- Joined
- Jul 26, 2018
I found an interesting article here https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/08/30/guns-gettysburg-found-loaded/
partially loaded if the barrel is covered from rain / fog etcIt's only troops in march columns etc. whose weapons would expected to be loaded.
@thomas aagaardPity the man who picks up the gun with several loads, then caps and fires it
A poorly written, silly article.
I do not agree in any way.However, in a firefight the normal state of a weapon is unloaded. Typically once the loading procedure was completed the soldier should discharge it almost immediately. It's only troops in march columns etc. whose weapons would expected to be loaded.
I don't remember seen anything on this.@thomas aagaard
do You know any regulations of contemporary European armies how do handle guns laying around in battle?
(oc not Your accidentely dropped own, where You do "know" the loading condition)
I think at least the major German armies had regulations for that
To this nonsense the writer immediately sent a rejoinder setting forth the facts, to which were added short editorials, placing the correspondent in a ridiculous attitude."
Sorry, A poorly written, silly article. I hope that helped.Please expand on your remarks.
So some of the extra rifles were not brought forward and discharged, and some were not considered safe to discharge and were set aside.Here's what a soldier of the 4th Ohio had to say on the subject: [July 3] "Rifles and muskets were gathered together, many of them loaded to the muzzle, capped and stood against the stone wall, for use as 'grape and canister' into the ranks of any rebels that might make the attempt to climb the hill with belligerent intent. Some time after, this fact of guns loaded to the muzzle was blazed abroad through the dailies, to show that the men who had handled them were so excited during action that they did not know whether their guns had gone off or not, and did not even know whether the ramrod, in loading, extended a few inches or its entire length into the gun. To this nonsense the writer immediately sent a rejoinder setting forth the facts, to which were added short editorials, placing the correspondent in a ridiculous attitude." (William Kepler, History of the Three Months and Three Years' Service from April 16th 1861 to June 22d 1864, Fourth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Cleveland, OH: Leader Printing Company, 1896, p. 130)
I took a quick look using obvious search terms but wasnt able to locate the articles referenced. Ive got family arriving later today for a Saturday Thanksgiving, but Ill look again later tonight or tomorrow using different search terms.Those newspaper responses would likely make interesting reading. If only someone with the skill could dig them up. @lelliott19 ?