Tell me more! Were shotguns effective weapons?

I might add that disparagement of non-military and non-state-of-the-art weapons appears frequently in Civil War primary sources. Soldiers complained about getting a smooth-bore versus a rifle. They complained about getting an Enfield instead of a Springfield.

On the other hand, there is also a pattern of people finding something like "esprit de corps" or pride in one or another less-than-optimal weapon, witness some of the Irish brigades with .69 cal. smoothbores, or the famous anecdote about New Jersey troops awaiting Pickett's charge at Gettysburg reloading the buckshot from several buck and ball cartridges into all buckshot loads...

The shotgun, as stated up post, is strictly a niche weapon: close range and when not a lot of firepower is called for. In recent late-20th century police usage before it was supplanted by other police weapons, the adage was that the shotgun was for an immediately expected pistol fight. This was because most often the big heavy two-handed thing was left in police cruisers, even though it was far more effective than a police service revolver.

During the Civil War, at least one Texan made a wisecrack about his unit being ostensibly "Texas mounted rifles" but they were really mostly armed with shotguns...

Shotguns are used from time to time in their limited niche role, for guards of bases, barracks, prisoners, and so on, or when the lack of range is not a distinct liability. The only military analysis or appraisal I'm aware of is sadly not from the 19th century or the Civil War, but from its use in triple canopy jungle terrain by the British and their auxiliaries in the Malaya counterinsurgency in the early 1950s. There, a point man would break contact with an insurgent ambush by dumping several 9-pellet 00 buckshot loads from a self-loading Browning Auto-5 shotgun. The rest of the counterinsurgents had the typical LMG and SMG and rifle assortment of an infantry "section."
 
I would rather face an opponent armed with a saber than a shotgun.
Think you would want to be the 2nd or 3rd in line with a saber and not the first........because at bout 10-15 ft foot mark that first guy is going to be at a major disadvantage......
 
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I can see dismounted men using a shot gun, but not sure how well a mounted man could aim a shot gun. Would they attempt to aim using one hand?
 
Shotguns were more common than one would think, regarding new Confederate cavalry companies and regiments which were organized early in the war. My 3rd Great Grandfather, who served with the 2nd Alabama Cavalry Regiment, first went to war in March 1862, when the regiment was formed, with a shotgun and an old pistol that he brought from home, as did many who made up the new regiment. The whole time they were in Florida and operating from Pensacola north and west to the Alabama State line, from 10 May 1862 - 5 Apr 1863, they were primarily armed with shotguns, a few with pistols and all with sabers and, or knives. It was not until they were issued movement orders from Pensacola to north Mississippi that they began issuing them rifles, that being upon their arrival to Okolona, MS. on 11 Apr 1863. Up until that time, the only ones in the regiment who had rifles, took them off of dead Federals during predatory raids after skirmishes. The whole regiment would not be armed with rifles until late summer of 1863.

I give several examples below:

1)- Below is a letter from a Mr. Dubose regarding how the Troopers of the 2nd Regiment Alabama Cavalry were armed while at Florida in 1862:

"The Second Cavalry (Alabama) were armed with shotguns and pistols. The occasional cavalryman who sported a captured Federal Enfield or Springfield rifle was envied by all his comrades."

2)- Capt. Josiah J. Pegues, Commander of Company "D" ("Warrior Rangers"), 2nd Regiment Alabama Cavalry, substantiated what Mr. Dubose wrote, when he stated:

"The (2nd Alabama Cavalry) regiment was first armed with double barreled shotguns (these were privately owned) which were gradually replaced with carbines and long range rifles, acquired mostly from the enemy."

3)- Gen. Arnold (U. S. Army) stated the following regarding the City of Pensacola and Confederate Cavalry, to include the 2nd Regiment Alabama Cavalry, attacking the Federal picket line guarding the approaches of Pensacola circa May 12, 1862:

"To further compound problems the Confederates had not fully abandoned West Florida, and several companies of cavalry (armed only with knives and shotguns) harassed the Union lines. To counter this nuisance, Gen. Arnold ordered the construction of a light fortification along the heights just outside of Pensacola."

