Guerrilla armament

archieclement

Colonel
Joined
Sep 17, 2011
Location
mo
While most accounts generally stress the heavy reliance on multiple revolvers to Missouri guerrillas found this interesting.

In a Nov 1862 report of Quantrills company he reports 80 men present with:
48 Halls carbine
5 revolving rifles
2 sharps rifles
6 M. Muskets? Not sure M...Mississippi muskets or militia muskets....
8 double barrel shotguns

7/8s are carrying longarms, and the carbines, revolving rifles and sharps would be superior to a lot of militia arms.
 
Last edited:
While most accounts generally stress the heavy reliance on multiple revolvers to Missouri guerrillas found this interesting.

In a Nov 1862 report of Quantrills company he reports 80 men present with:
48 Halls carbine
5 revolving rifles
2 sharps rifles
6 M. Muskets
8 double barrel shotguns

7/8s are carrying longarms, and the carbines, revolving rifles and sharps would be superior to a lot of militia arms
T.J. Stiles noted that many guerrillas had Sharps rifles and carried multiple revolvers.
Leftyhunter
 
Later in the war I assume they would be better armed from repeated winters in Texas and access to QM and more opportunities to gain captured arms...

Found this interesting as its from the first year of behind lines and their actions had been small scale to this point, Quantrill never formed the band till 62. While there is varying accounts, the first accounts where both sides seem to acknowledge Q was a participant in a guerrilla capacity don't start occurring until Feb 1862
 
Last edited:
Missouri's Confederates, regular soldiers, partisans and guerrillas operating west of the Mississippi River were generally cut off from receiving adequate arms supplies from the Confederacy. Histories of the early MSG and those covering guerrilla activity report on re-supply from captured weaponry. It is safe to assume that best arms supplied by the Union to it's forces, were soon captured and put to use by the guerrillas.
 
Missouri's Confederates, regular soldiers, partisans and guerrillas operating west of the Mississippi River were generally cut off from receiving adequate arms supplies from the Confederacy. Histories of the early MSG and those covering guerrilla activity report on re-supply from captured weaponry. It is safe to assume that best arms supplied by the Union to it's forces, were soon captured and put to use by the guerrillas.
Not so sure about all that. I have an older thread " How did the MSM kill anyone." The MSM was not well equipped at all. Most accounts if guerrilla combat emphasize that much of the fighting was at very close range and that the revolver was the main weapon used. Guerrillas tended to carry multiple revolvers .
I have only come across one incident where Union troops used repeaters and that was the 1st Missouri Cavalry using Colt Revolving Rifles which had their own issues. Two of the top Union counterinsurgency regiments the 2nd Colorado and the 1st Arkansas Union Cavalry just had one Starr revolver and one Starr carbine per trooper. So the Union Army was not way ahead of the technological arms curve.
Also guerrillas often used shotguns which is just fine at close range.
Leftyhunter
 
Missouri's Confederates, regular soldiers, partisans and guerrillas operating west of the Mississippi River were generally cut off from receiving adequate arms supplies from the Confederacy. Histories of the early MSG and those covering guerrilla activity report on re-supply from captured weaponry. It is safe to assume that best arms supplied by the Union to it's forces, were soon captured and put to use by the guerrillas.
Actually the Confederacy received arms in the Trans- Mississippi easily received arms via the port of Baghdad, Mexico and the access the Rio Grande River into Brownsville,Tx until the Union seizes Brownsville. I can bump up a thread on the Naval Forum that has source's.
Leftyhunter
 
Actually the Confederacy received arms in the Trans- Mississippi easily received arms via the port of Baghdad, Mexico and the access the Rio Grande River into Brownsville,Tx until the Union seizes Brownsville. I can bump up a thread on the Naval Forum that has source's.
Leftyhunter
Really, Brownsville, Tx? Tell us about those shipments making it up into Missouri.
 
Really, Brownsville, Tx? Tell us about those shipments making it up into Missouri.
Just saying quite a few arms where shipped to the Confederacy via Baghdad,Mexico so overall Confederate soldiers in the Tran Mississippi were not necessarily devoid of modern arms of that era. The guerrillas didn't need big long Enfield's and Lorenz rifles they needed revolvers and not many were imported. Just refuting your point that Confederate soldiers in the Trans-Mississippi were cut off from arms supplies.
Leftyhunter
 
Just saying quite a few arms where shipped to the Confederacy via Baghdad,Mexico so overall Confederate soldiers in the Tran Mississippi were not necessarily devoid of modern arms of that era. The guerrillas didn't need big long Enfield's and Lorenz rifles they needed revolvers and not many were imported. Just refuting your point that Confederate soldiers in the Trans-Mississippi were cut off from arms supplies.
Leftyhunter
A Devil's Advocate with a Strawman argument, to boot! No one said anything about muzzle loading Enfields or Lorenz rifles. You should have referenced a map before crediting shipments to Brownsville, Tx. for supporting Missourians. I don't need to review a railroad map of the mid-19th century to understand the premise is nonsense.
 
