Confederates and battlefield pick ups

[18thmississippi]

Anyone know how common or maybe in common it was to find a confederate soldier with a 61 Springfield during the peninsular campaign?

 

[Northern Light]

I saw the title of this thread and, surprisingly, picking up rifles was not the first thing that came to mind. The first thought was bar-related and the second was about trucks.

 

[18thmississippi]

I saw the title of this thread and, surprisingly, picking up rifles was not the first thing that came to mind. The first thought was bar-related and the second was about trucks.

Probably should have put rifle in there somewhere after re reading it myself I thought the same thing lol

 

[Grayrock Volunteer]

I would imagine it wouldn't have been unheard of, but it is really a question of which CS regiment vs. which Federal regiment. I don't have any numbers handy right now, but the Army of the Potomac was using just as many, if not more, arms other than the M1861 during the spring '62 campaign so any other type of arm would theoretically be just as appropriate in the general realm of things. Production of the M1861 didn't catch up with demand until the early summer of 1863.

Hopefully someone can add to that.

Cheers,
Garrett

 

[civilken]

I probably can't add much but by this time in the war I don't believe they would have been a lot of Confederate with that rifle too early.

 

[18thmississippi]

I would imagine it wouldn't have been unheard of, but it is really a question of which CS regiment vs. which Federal regiment. I don't have any numbers handy right now, but the Army of the Potomac was using just as many, if not more, arms other than the M1861 during the spring '62 campaign so any other type of arm would theoretically be just as appropriate in the general realm of things. Production of the M1861 didn't catch up with demand until the early summer of 1863.

Hopefully someone can add to that.

Cheers,
Garrett

Very helpful thank you

 

[johan_steele]

I saw the title of this thread and, surprisingly, picking up rifles was not the first thing that came to mind. The first thought was bar-related and the second was about trucks.

Pervert; proud to say I know you.

 

[johan_steele]

Anyone know how common or maybe in common it was to find a confederate soldier with a 61 Springfield during the peninsular campaign?

I would say rather uncommon, to put it mildly. The M1861 wasn't yet all that prevalent yet. They were out there but they were far from universal by any means.

M1861 actually dated 1861 or even 1862 are quite sought after because they are fairly rare.

 

[18thmississippi]

Il just stick to carrying my 42

 

[johan_steele]

Il just stick to carrying my 42

Can't go wrong with a m1842 for an early or mid wAr impression.

 

[Craig L Barry]

This much is known, Claud E. Fuller estimates that after Chancellorsville the ANV had secured as many as 147,000 US 1861s which had been gleaned from the battlefields of Northern Virginia. Johan Steele is right in that it was not until well into 1862 (1863 actually) that significant numbers of US 1861s were manufactured or procured from twenty or so commercial contractors.

As far as using a US 1842...a smoothbore musket is almost never going to be out of place for a CS impression.

 

[2nd Dragoon]

I remember reading somewhere about Terry's Texas Rangers going out of their way to ensure they picked up as many revolvers as they could, often chasing down a Union cavalryman just to get their revolvers.