![]() ![]() During 1863 Springfield was able to turn out an average of 600 rifle-muskets a day. The production rate thus took a quantum step forward. Total interchangeability eliminated costly hand-fitting of each part. Machine production allowed the simultaneous manufacture of identical and fully interchangeable parts. Although some hand assembly of arms was still necessary, the majority of the preassembly work was done by skilled craftsmen operating sophisticated machines. The United States armory, located at Springfield, Massachusetts, had been a leader in applying automation to production since the late 1840s. But in 1861 the nation's industrial force changed its emphasis from tools of peace to weapons of war. An excellent example was the Singer sewing machine which could be found in many American homes. Using the concept of interchangeable parts pioneered by such men as Eli Whitney, intricate mechanical devices were becoming affordable to the average American. ![]() Mass production was beginning to leave its indelible mark on American society. Springfield Armory and Small Arms Productionīy 1861, the United States was in the middle of an industrial revolution. Many who were initially armed with substandard or antiquated arms acquired British Enfields and other quality foreign weapons from Confederate prisoners or casualties.Īn understanding of Civil War small arms and ammunition requires knowledge of a number of technical terms, covered in the glossary at the end of the essay. Capture was also a source of supply to some Union troops. Thus, many weapons which were only manufactured in the North also served the Southern cause. Capture and battle- field pick-up of small arms remained an important supply source for the South until the last days of the conflict. ![]() By 1865, one such arm, the magazine-fed breech loading Spencer carbine gained worldwide attention.Įarly Southern victories provided many Confederate soldiers with Federal arms. Yankee arms makers not only continued to produce conventional arms, but also introduced a number of technically advanced small arms which would begin to revolutionize warfare. At the same time, however, this effort was countered by Northern industrial might. In 18 Southern industry did make amazing strides in its ability to provide conventional muzzle-loading arms to Southern soldiers. Unfortunately for the South, this goal was never fully attained. This ambitious goal was a necessity if it was ever to lessen reliance on imported weapons. In the South, the Confederate government was attempting to build its own small arms producing facilities. In the North, well-known arms makers such as Colt, Sharps, and Remington geared for war production. As these ships continued to cross the Atlantic, established American arms makers, and those aspiring to be such, rushed to the call. ![]() In short order, volunteers from such states as New York, Ohio, North Carolina, and Georgia, found themselves armed with weapons originally intended for British, Austrian, Belgian, or French soldiers. By the fall of 1861 ships loaded with European arms and ammunition began to arrive at ports from Boston to New Orleans. The agents operating in Europe wasted little time. Many early volunteers found themselves armed with antiquated weapons, some even dating back to the War of 1812. Every type of firearm suitable for military purposes was pressed into service in the meantime. To meet the emergency, both Union and Confederate governments sent purchasing agents to scour the arsenals of Europe. The most serious shortage was the lack of up-to-date small arms.Īs thousands of volunteers rushed forward to join the armies of the cause in which they believed, the supply of arms in both state and national armories was soon exhausted. Years of peace, a small standing army, and a state militia system that was largely ceremonial, combined to severely limit stockpiles of military supplies. In 1861, neither the United States nor the newly-formed Confederate States were prepared to fight a major war. Small arms, in the hands of both Union and Confederate soldiers, accounted for half of the war's 633,000 killed and wounded. During the American Civil War (1861-65) small arms consisted of an incredible variety of muskets, rifles, carbines, revolvers, and even shotguns. Small arms are the firearms carried by individual soldiers. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |