Engineer Musket

[major bill]

This is part of a temporary exhibit at the State of Michigan Historical Museum. In a few months it will return to storage and may not be seen again for years.

 

[1SGDan]

Most likely from the 1st Michigan Engineers and Mechanics

 

[Jobe Holiday]

What is the rest of the inscription on the partially shown plaque?
J.

 

[kevikens]

Is this a standard issue Springfield or in some manner modified for engineer's use?

 

[Don Dixon]

Through most of its service, the 1st Michigan Engineers and Mechanics was equipped with a mélange of long arms. In December 1862, it was equipped with Springfield rifle muskets, Enfield rifle muskets, Model 1842 Springfield muskets, Vincennes rifles, and Muster 1854 Austrian rifles; the typical Civil War ordnance officer's nightmare, By the spring of 1864, the regiment appears to have been completely reequipped with Springfield and Enfield rifle muskets. All of the arms at time of issue were standard weapons, not something modified for engineer service. Can you post a photo of the entire rifle?

Regards,
Don Dixon

 

[major bill]

Yes I will take another photo of the whole musket and post it.

 

[major bill]

The whole musket. Note it has some damage.

 

[major bill]

The plate on the musket. It may have been added after the war?

 

[johan_steele]

Looks like a standard P53 sans ramrod & hammer. Impossible to tell when the plate was added but it looks like period hat brass. To me, as a guess, I would say it was added shortly after the war as during the war firearms were not typically owned by the men who carried them and a soldier could get in some hot water for grafitting his weapon in such a manner.

 

[major bill]

A little known fact. The first weapons issued to the 1st Michigan Engineers were 50 state owned musktoons. Some of these musketoons are called Hall musktoons, but Michiagn received several shipments from the federal government in the 1850s that were simple recorded as musketoons.