Gun question

[mark]

Any gun experts out there? I have a family heirloom that has me perplexed. It is supposed to have belonged to a member of the 7th Vermont Volunteers, my great great great grandfather, Joel Davis Field. It bears no US markings. The only distinguishable markings are the letters FW under a crown insignia on the wood above the trigger, a smaller crown insignia down and to the right, and a serial number 33946 on the butt-plate. It is possibly a .69 or .70 caliber smoothbore. One individual theorized that it was an Austrian import. I have no clue. All I do know is that I have a yearning for information about this gun which has recently been passed to me. I have done many hours of searching and found a wealth of information on my ancestor, yet nothing on the gun. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[rivrrat]

Welcome to the wonderful world of firearms. What you have is most likely the Prussian 1809 Musket. More later when I have a little more time.

 

[rivrrat]

At the beginning of the war the Union Army was desperately short of long arms (rifles, muskets, rifle muskets etc.). The Federal Government sent agents to Europe to buy arms. They bought over one million weapons, unfortunately they bought them all over Europe where various governments were happy to unload whatever obsolete or surplus weapons they had. These weapons ranged from very good to **** and they were in various different calibers, which created logistical nightmares trying to keep the right ammo with the right weapons. The Confederates were a lot smarter they bought English Enfield Rifles, which were about the best in the world at the time.

One of the worst was the Prussian model 1809 musket. It was a smoothbore, which severely limited it's range and it was .72-caliber. Many of these were issued to volunteer units. Rifled weapons usually replaced them as soon as possible. The 7th Vermont would have been raised very early in the war and might well have been armed with these weapons.

I think it is the Prussian model because of the FW crown marking, Fredrick Wilhelm (Kiser Wilhelm II) It is an interesting and not too common Civil War weapon. You should be proud to own it, especially since it belonged to your ancestor.

Now a quick terminology lesson, a gun is an artillery piece, a musket is a smoothbore long arm, a rifle musket is a musket which has been rifled after original manufacture, a rifle is a weapon which is manufactured with rifling. What you have is a musket and your ancestor would have referred to it as such.

If you have more questions I would be glad to try to answer them.

 

[mark]

Doug,
Thank you very much. With the information you gave me I was able to find a picture of a replica of the musket. It looks to definately be an 1809 Prussian musket. Somehow it looks even better hanging on my wall now that I know more about it. Again, thanks.

 

[aphillbilly]

WTG Doug

I'm very impressed.

 

[rivrrat]

Mark,

You might find this interesting.

7th Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment: Organized at Brattleboro and mustered in February 12, 1862, to date from June 1, 1861. Left the State for New York March 10, 1862. Embarked March 14 for Ship Island, Miss., right wing on Steamer "Premier," and left wing on Steamer "Tamerlaine," arriving at Ship Island April 7 and 10. Attached to Phelps' 1st Brigade, Dept. of the Gulf, to October, 1862. District of West Florida to December, 1863. defenses of New Orleans, Dept. of the Gulf, to November, 1864. 2nd Brigade, Reserve Division, Dept. of the Gulf, to February, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 13th Army Corps, Dept. of the Gulf, to June, 1865. Dept. of Texas to March, 1866.