4)- Below is an excerpt from a letter written by then Pvt. Hardin Perkins Cochrane, Company "D" ("Warrior Rangers"), 2nd Regiment Alabama Cavalry, to his wife, regarding the regiment being called to arms to answer an attack on their pickets at their main base camp located at Bluff Springs, FL.:

"We had a little excitement in camp on the night of the 3rd (Jul 1862). We have pickets stationed every night 2 miles from camp and on Thursday night (3rd) we heard guns fired in the direction of our pickets. It was about 101/2 o`clock at night. The guard heard this firing and reported it to headquarters (the regimental commanders tent / Col. Fountain W. Hunter). The Col. soon had us out. We were ordered by our Company officers to saddle our horses and let them stand in their accustomed places. We did that. Then they marched us on foot to the back of our encampment where we were put in lines of battle with our sabers on and shotguns in our hands. We were given the "Watch Word" (a secret phrase to employ as a challenge / known as a parole and countersign) and told if the enemy advanced we would be wheeled a little to the right and would have to fight them where we were. But after awhile a picket came in and said something to Col. Hunter (the regimental commander), I don`t know what, but our officers were ordered to march us to our tents and to tell us to be ready in case of alarm and not to unsaddle our horses until the horn blew. After awhile the horn blew and most of us unsaddled and went soundly to sleep and I did not dream of the Yankees or anything else that night. I heard next morning that the firing was beyond our pickets. They supposed it was someone shooting off his gun."

5)- On 23 Nov 1862, 1st Lt. James M. Foster, "D" Troop, 2nd Regiment Alabama Cavalry, set out leading a 30 man 7 day scout from "Camp Tattnall" near Brewton, AL, on the Escambia river to Milton and Arcadia, FL, on the Blackwater river. He engaged with and ambushed the Federals which resulted in heavy skirmishing and fighting to ensue.

Pvt. Hardin Perkins Cochrane, Company "D", 2nd Regiment Alabama Cavalry, describes the fight in his letter home to his sister, he wrote:

"Lieut. Foster took a scout of about 30 men and went to Milton and hearing that the Yankees had landed below (Arcadia) and were hauling goods and furniture from Arcadia, a little town two or three miles south from Milton (above Bagdad). There is a creek however between this (Milton) and Arcadia which can not be crossed on horseback except at a short distance from Arcadia as the Yankees had already burnt the bridge some time ago on purpose to keep us from crossing. The Yankees had this Ford I spoke of above guarded, so Lieut. Foster had the horses hitched a good way off and the men finding a log crossed over and got between the Yankees who were at Arcadia and their boats. Lieut. Foster then made the men lay in ambush, waiting for the Yankees who were hauling the furniture to return for another load. The Yankees had just passed back to their boats before our scout got to the place of ambush. They were plundering the houses which had been left. While our men were waiting, there came along three Yankees from Arcadia in the direction of their boats, which were about three miles off. Our men let them get pretty close and would even have let them pass, if they themselves could have kept hid, but the Yankees saw some of the scout and then Lieut. Foster rose up and told them to surrender. One of them did and threw his gun from him. Another did like he was going to take his gun from his shoulder to shoot, while the third commenced to back as if to run. Then Leiut. Foster hallowed to shoot that man running. The one who surrendered dropped on the ground. I am told that about 20 guns went off at once, the Yankee who was standing up and who did as if taking his gun to shoot was wounded in about a dozen places, almost shot to pieces, though not killed. The third Yankee ran off but it was found out that he was badly hurt. Mr. Slade and several others went up to the wounded man and inquired if they could assist him in any way. He said they could not. He said that he could not be moved, that he was shot all to pieces. Mr. Slade examined him and said he was wounded a good many times in the knee, thigh, breast and side. The Yankee asked them to put him in the shade, which they did, when they had to leave him. As Lieut. Foster, not knowing the number of the enemy and thinking they would get into the houses and pick off the men with their Enfield rifles if we approached while our shotguns were out of range. The men then crossed the creek with the Yankee who surrendered with two Enfield rifles which they took. C. Martin has one of the rifles now to keep and Jim Sanders the other."

