The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-05-25
THE GUNS THEY HAD.
A Soldiers RecoIlections Of the Arms
That Were Carried in tho civil war.

Il don't suppose there Is such thing
in use now" said the old soldier that
is, In tho armies Of people that can al
ford TO buy anything else, as muzzle-
loading rifles; but they were used almost
altogether in the armies OF this country
I'm the civil war. at the outset, anyway.
Many Of them were imported from Eng
land and Belgium, as there were nos
arms enough in the country TO equip al
the troops as fast as they were needed,
and they couldn't be made fast enough
at first
. "Our regiment was armed, excepting
the two flank companies, with Enfield
rifles. which came from England, a pref
~ fair sort of a muzzle-loading gun, OF
81 caiibrc. with q three-cornered bayo-
net: IL was something like the old muz-
zle-loading Springfield rifle OF this coun-
try The cartridge was made up Win
paper case attached to the bullet 10 hola
the powder. and the case was suihcienty
long to be folded down into an end about
as long as the part containing the pow
der over which II was doubled. When
a. man loaded hts gun he took a car
fridge from his cartridge box, tore on
the doubled up paper end, poured the
powder from the cartridge into the muz-
zle of the gum tore OF the rest OF the
paper and put the bullet in the gun ana
drew the ramrod from its place IN the
stock and mmmed the bullet home. ms
gun was fired with a PERCUSSION cap, ana
"a man carried on his waist belt a sep
arate pouch for caps.
"Our two flank companies were armed
with breech-loading rifles Of kind then
widely and favOrably known. a num-
Der Of regiments that went out from our
state at about the same time were armed
I'm the same manner. Not enough OF the
breech-loadcrs could be got TO arm whole
regiments and so they were distributed
I'm this way. But I'm the course OF time
something happened that pleased us very
much: the whole regiment got breech-
leaders.
'This was when wo had been out out
about a year and a half. The country
had got settled down 20 war then, and 10
making arms and ammunition az a great
rate. and as fast as possible troops were
supplied with breech loading guns. sui
there were not nearly enough 10 50
around. and somebody had TO TO be Sc
lected TO receive them. ours was one oil
the regiments I'm our corps that got them
The gun that we got was Of q kind tha'
came into somewhat extensive use before
the close OF the war. IL was made as q
rifle for infantry troops. and as a carbine
for cavalry. ours was an infantry resi'
ment but we got the carbines.
There might have been various reas'
ons for this. Perhaps the Government
had carbines that could be spared rish'
then and not rifles or 1t may DO that
carbines were issued 20 US with view
10 their more convenient use In boating
fsHf
bines. instead OF rifles. and we were
ALWAYS glad of e. They were four or hV'
inches shorter than the rifles, and they
weighed somewhere from half a poun'
to pound less.
From a muzzle-loading Enfield rife,
rather slightly sort of gun as IL was, 4
am up-to-date breech-loading, repeating
carbine-for our now guns were repeaters
too-was a tremendous change, and W.
were greatly pleased with the handy lit
tie guns. and mighty proud or them
With them we got new cartridge boxes
smaller than the old. and suited 20 IN
carrying of metallic cartridges, Whici
| were used with them, and the man who
| has never used any other can hardly re
| allzo the great difference between me
| tallic cartridge and tho old-fashione'
| naper cartridge with tho folded ant
| doubled over end. OF course, there wer
no caps and so we got rid OF our Oh
1 precussion cap boxes. and being carbine
| these weapons had no bayonets.
1.-THE muzzle-loader seems pretty old
| fashioned now, but while, as the wa
went on. more and more troops, beside
| the cavalry, were armed with breech
leaders. yet I imagine that large ma
iority of the infantry regiments tina
served IN the civil war served through
out with muzzle-loaders oniy."-N. I
/