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Emerald Sharp

Civil War Weapons. Emerald Sharp. Weapon Types. Artillery Firearms larger than small arms Small arms Any weapon smaller than a canon and carried by a soldier Edged weapons Bayonets, sabers, swords, short swords, cutlasses, Bowie knives, pikes and lances. Artillery Classification.

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Emerald Sharp

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  1. Civil War Weapons Emerald Sharp

  2. Weapon Types • Artillery • Firearms larger than small arms • Small arms • Any weapon smaller than a canon and carried by a soldier • Edged weapons • Bayonets, sabers, swords, short swords, cutlasses, Bowie knives, pikes and lances

  3. Artillery Classification Inventor/Factory Dahlgren/Napoleon Rodman/Parrott Whitworth Weight of Projectile 12/24/32 - pounder Rifled Path of Trajectory Gun = flat Mortar = high arch Howitzer = between Caliber of bore diameter 3/8/10 - inch Smooth bore Tactical Deployment Field Seacoast Siege artillery Method of Loading Breech/muzzle

  4. Weapon Material • Depended on material availability • Steel • Bronze • Iron

  5. Napoleon • Smoothbore, muzzle loading, 12-pounder “gun howitzer” • Favorite artillery weapon for Union and Confederacy offensively and defensively • Developed in 1857 under Louis Napoleon of France

  6. Napoleon • Made from bronze until South ran out, then iron • Max range-1700 yards • Most effective at 250 yards • Probably caused most causalities of all artillery pieces

  7. Model 1861 2.9 inch Developed in 1859-60 Distinguished by muzzle swell First workable rifled gun for either side Union produced it quickly, inexpensively and in mass quantities Model 1863 3-inch Could use same ammo as 2.9 but 3 inch ammo often jammed the 2.9 guns Phased out mid-way through the war End of the Civil War ended the Parrott’s career Parrott Rifles

  8. Model 1861 2.9 inch Parrott Rifle Model 1863 3 inch

  9. 3 inch Ordinance • One of most used guns • Most accurate, longer range (up to 2300 yards) • Long range meant that the shooter had to see the target to be accurate • Rifled cannon was good for knocking down fortifications • Key at Vicksburg and Atlanta

  10. Model 1861 3-inch Ordinance Rifle • Original was named “Griffin Gun” after John Griffin • Found a procedure to strengthen iron and keep the barrel from bursting • Lethal under 1 mile; effective at 1 ½ mile • 100 pounds lighter than the Parrott • Union produced about 1,000 • Confederacy lacked the technology

  11. 12 pound Mountain Howitzers • Manufactured by Armstrong and Whitworth • Smallest and most portable • Useful in the mountains of the Western theater

  12. Dahlgrens/Rodman Smoothbores • Naval and siege cannon • Heaviest and most powerful • 8-10 inch siege howitzers range was over 2000 yards • Fired 45-90 pound shells

  13. Artillery Ammunition • Solid shot • Long range, fixed target • Grape • Canister • Shell • Long range, fixed target • Chain shot • Used against masts and rigging of ships

  14. Solid shot Shell Grape shot Chain shot Canister

  15. Canister Shot • Scattershot projectile • Small iron balls were incased in a canister, resembling a tin can • Upon firing the canister disintegrated • Effect was of a sawed off shotgun • Lethal at 250 yards or less

  16. Grape Shot • Worked exactly like canister shot • Only difference, it was wrapped in cloth or canvas • Was not very practical for field artillery use

  17. Small Arms

  18. Small Arms • Classified by caliber; mode of loading (breech/muzzle) and maker • Most used was .58 cal Springfield Musket and .69 cal Harper’s Ferry Rifle • Both muzzle loading and fired mini ball • These rifles changed infantry tactics • Before, soldiers would be in mass groups and charge the enemy • After, with greater accuracy and longer range (lethal at over ½ mile) frontal assaults were very deadly

  19. .58 cal Springfield Musket.69 cal Harper’s Ferry Rifle

  20. Other important small arms Henry Repeating Rifle – 15 rounds of .44 cal cartridges Sharp’s Carbine .44 cal Model 1860 Colt Revolver

  21. Minie Ball • Before – use of rifles was impractical because ammo was expensive and loading was time consuming • 1848 – French army Capt. Claude F. Minie developed smaller, hollow-based bullet • Easier loading, expanded upon firing and spun out of gun barrel. The spin made them more expensive but very accurate and far traveling. • 1855 – Harper’s Ferry Armory worker James H. Burton found a cheaper way to make the ball • Became the standard bullet for both sides

  22. Minie Ball

  23. Edged Weapons • Bayonets • Swords • Sabres • Short Swords • Cutlasses • Bowie knife • Pikes and lances

  24. Edged Weapons • Mostly served as decoration • Out of about 250,000 wounded treated in Union hospitals only about 922 were injured from an edged weapon; most were from private disagreements • Sabre • Cavalry sword • Lethal with trained mounted soldiers • Volunteers created many lop-eared horses • Sword • Sign of officer’s authority • Lance • Deadly with trained troops • Shortage in the South

  25. North vs South Comparison • North had a huge advantage over South in all artillery and higher percentage of rifled cannon to smoothbore cannon. • Union had about 1,200 Napoleons produced for them; Confederacy produced between 500-600 on their own. • In small arms, the South depended on smuggled imports from England and France. • South was at disadvantage in majority aspects of weapons simply because of the lack of material availability and technology.

  26. Bibliography • http://www.civilwarhome.com/weapons.htm • http://www.civilwarhome.com/artillery.htm • http://www.civilwarartillery.com

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