Weapons In The Civil War Essay

One of the most important things the Civil War was known for was the advanced weaponry that was used during battles. The Union and Confederacy made many different types of weapons which helped them have an advantage against each other. A soldier from the South remembers, "I had shot one hundred and twenty times that day. My gun became so hot that frequently the powder would flash before I could ram home the ball, and I had frequently to exchange my gun for that of a dead comrade" ("Small Arms of the Civil"). Weapons played a major role in the battles of the Civil War. Due to more advanced weaponry, the Union won the Civil War. Industry played a large role in developing and distributing weapons to both the Confederacy and Union armies. Industry
is defined as economic activity dealing with the production of goods from raw materials made in factories ("Dictionary"). Since the American Revolution, weapons had dramatically changed (Ken). The Civil War saw the use of many new types of weapons like the Spencer carbine and also muskets and ironclads. An ironclad is a ship covered with iron, used for battle (Ken). By 1863, repeater rifles were available for use during battle. One example called the Spencer carbine, could fire seven bullets within 30 seconds (Staff). The South had managed to capture a Union factory called Harper's Ferry. This was ideal for the Confederacy, because they could expand more factories in the South. Some locations included Richmond, Virginia and in Fayetteville, NC. The Confederacy copied Union weapons and made a few of their own ("Small Arms of the Civil"). The Union was able to manufacture a high amount of weapons and ammunition. The Confederacy on the other hand had very weak industrial bases. Since they couldn't produce as much ammunition and guns as the Union could, they had to rely on European industries to help supply their troops with weapons and ammunition. Many Civil War technologies were readily available to the Union army, while the Southern army did not have access. Confederate factories did not have adequate equipment or knowledge of how to produce their own weapons (Staff). Another factor that played a large role in the battles of the Civil War was the use of cavalry.
Cavalry is defined as "soldiers who fought on horseback" ("Dictionary"). Both armies looked for guns that would be easy to reload on horseback. The reason soldiers would not use infantry weapons is because it was awkward to use a long barrel, it was also difficult to reload bullets through the muzzle of the gun. Even though soldiers usually did not use infantry weapons, Confederate soldiers used sawed off shotguns and hunting rifles, which decreased the accuracy of each shot. A newer revolver known as the Lefauchaux was used by several Federal generals as well as Confederate generals. Many soldiers used a new percussion revolver that had 5-6 chambers for bullets. The revolvers used rotating cylinders to allow multiple shots without reloading. Though it was a great weapon for cavalry, it had very poor sights so soldiers could not hit people beyond "50 paces". Other than using percussion revolvers as well as regular revolvers, both armies used a single-shot barreled weapon called a carbine. The carbines that the Union and Confederacy used were several inches shorter than rifle muskets that infantry used. However due to the shorter barrel, it had a shorter range. Another Confederate revolver known as the LeMat had 9 pistol chambers and was considered to be easy to carry and load. However, it did not have as much power as similar guns, which made it less effective. Confederate
soldiers often used weapons from home such as sawed off shotguns and hunting rifles. This decreased the accuracy and quality of the shot they fired. Finally, infantry was another way that contributed to how the Civil War was fought. The rifle musket was produced in 1855 which replaced older smooth bored guns. The new rifling spiral grooves in the barrel increased the whole accuracy of the weapon as it sped towards its target. Most infantry including Confederates and the Union used rifle muskets. Trained marksmen could shoot from 800 yards away and had an average shot of 250 yards. One of the best rifle musket makers was located in Springfield, Massachusetts which was located in the Union. Even though these new rifle muskets were great weapons for both Union and Confederacy, there were some major land disadvantages and advantages for both armies. When the war broke out in 1861, both the Union and Confederacy consisted of many soldiers who were not experienced and lacked equipment and organization (Staff). Most Southerners lived in spread out areas, which made it difficult for infantry to mobilize. Unlike in the North, where there were more cities ("Small Arms of the Civil"). The Union had an opportunity to block the Atlantic Coast, which made it difficult for the South to obtain supplies. This meant that the Union had greater supplies than the Confederacy (Staff). The Union won the Civil War due to its advanced weaponry. This came in the form of industry, cavalry, and infantry. Overall, the Union had a stronger industrial base and they utilized their infantry and cavalry in more strategic ways than those in the Confederate army