Texas Johnny
Corporal
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2019
- Location
- Texas
I am reading the book, "As They Saw Forrest" by Robert Selph Henry. One of the chapters in the book is by William Witherspoon, a Confederate cavalryman serving in Forrest's cavalry at Brices Cross Roads. In the Witherspoon account he replaces his Sharps carbine with a Spencer carbine found on a dead Yankee soldier. I understand that the South did not have the capability to manufacture Spencer rim fire cartridges, but Witherspoon replaces the Spencer and goes back to the Sharps, for a reason I don't understand. This is what Witherspoon says, in a post war talk, with an Iowa soldier:
"I was one of the boys in that field, in your front, and after driving you from the fence and we had taken possession, in front of me on the opposite of the fence was a dead Yank with a 3rd Iowa cartridge box belted around him and the noted 7-shooting Spencer rifle in his hand. I found his cartridge box full, exchanged my Sharp's carbine (which only shot one time) for his and went through that fight with a 3rd Iowa Cartridge box belted around me and a Spencer rifle. But in the next engagement discarded the much-lauded Spencer and went pack to the old reliable Sharp's carbine. The Spencer had too much trigger works, getting out of fix, in battle with men, was not like a gun becoming cranky in a squirrel or duck hunt. Forty-five Federals were reported killed at that fence."
I am not sure what he means with "too much trigger works, getting out of (a) fix"? Any ideas on what his problem is with the Spencer? Does he mean he is having problems with the Spencer misfiring?
"I was one of the boys in that field, in your front, and after driving you from the fence and we had taken possession, in front of me on the opposite of the fence was a dead Yank with a 3rd Iowa cartridge box belted around him and the noted 7-shooting Spencer rifle in his hand. I found his cartridge box full, exchanged my Sharp's carbine (which only shot one time) for his and went through that fight with a 3rd Iowa Cartridge box belted around me and a Spencer rifle. But in the next engagement discarded the much-lauded Spencer and went pack to the old reliable Sharp's carbine. The Spencer had too much trigger works, getting out of fix, in battle with men, was not like a gun becoming cranky in a squirrel or duck hunt. Forty-five Federals were reported killed at that fence."
I am not sure what he means with "too much trigger works, getting out of (a) fix"? Any ideas on what his problem is with the Spencer? Does he mean he is having problems with the Spencer misfiring?