A Devil's Advocate with a Strawman argument, to boot! No one said anything about muzzle loading Enfields or Lorenz rifles. You should have referenced a map before crediting shipments to Brownsville, Tx. for supporting Missourians. I don't need to review a railroad map of the mid-19th century to understand the premise is nonsense.
Your the one with the strawman argument. I didn't state that Missouri Bushwhackers got their weapons via the port of Baghdad but conventional Confederate troops in the Trans-Mississippi did.
Leftyhunter
 
While most accounts generally stress the heavy reliance on multiple revolvers to Missouri guerrillas found this interesting.

In a Nov 1862 report of Quantrills company he reports 80 men present with:
48 Halls carbine
5 revolving rifles
2 sharps rifles
6 M. Muskets? Not sure M...Mississippi muskets or militia muskets....
8 double barrel shotguns

7/8s are carrying longarms, and the carbines, revolving rifles and sharps would be superior to a lot of militia arms.

In 62 WCQ was just forming his first Company, they brought what weapons were at home and there were probably a few revolvers, but that of carrying multipule revolvers would come later . these first members were basically boys and a good portion of his recruits to come remained young.

M. Muskets I agree are probably Mississippi Rifles, When John McCorkle joined the company he came with a Mississippi, I believe.
 
In 62 WCQ was just forming his first Company, they brought what weapons were at home and there were probably a few revolvers, but that of carrying multipule revolvers would come later . these first members were basically boys and a good portion of his recruits to come remained young.

M. Muskets I agree are probably Mississippi Rifles, When John McCorkle joined the company he came with a Mississippi, I believe.
Do you believe Missouri's Confederate aligned partisans and guerrillas "easily received arms via the port of Baghdad, Mexico and the access the Rio Grande River into Brownsville,Tx" ? Apparently, one expert believes so.
 
Last edited:
Do you believe Missouri's Confederate aligned partisans and guerrillas "easily received arms via the port of Baghdad, Mexico and the access the Rio Grande River into Brownsville,Tx" ? Apparently, one expert believes so.

Only later when they were using the Denton Texas vicinity as a winter quarters, and even then Mexico and her ports were a ways away and other CS units still had priority .
 
Do you believe Missouri's Confederate aligned partisans and guerrillas "easily received arms via the port of Baghdad, Mexico and the access the Rio Grande River into Brownsville,Tx" ? Apparently, one expert believes so.
I can bump up my thread with sources if you like. I never stated the guerrillas got weapons from Mexico but the Confederate Army did.
Leftyhunter
 
In a Nov 1862 report of Quantrills company he reports 80 men present with:
48 Halls carbine
5 revolving rifles
2 sharps rifles
6 M. Muskets? Not sure M...Mississippi muskets or militia muskets....
8 double barrel shotguns
7/8s are carrying longarms, and the carbines, revolving rifles and sharps would be superior to a lot of militia arms.

The Halls Carbine, was that the US Model 1843 .52 caliber breechloading Percussion Hall-North maybe?
 
Interesting discussion going on. I live several miles from a state highway that runs down south all the way to Mexico. A historical marker near states that years ago this highway was known as the Cotton Trail. The Confederacy smuggled cotton to Brownsville/Baghdad/Mexico. And in return received "Goods". How much or what these goods consisted of , I couldn't tell you. Not all supplies came west from Richmond. Just putting my 2 cents in!
 
While most accounts generally stress the heavy reliance on multiple revolvers to Missouri guerrillas found this interesting.

In a Nov 1862 report of Quantrills company he reports 80 men present with:
48 Halls carbine
5 revolving rifles
2 sharps rifles
6 M. Muskets? Not sure M...Mississippi muskets or militia muskets....
8 double barrel shotguns

7/8s are carrying longarms, and the carbines, revolving rifles and sharps would be superior to a lot of militia arms.
I believe the "M" references Minie likely Austrian carbines as there is a pic out there of one of Quantrills men with one.

Interesting to note is that with the exception of the Hall ( I'm not sure on that) and the M ( if they were Mississippi those were) all were available on the civilian market prior to the war. Both the Colt & Sharps enjoyed some success prior to the war.
 
I have seen Remington pistols being a favorite handgun during the because of it's solid frame. I read an article awhile back about some girls finding spare loaded Remington cylinders on the ground after a guerrilla action. I believe I have also seen images of guerrillas carrying Remingtons.
 
Back
Top