SERVICE--Duty at Ship Island, Miss., until May 13, 1862. (Cos. "B," "C" and "D" detached at Fort Pike May 5 to June 13.) Regiment moved to New Orleans, La., May 13-16. At Carrollton until June 15. Moved to Baton Rouge June 15-16. Expedition from Baton Rouge to Vicksburg, Miss., and operations against Vicksburg June 20-July 26. Hamilton's Plantation, near Grand Gulf, June 24. Battle of Baton Rouge August 5. Evacuation of Baton Rouge August 20. Duty at Carrollton until October 13. Ordered to Pensacola, Fla., October 13, and garrison duty there until February 20, 1863. Reconnoissance to Oakfield December 29, 1862. Garrison, Forts Barrancas and Pickens, until June 19, 1863. Expedition to Oakfield February 17, 1863. Duty at Barrancas and at Santa Rosa Island until August, 1864. Near Point Washington February 9, 1864 (Co. "B"). Expedition from Barrancas toward Pollard, Ala., July 21-25, 1864. Gonzales Station July 22. Old members mustered out August 10, 1864. Veterans absent on furlough August 10 to September 27. Left State for Dept. of the Gulf September 30. Sailed from New York to New Orleans, La., October 4, arriving October 13. Duty at New Orleans until February 19, 1865. Moved to Mobile Point, Ala., February 19. Campaign against Mobile and its Defenses March 17-April 12. Siege of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely March 26-April 8. Fort Blakely April 9. Occupation of Mobile April 12. Action at Whistler's Station April 13. Expedition to McIntosh Bluff on Tombigbee River April 19-May 9. At Mobile until June 2. Moved to Brazos Santiago, Texas, June 2-5; then to Clarksville June 14, and duty there until August 2, and at Brownsville until March, 1866. Mustered out March 14, 1866.

Regiment lost during service 3 Officers and 10 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 Officers and 403 Enlisted men by disease. Total 420.

 

[johan_steele]

The 7th VT is listed as being issued the model 1855 & 1861 Springfield. As were the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th & 16th. The 11th & 14th were the only Vermont Regiments issued Austrian weapons and these were in .54 & .577. The 4th, 6th, 8th & 9th VT were issued Enfields.

This list represents issues for ordnance returns for 1863-64 period.

I'm not crtain what you have but it actually sounds like a 3 band Enfield. or one of it's many clones. Quite a few CW rifles were bored out as shotguns after the war once their rifling had been worn out and lived on as Shotguns. Judging from the Ordnance returns I doubt it to be an Austrian weapon. After all why would your ancestor exchange a Springfield of other first rate rifle for an Austrian?

Quite a few Enfields found their way into units carrying Springfields from Battleground salvage to replace worn or damaged weapons.

Of coarse it's also possible your ancestor picked up the rifle post war to remind him of the heady days of the Rebellion.

I hope that helps some... good luck on your research. The end all be all of Civil War Firearms is a book by William Edwards called "Civil War Guns"

 

[rivrrat]

Shane,
Mark's ancestor was killed in 1862. The 3 banded enfields were usually marked ENFIELD and dated on the lock plate.

 

[johan_steele]

No they were not Doug... Check Edwards book. There were a LOT of Enfield clones, quite a few being made in England that carried no mention of the Enfield name. Quite a few more where made in Europe and sold as Enfields. I doubt VERY much that Marks ancestor carried an Austrian Dinousaur but It is possible. If it was an Austrian I would suspect the Lorenz. A lot more info is needed, a picture being ideal.

As he died in or around New Orleans how did his family get his service rifle? The answer is they probably didn't. After the War it was quite easy to purchase Surplus Arms on the Cheap. Average of $2.50 per weapon IIRC. So the info on his unit is likely worthless. However, with all of the VT Regiiments returning home there was likely a glut of weapons for sale at local gunshops. So again I would theorize that the weapon was an Enfield Clone or an Enfield that the writing had worn down. Again almost anything is possible. Having handled an original 1806 Austrian and a several other Original CW Arms I know only this, Mark has a treasure.

Anyone interested in CW firearms has to read Civil War Guns. It is likely the finest book on the subject and a wealth of material on research.

 

[mark]

Shane...the issue of how the family came to have the weapon is one that has always left me scratching my head as well. Family oral tradition has proven highly unreliable as said tradition had my ancestor, a private, dying in Libby Prison...a prison mostly reserved for officers. Perhaps that tradition came from the lithograph print of Libby that now hangs under the weapon in question. Who knows? I look forward to reading the book you mentioned. I surely thank all who have attempted to help solve this mystery...and I agree, I do have a treasure.