on April 12, 1861, and the final surrender of Confederate troops on May 26, 1865, the way wars were fought and the tools soldiers used changed irrevocably. When troops first formed lines of battle to face each other near Bull Run Creek in Virginia on June 21, 1861, they were dressed in a widely disparate assemblage of uniforms. They carried state-issued, federally-supplied, or brought-from-home weapons, some of which dated back to before the War of 1812. They marched to the orders and rhythms of tactics that had served land forces for at least the previous 100 years. Four short years later, the generals and soldiers had perfected the art of warfare on the North American continent, having developed such leaps as the use of the repeating rifle and widely dispersed infantry formations.
This change levied a toll on the nation, however, in the form of more than one million casualties (over 620,000 war-related deaths). At that rate, nearly one in four soldiers experienced the pains of war firsthand. It was impossible for the war to not impact every one of the 34.3 million residents of the United States and former Confederate States. Over the ensuing years, the pain—for most—subsided, but the memory remained strong. Families still pay homage to their veteran ancestors, grade school students memorize the Gettysburg address, we bow our heads on Memorial Day, and many hold dear the original sentiments represented by the Confederate battle flag.
THE CIVIL WAR EXPERIENCE
Many Americans satisfy their desire to feel connected with the Civil War by exploring battlefields or cemeteries or researching their own family ancestors who served. Some people even read countless biographies, regimental histories, or battle accounts, even joining Civil War study groups or “Round Tables.” For many, these very private explorations are enough to satiate their need to learn about the conflict and the lives of its participants.
For some though, simply memorializing the war isn’t sufficient to satisfy that need to remain connected to the events of 1861-1865. Some will painstakingly recreate uniforms and equipment to don on weekend campaigns and refight battles, this time firing at their fellow countrymen with muskets and cannons charged with powder and paper instead of canisters of grape shot or loads of buckshot. For these “reenactors,” such events help them come close to experiencing the daily work, inconveniences, and feelings of Civil War soldiers. Of course, at the end of the weekend, these modern “Sessesh” and “Billy Yanks,” return to their twenty-first-century lives, leaving the recreated image of maimed fellow soldiers, dysentery, and lice-infested clothing behind.
And finally, for another group of Civil War enthusiasts, the best medium for understanding the heritage and role of thousands who served is by collecting war firearms. For these collectors, holding an 1861 Taunton-produced Springfield rifled musket, studying the detail of a Tarpley carbine, or feeling the heft of a Spiller & Burr revolver are connectors to the Civil War. The pistols, revolvers, rifles, muskets, and carbines represent direct links to a comprehensive understanding of the depth of commitment, sacrifice, and engagement that the soldiers felt.
COLLECTORS AND ACCUMULATORS
Collecting firearms from the Civil War is not a new hobby. Even before the war ended, people were already picking up weapons dropped on the battlefield. The first collectors, as with any period of warfare, were the participants themselves. Soldiers sent home “captured” or “liberated” guns. When the war ended, many were given the opportunity to buy their weapon upon mustering out of the service.
After the war, the passion for owning a piece of it did not subside; early collectors gathered representative weapons. Simultaneously, and not unlike the time following any major conflict, a grand scale of surplus sales emerged. This was the heyday of Civil War collecting. Dealers such as Francis Bannerman made hundreds of Civil War weapons available to the general public. For as little as $3.50, a person could buy a Springfield musket. Ten dollars would secure a Confederate Richmond-made version. Though a lot of sales were made to early collectors, much of the surplus was sold in bulk to other governments, outdoors enthusiasts, and a lot was sold simply for its scrap value.
Following World War II, a new wave of collecting emerged. Reveling in the victories in Japan and in Europe, Americans were charged with a renewed sense of patriotism and heritage. At the same time, the newspapers started to track the passing of the last few veterans of Civil War. As the nation paid tribute to the few survivors of the Rebellion, it acknowledged that the 100-year anniversary of the war was fast upon them. In an effort to capture a sense of the heritage, Civil War buffs began to collect in earnest. With the high profile of the Civil War Centennial in the 1960s, thousands of outstanding relics seemingly emerged from closets, attics, and long-forgotten chests. Collectors eagerly bought and sold firearms, swords, and uniforms.
By the end of the twentieth century, Civil War collecting had peaked. Some thought, “all the good stuff is gone!” Little did these skeptics realize, collectors are not the end user. Rather, a collector is merely the caretaker who provides a good home for an object until that time when they choose, or no longer are able, to care for the item. Then, these relics, thought to be gone, suddenly reemerge on the market. And it is this era of Civil War relic reemergence in which we currently live.
The fabulous collections of firearms that were assembled in the late 1940s and early 1950s are reappearing. Granted, the prices have increased considerably. Nevertheless, Civil War firearms (and relics in general!) like no one has seen available for fifty years are suddenly appearing at auctions, shows, and on private dealer’s lists.
Today, we benefit from the many years of research that has resulted from the earlier collecting frenzies. Books that the first generation of collectors could only have dreamed of are now available on specialized topics such as Gwyn & Campbell carbines, Sharps carbine and rifles, or the weapons of the Palmetto Armory. At no moment in time since the Civil War has so much information and material been available at a single instant.
As we enter this “glory period” of Civil War collecting, though, many lessons need to be relearned. Whereas an old-time collector could look at a saber and recognize off handedly that it was the product of the Griswold factory or quantify the variations of percussion conversion done to flintlock muskets at Federal arsenals, many of these outstanding artifacts have not been available for study for years. Collectors are learning many of the nuances that affect desirability and value for the first time (often at the expense of the old-timer’s patience!).
USING THIS BOOK
This book is organized into nine chapters representing different types of Civil War firearms. Today, so many weapons are sold as “Civil War” that never saw the American continent until at least a hundred years after the war concluded. The weapons represented in this book are those can be documented as having been purchased and carried between 1860 and 1865 by Union or Confederate troops. Though many indiduals carried exotic weapons during the war, some collectors may be disappointed to not see them listed in this book. Generally, production and issue of a weapon had to exceed 75 to be included in this work.
To make the best use of this book, it is important to understand just a few basic terms:
MUSKET: A muzzle-loading, smooth bore long arm that is equipped to support a bayonet.
RIFLED MUSKET: A musket originally built as a smoothbore but later rifled and fitted with long range sights.
RIFLE-MUSKET: A muzzle-loading long arm that was originally built with a rifled barrel in approximately .58 caliber and was equipped to support an triangular bayonet.
RIFLE:
