Confederate Navy Small Arms

[PudinMeUp]

What would the Confederate Naval forces be using as small arms i.e Rifles, Pistols in the American Civil War?

 

[tbuckley]

Welcome from eastern Ohio.

 

[redbob]

Yes, they would have a complement of common small arms (swords, pistols and rifles) for missions such as repeling boarders and for boarding and shore parties. Also, many of the Confederate vessels had Confederate Marines on board and A Marine without a weapon is like a day without sunshine.

 

[Lanyard Puller]

The C.S. Navy contracted for 1000 Pattern 1858 Naval rifles. Commander Bulloch, CSN documented that "1000 short rifles", with "cutlass bayonets" arrived aboard the Fingal on Nov. 14, 1861. Other P58s were ordered for the CS Army, and {so far} there is no way to differentiate rifles as to which is which from the two known contracts.

 

[Legion Para]

You could do an online search of institutions like the Museum of the Confederacy. The following link Will show you most of the Naval items in their collection.

https://moconfederacy.pastperfectonline.com/search?only_images=on&page=1&search_criteria=Navy&utf8=✓

 

[Ralph Heinz]

Some Beaumont-Adams 54 bore revolvers are known to have been used by the CSN late in the war. This is documented in The English Connection and the authors speculated that "The revolvers and accoutrements may have been privately purchased by individual officers or they could have been purchased with ship's funds administered by the captain." You can check that source for further information and photos including a CN buckle, belt, and holster for the Beaumont-Adams. Attached is a photo of this model revolver and a holster identical to two of these revolvers with their holsters in the Museum of the Confederacy that were donated by Midshipman John T. Mason who was a crewmember on the CSS Shenandoah.

 

[Ralph Heinz]

Both the Beaumont-Adams revolver and the holster were English made and imported through the blockade. These Adams were excellent double action revolvers and many saw service with the Confederacy bought in England my southern speculators to be resold in the South before and during the war.

 

[zburkett]

There was limited use of boarding pikes in the Union Navy. Does anyone know if the Confederate navy used them?

 

[UCVRelics]

Welcome From THE Heart Of Dixie. Below is one of my personnel favorites. The Cook & Brothers naval cutlass. The New Orleans period.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

I think in most cases, the C.S.N. would have acquired their small arms from the Army, or rather whatever the Army couldn't, or didn't use. For example, and I'm working from memory, I believe when the C.S.S. Atlanta was captured there was something like forty Maynard Carbines on board, which I would think they had them because the Army didn't have enough ammo for them, again working from memory. The C.S.N. was gonna be on the bottom of the ladder on small arms, the Army needed those more desperately, an example of that would be at the Battle of St. Charles in Arkansas, the C.S.N. had a vessel there, (the name escapes me), and they sunk their ship and others to block the Union Navy, and besides the cannons from their ship the sailors were armed with "single shot pistols" their only small-arms and had from their ships-stores and had to fight off Union Infantry with them, (didn't go very well).

When researching C.S.N. small arms you just have to go with records and first-hand accounts, and they were NOT given sporting rifles, ("Hawkens") , and would get standard Infantry weapons, (I recall Springfield rifle-muskets, 3-banders, were taken from the C.S.S. Tennessee), and that isn't different from the U.S.N. who never had enough of their Naval pattern arms and were more than likely gonna have standard Army pattern weapons in their ship's stores probably 8 times out of 10. I don't see any reason to assume it any different with the Confederate Navy, and one important thing to remember is small-arms weren't an issue item for every sailor, small-arms were the property of a ship, and were issued out to whomever as needed, with the basic issuing being, rifles and or muskets with a cartridge box, belt and cap pouch, (all kept with each individual gun), issued out to each individual in a landing party, with maybe one or two sidearms issued to the men in the boat/landing craft and the items returned to ship's stores once back aboard.
(I say the above procedure because too many Naval Reenactors, in fact all I've seen turn out with enough guns per man to make the Dismounted Cav. blush, authenticity in those two areas are severely lacking)

Of course what I've mentioned doesn't include C.S.N. commerce raiders from Europe, their ship's small arms weren't going to get anything from this side of the Atlantic, usually, and could pick up Enfields, or in the case of the C.S.S. Alabama a shotgun or two from where they originated.

Before I forget I just recalled an account from the C.S.S. Sumter where their small arms were mentioned to be double barrel pistols brought aboard before they left New Orleans, now I'm gonna have to hunt up where I read that.

 

[zburkett]

A point to remember is the bulk of the Confederate Navy was a river navy. They would differ in ships, equipment and mission from an ocean going navy.

 

[Lanyard Puller]

Here's some information on a rarely seen naval cutlass recently identified by period documents of the CSN.

These used to be seen from time to time, but most are in collections by now after being proven to be CSN, made in Columbia, SC., by Kraft, Goldschmidt & Kraft.

blades are 18.5 inches and clip pointed

Hilts show definite KG&K characteristics.

 

[zburkett]

Thanks Lanyard Puller.