6)- In a Memorandum, on 8 May 1863, to Jefferson Davis written by Bishop Paine, included were these excerpts:

"Of 960 men in Second Alabama (Cavalry), only 350 are armed". He went on to write: "Barteau`s Regiment (Second Tennessee Cavalry, 540, with 40 horses) principally armed with shotguns. Major Inge (12th Battalion Mississippi Cavalry) has 250 armed with shotguns. Very few pistols or sabers in the command except Second Alabama Regiment" - This regarding Pemberton`s Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana under Brig. General Daniel Ruggles District in northern Mississippi."

7)- On 9 May 1863, the Battle of Okolona; the 2nd Regiment Alabama Cavalry was reported skirmishing with the Federals at Prairie Station along the rail-road south-east of Okolona, Ms. This was also against the 10th Missouri Cavalry under the command of Colonel Florence M. Cornyn during his raid from Corinth to Tupelo. The 2nd Alabama Cavalry had previously engaged them 4 days earlier at Kings Creek.

CORINTH, May 9, 1863. Major-General OGLESBY, Jackson:

Cavalry have returned. They fought at Tupelo- Wednesday, and whipped Generals Ruggles and Gholson badly. Captured 81 prisoners of war, representing ten regiments and battalions; captured 150 horses and any quantity of shot-guns, rifles, &c. General Chalmers was at Pontotoc with 2,500 men, but did not get into the fight. One brigade of infantry (Arkansas) came to Okolona on Saturday and Sunday by cars; also one regiment of cavalry. The Second Alabama arrived there from Pensacola. They profess to be able to throw troops enough into the place to stop us in twenty-four hours. The cars rim to Okolona. A flag of truce came in from Major-General [S. J.] Gholson in relation to the prisoners. It was of no great importance. The officer says we cut them up badly.

G. M. DODGE.
Brig.-General.


8)- On 20 Jun 1863, The 2nd Alabama Cavalry Regiment was reported as being engaged against the Federals at the "Battle of the Cane Brake", also known as the "Battle of Mud(dy) Creek Bottom" & the "Battle of Rocky Ford Crossing", on the Tallahatchie River, near New Albany, MS. The regiment suffered 8 losses during this battle. The action was mentioned in General Daniel Ruggles` report, with whom the 2nd Alabama Cavalry Regiment was on detached service, as being around New Albany, Mississippi.

Pvt. Samuel D. Cameron ("D" Troop), 2nd Regiment Alabama Cavalry wrote in a letter home regarding this fight:

"I suppose that you have heard before now of the fight we had 20 miles north west of Pontotoc on Muddy Creek. We give them fits, I did not get to shoot any as our company was Old General Ruggles` Escort, our loss was not much only two men killed and about 15 wounded. The enemy`s loss was near 100 killed and wounded. We captured 4 wagons and 1 piece of artillery and a good many other things. They had two or three barrels of crackers (hard tack) that went mighty well... It was a great wonder that the Yanks did not slay a heap more of our men, for they had all the advantage. We made the attack, they was behind logs and trees, but I tell you our boys picked right up to them and gave them the Devil with our shotguns. Shotguns is the very thing in a swamp fight. They would have given us "quit" if our artillery had not been right with us, we had six pieces, when they commenced firing on them I tell (you) that made them get out of the swamp and get "yonder". We followed them some distance but could not overtake them. We got a good many of their old broke down horses. Everything is quiet now, I think we will get to rest awhile."

Even into July 1863, as Daniel Ruggles` brigade was taken away and assigned to Brig. General Samuel Wragg Ferguson`s new cavalry brigade, comprised of the 2nd Alabama Cavalry (R. G. Earle), 56th Alabama Partisan Rangers (WM. Boyles), 2nd Tennessee Cavalry (C. R. Barteau), and the 12th Mississippi Cavalry (W. M. Inge), many were still armed with shotguns. Some men in the 56th Alabama Partisan Rangers actually preferred the shotguns, to rifles, and kept them until the close of the war, and were celebrated for that after the war. Citing they were the perfect weapon for the swamps and woods when being used as the initial blast of skirmishing, at which point when both barrels were spent, those who had them slung with leather straps or a piece of rope, would throw them over their shoulders on to their backs as they would start pulling their pistols and then fire until they too were spent. Those without slings would place them across their laps, as they went to work with their pistols or sabers. Some of the men spoke occasionally of using in addition to shot; broken glass, small rocks and even nails, which they would drop down the barrel and use for ammunition.

