Mississippi Rifle
date: label: Date made
content: 1849
label: associated date
content: 1849
name: label: maker
content: Whitney, Eli
notes: label: Description
content: Physical Description
label: Description
content: Model 1841 Mississippi rifle, .54 caliber.
label: Description
content: General History
label: Description
content: This gun derives its nickname of the "Mississippi rifle" from the Mississippi Riflemen led by Jefferson Davis. The Mexican-American War began in 1846. Davis looked favorably upon the war as the United States stood to acquire considerable land south of the Missouri Compromise line. It was an area in which Southern institutions could expand. Davis resigned his House seat in June and rejoined the army. On July 18, 1846 he was elected colonel of the First Regiment of Mississippi Riflemen. In September of the same year, he participated in the successful siege of Monterrey, Mexico. In June, the army offered him an appointment as brigadier general of a militia unit, but he declined. In traditional Southern style, he believed the appointment was unconstitutional. The United States Constitution, he argued, gives the power of appointing militia officers to the states, not to the federal government.
place: label: Place Made
content: United States
label: used
content: United States: Mississippi
topic: label: Subject
content: Firearms
label: related event
content: Mexican War
label: related event
content: Expansion and Reform
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
label: See more items in
content: Military
label: See more items in
content: ThinkFinity
label: Exhibition
content: Price of Freedom
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: U.S. Military Service Institute
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AF.32808
label: catalog number
content: 32808
label: accession number
content: 69413
objectType: label: Object Name
content: rifle
label: Other Terms
content: rifle; Firearms; Percussion Fire; .54 In; Rifled; Muzzle Load; Sa
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 7 in x 50 in x 2 3/4 in; 17.78 cm x 127 cm x 6.985 cm