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Col John Wilder in the march to Chattanooga, had armed his men with the new Spencer repeaters. At Hoovers gap, they proved to be very efective, at least in deceving the ememy as to the number of men that they were up against. After the September of '63 he left the army due to health reasons. If he had stayed healthy, how would have his leadership helped changed the AOC to the better?
(sorry, but I can't stand those darn "for sale" ads that have been popping up in the posts lately)
Richard
__________________ Located near Indianapolis, home of Col. Eli Lilly and the Eli Lilly Civil War Museum
One would hope Wilder's mounted infantry passed onto hands that knew how to use them. Without training and discipline, units issued them would shoot up all their ammunition in short order. Units that knew how to use them consistently swept the field in front of them.
There was a regiment (99th Illinois?) with McPherson when he went through Snake Creek Gap at the Dalton/Resaca dustup. With their Henry's, they drove off some fairly strong resistance in short order.
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
N.B. Forrest was particularly fond of borrowing and sharing those fine yankee rifles. His escorts though much preferred two six-shot revolvers while bouncing up and down on horseback. Twelve shots up close gave better odds.
Wilder originally disliked those guns but when some boys from the 92nd Illinois proved their worth, he became an advocate. Even then, remember, weapons affects tactics (Guderian) and having the technology and knowing how to use it to are two different things. Wilder may not have been the man to know how to use them (mounted infantry armed with repeaters) to their best.
General Wilson was the Cavalry Bureau head who made the decision to arm the Union cavalry with Spencer Carbines, as the #1 arm, starting in late 1863.
Wilson went on to command cavalry units in 1864, armed with Spencers, at Nashville and the raid into Alabama and Georgia, making great tactical use of the weapon.
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