Below is an illustration sketched of one of the members of Ferguson`s Cavalry Brigade, circa September 1864 around Atlanta, showing him with his double barrel shotgun, slung over his back as he patrols. With this being almost Fall of 1864, and the 56th Alabama Partisan Rangers preference to the shotgun over a carbine, he most likely belonged to their rank and file. The image is from the book; " A Story of Rebel Military Prisons," by John McElroy circa 1879, page 445.

Ferguson`s Cavalry Trooper (1a).jpg
 
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I would imagine up close like in trenches they would be murder (no pun). They must be pretty good and lethal; in WW1 the Germans executed on the spot any American soldiers who were captured with a shotgun or even in possession of shotgun ammunition.
Actually, the Germans were in the habit of executing Belgians who took a potshot at the occupiers with a fowling piece or shotgun. And in instances where a German casualty appeared to have suffered a buckshot wound, then they'd add that to their list of "illegal combatants" out of uniform fighting an illegitimate form of warfare against their soldiery. This harkened back to their often rough treatment at the hands of French "francs tireurs" or guerrilla/ militia/ informally organized resistance.

In the case of WWI, the Germans threatened to execute any American found armed with a shotgun, since it was an "illegal weapon." The United States formally notified the German Kaiserreich that any such summary execution would be met by the law of reprisal and that a German officer would be executed in return. There the matter rested. The use of shotguns by American Doughboys, in my view, has been overstated. They were in use, certainly, but not in very large numbers.
 
Most of the time, shotguns are pointed and fired instinctively. They are seldom aimed like a rifle. There are some exceptions, but not many. I make these comments for the benefit of our friends here who have never had the opportunity to shoot a shotgun. The shooter does look down the top of the barrel (or barrels), but not at gun sights. The shooter looks at the target, ideally with both eyes open. The instinctive part is swinging the gun past the target when firing so the shot charge will arrive at the "point of aim" at the same time the target arrives there. I have just described the process of shooting at a flying target, but the process of shooting at a running or mounted opponent would be similar. The process of shooting from horseback would be similar, but more challenging.

You can be sure that most of the men who brought their shotguns from home knew how to point, swing and follow through. They were also very familiar with the effective range of their weapons, whether they were loaded with bird shot (close range) or buck shot (longer range.) Of course, some new recruits from "the city" might not be familiar with rifles or shotguns, and would require a lot of training.

All of that aside, things are sure to change when the target is shooting back at you. I can well imagine soldiers discharging their shotguns too soon at ranges too long when they were under the extreme stress of combat.

A double barrel shotgun and multiple revolvers would be ideal for mounted guerrillas fighting during an ambush, but less effective in many other situations.
 
A shotgun loaded with buckshot is a psychological weapon as well as an efficient firearm. Just knowing "the other guy" has one does have an effect.
True that. After the Civil War, in the Lincoln County, NM range war, the jailer of Billy the Kid, Bob Ollinger would taunt him with his double-barrel and graphically describe what the buckshot would do to him should he try to escape... Billy the Kid escaped, stole the gun, and lay in wait. He called out the jailer's name, and when he turned, gave him both barrels.

That is a mighty big bore, and so the use of the shotgun does lend an intimidation factor to the user, and one that historically was consciously used. Black Bart the PO8 stage-coach robber never molested or stole from stage passengers, was invariably polite, and only went for the Wells Fargo strongbox. He used a double barrel shotgun. Most experts on Western outlaws think the gun itself was not loaded. In the 20th century, this reputation received considerable exaggeration in media and film. It does have a fearsome reputation for close range defensive or tactical use.
 
At the battle of Raymond, MS, we found lots of buckshot balls on the battlefield. So, we know some 7th Texas soldiers had some shotguns. In the trenches of Vicksburg they had some shotguns as well "for the up close jobs". The shotgun is a great weapon for close range work.

That or buckshot ammunition for they're smoothbore muskets.
 
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