge and rear rank right shoulder shift and the 16th Michigan in a slow advance while reloading. I could have saved the charging/marching bodies for another unit but this might be all the union infantry I make for a while so it's nice to use them all up

Helps to break them up a little.

I'm sure someone will find the exception, but it seems rather dumb to load and fire will moving. Why wouldn't you load, then move? Moving and firing at the same time in close formation seems a bit dangerous and sloppy. Even in open order skirmish drill, you stop to fire. It is hard enough to hit your target while standing still. Firing while moving, you are just as likely to take the head off your pal moving next to or in front of you.

If you ever seen the more recent "Last of the Mohicans" movie you see these guys loading their flintlocks on the run. They run and run, sometimes loading two rifles while running. He runs and runs. Hollywood!

YouTube link

I mix the reloading figures in with the firing guys. I don't care for all the figures firing at once. By mixing you sort of get the illusion of motion. Besides that's what a firing line is. You fire at will as fast as you can.

EJNashIII: I'm not sure, I know the 140th were in a rush to reinforce little round top but you're right, it makes more sense to stop, reload, and then move out.

Rallynow: I mix my firing guys in with the reloading too, creates a nice dynamic looking unit. The reloading on the move unit that I've made doesn't look all that bad either, most are reaching for their cap pouch so they're at the end of their reload.

The drill manuals do not call for loading on the move. An advancing line of skirmishers will have the men working in pairs. One man halts, fires and then reloads, while his partner moves ahead ten paces and halts and waits until the other guy has finished reloading. He then fires and reloads while his partner advances until he is ten paces in front where he halts and the cycle begins again. It can be done while retiring as well, with each man firing, falling back ten paces, and then halting to reload. In both the advance and retreat, you have the loaded man closest to the enemy while the other one is reloading.

Yes, I agree with Scott. I also know he knows what he is talking about. If you got untrained militia, maybe. However, no self respecting civil war officer allows such sloppiness except in some strange and extremely rare exception. Frankly, when I was a sarge in reenacting, I would have chewed some private out for risking himself and his fellow men for something so ridiculous.

In addition, if you are advancing toward the enemy, there is a logic in not letting the men load at all. You don't want them thinking about hesitating or stopping to take a shot. You want them to think about using the cold steel of the bayonet. About getting thru the enemy line. The reason being if they do stop, you might not get them moving again.

We must all keep in mind however, that what the manuals say, and what the officers and NCOs want, and what REALLY happens on the battlefield aren't always the same thing :)