Most Common Weapon For Mounted Infantry

[kepi]

What was the most common weapon used by Confederate Mounted Infantry?

 

[kevikens]

I am guessing at this but from what I have read, the Enfield musket.

 

[tbuckley]

From what I have read, Mississippi Rifle, Two-band Enfield, and Austrian Lorenz would be possibilities. For early war maybe shotguns.

 

[Poor Private]

I am not trying to be snarky--but it's his horse. It can carry him in and out of the fight quickly, Move to flanks or behind the enemy quicker than on foot. It can run over and into enemies hurting or disrupting their fire. It can carry everything they have or need. It can pull down fortifications. And worse comes to worse you can eat it.

 

[redbob]

Throw Navy Colts into the mix.

 

[Carronade]

Throw Navy Colts into the mix.

There's a question - would troops designated mounted infantry rather than cavalry carry revolvers? No doubt there was considerable variation, and perhaps overlapping roles and missions.

 

[johan_steele]

Favored arms of CS mounted rifle... is a difficult question at best. A lot would depend upon time frame and theatre of operations as well as the political influence of the Col in charge. Each factor would show different weapon availability.

Favored would likely be the P56, P58 or P60 but reality is that the men would have been issued what was available. So Lorenz, any Enfield pattern arm, M1841 or literally any carbine they could get their paws on. But again the reality would likely be an issue of P53 arms with a lucky few maybe getting P56's. It's been interesting for me over the years to see the variety of arms available and used by CS mounted troops of all sorts. Mounted Infantry or Mounted Rifles are a fascinating study. Several years ago I spent so quality time studying the Mounted Rifle units raised in Texas to fight the Commanche. Those men gave stellar service despite being regarded as red headed step children, at best, by both the CS military & Texas.

The reality on pistols and carbines is that there were never enough to arm the cav; and Infantry didn't get preference over the cav when it came arms. The mantra put forward by some of CS cav w/ four pistols, a shotgun, carbine and a sword is so much hooey.

I'm really not sure if that makes any sense or not... coffee, need coffee.

 

[Legion Para]

What was the most common weapon used by Confederate Mounted Infantry?

To answer this question a study of Ordnance Reports would have to be made. With that said and as with all Confederate units, they received whatever arms were available at the time and place.

Shotguns, carbines, pistols and sabers would be of very little use to Civil War Mounted Infantry. Why?, because Mounted Infantry were deployed as Infantry and not Cavalry. See below definition of Mounted Infantry.