Rhea Cole
Colonel
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2019
- Location
- Murfreesboro, Tennessee
HOW SIGNIFICANT WERE DEDICATED SNIPERS?
Here on CWT there have been I don't know how many discussions about snipers. The Whitworth Rifle has been the object of much attention. There is one in the box complete with all its accoutrements, including dark green glasses, at the Civil War museum in Kennesaw GA. It is certainly a refined piece of workmanship. In the Army of Tennessee only the very best marksmen were entrusted with one of those precious beauties.
What made me ponder the question is a report by CPT William D. Humphries, Ordinance Officer, Army of Tennessee. In his accounting of the small arms ammunition issued between June 1, 1862 - March 30, 1865 there are some curiosities, 1,000 rifle & 1,680 musket flints accompanied by 86,600 .69 cal. British Smoothbore Balls & 953,000 .69 cal. smoothbore rnds are a testament to the antiques issued to state militias.
Given the ample discussion that the Whitworth Rifles generate, I was surprised to discover that only 400 rounds of the very specific hexagonal balls were issued by the Army of Tennessee. By way of comparison, on June 20, 1862 800 pikes were issued. On the far other end of the accuracy bell curve, 334,800 rounds of shotgun rnds were handed out. Even a rarity like the Dragoon Pistol was furnished with 52,000 rds.
The likelihood that one of the 3,642,140 rnds of .577 would hit a target is magnitudes more likely than the 400 total rnds that the Whitworth Rifles could have fired. There really isn't much there there.
Thanks to Charles Lemons who posted Humphries' report on the Western Theater in the Civil War forum on Nov 8th.
Here on CWT there have been I don't know how many discussions about snipers. The Whitworth Rifle has been the object of much attention. There is one in the box complete with all its accoutrements, including dark green glasses, at the Civil War museum in Kennesaw GA. It is certainly a refined piece of workmanship. In the Army of Tennessee only the very best marksmen were entrusted with one of those precious beauties.
What made me ponder the question is a report by CPT William D. Humphries, Ordinance Officer, Army of Tennessee. In his accounting of the small arms ammunition issued between June 1, 1862 - March 30, 1865 there are some curiosities, 1,000 rifle & 1,680 musket flints accompanied by 86,600 .69 cal. British Smoothbore Balls & 953,000 .69 cal. smoothbore rnds are a testament to the antiques issued to state militias.
Given the ample discussion that the Whitworth Rifles generate, I was surprised to discover that only 400 rounds of the very specific hexagonal balls were issued by the Army of Tennessee. By way of comparison, on June 20, 1862 800 pikes were issued. On the far other end of the accuracy bell curve, 334,800 rounds of shotgun rnds were handed out. Even a rarity like the Dragoon Pistol was furnished with 52,000 rds.
The likelihood that one of the 3,642,140 rnds of .577 would hit a target is magnitudes more likely than the 400 total rnds that the Whitworth Rifles could have fired. There really isn't much there there.
Thanks to Charles Lemons who posted Humphries' report on the Western Theater in the Civil War forum on Nov 8th.
Bringing the