Civil War Infantry Weapons and Equipment

Infantryman Overview Bedroll Haversack Bayonet Canteen Musket Cartridge Pouch Cap Pouch Cap/ “Kepi” Wool “Sack” Coat Wool Pants Shoes/ “brogans”

Smooth Bore/Rifled Muskets The invention of the “rifled” musket and “Minie” ball revolutionized warfare and made many Civil War tactics deadly and obsolete. Prior to the Civil war, muskets were “smooth bore” that shot a round “ball.” These muskets were only accurate to about 100 yards or less. A “rifled” barrel, shooting a conical “Minie” Ball was deadly at three hundred yards, and up to ½ mile in the hands of an excellent shot.

Smooth Bore Muskets Springfield “Smooth Bore” Musket “Smooth Bore” musket balls “Buck and Ball,” the most deadly round fired by a “smooth bore” musket A picture of a “buck and ball” cartridge Powder Musket ball Buckshot

The “Irish Brigade” The Irish Brigade carried smooth bore muskets Loaded with buck and ball. This combination was used With devastating effect at the battle of Antietam on Sept. 17, 1862

“Rifled Muskets” The.58 caliber Springfield “rifled musket” was the most Popular rifle used in the Union army. It was deadly Accurate and extremely reliable. The “rifling” of a gun barrel.

“Rifled Muskets” Cont’d The Enfield.577 caliber “rifled musket” was manufactured in England. This musket was the most commonly used rifle in the Confederate Army, but also saw widespread use in the Union Army as well.

The “Minie” Ball The “Minie” ball was invented in the 1840’s by French army Captain Claude Etienne Minie. When fired, the expanding gas pushed forcibly on the base of the bullet, deforming it to engage the rifling. This provided spin for accuracy, a better seal for consistent velocity and longer range. The American Civil War, which often had many thousands of infantrymen armed with this type of rifle, resulted in mass casualties on a scale which was inconceivable to contemporary strategists. The Standard.58 caliber lead Minie ball used in the Civil War

The “Minie” Ball Cont’d

Civil War Small Arms

Civil War Small Arms Cont’d The Colt Model caliber, six shot “Army” revolver was the most widely used revolver of the war, both North and South.

Civil War Small Arms Cont’d Similar to the “Army” revolver was the smaller.35 caliber six shot Colt model 1851 “Navy” revolver.

One of the most unusual and innovative revolvers of the Civil War was the LeMat. Developed by Dr. Jean Alexandre LeMat of New Orleans, and produced in France for the Confederacy, the LeMat boasted a 9 shot.40 caliber cylinder with an 18 gauge shotgun barrel underneath. Civil War Small Arms Cont’d

Civil War Edged Weapons

Bayonets Bayonets were sharp, pointed metal objects fixed to the end of rifles to make them lethal as a stabbing weapon even if the rifle wasn’t loaded. Only about 1% of Civil War deaths were from bayonet wounds. Springfield bayonet and scabbard Enfield bayonet and scabbard

Civil War Swords For the most part swords were for ornamentation during the Civil War, being primarily carried by officers. However, occasional Civil War cavalry battles were fought using sabers when the combatants had run out of ammunition. As with bayonets, few deaths were a direct result of sword wounds during the Civil War. A variety of officers swords and sabers A Civil War Militia NCO Sword

Infantry Equipment The average infantryman carried his musket, a canteen, a haversack (containing rations, extra socks and ammunition etc…), a bed roll, a cartridge box containing 40 cartridges (60 if battle was imminent), a cap pouch, a bayonet, and the uniform he was wearing. The uniforms were generally made of heavy wool, which was itchy and uncomfortable, as well as incredibly hot in summer, and heavy when wet with winter rain!

Infantry Equipment Cont’d Union cartridge holder Cap Pouch Canteen with Cork Stopper Canteens and Haversacks “Hard Tack” the staple of the soldiers diet

You could smell them before you saw them… Civil War infantry soldiers rarely had time to bathe, and slept in their uniforms for weeks at a time. When Confederate soldiers under Robert E. Lee invaded Maryland in 1862, one Maryland woman stated, “They were the dirtiest bunch of ruffians I’ve ever seen! I could smell them before I could see them.”

Soldiers make camp Confederate soldiers in camp Union soldiers in camp