Weapons and Equiptment
Of the Civil War
Weapons
The weapons of the Civil War had evolved greatly from the past. A rifle that could fire more than one shot without reloading was invented. Also, rifles now had rifling or the groves cut inside of the barrel, this allowed for a much more accurate shot and farther distance. One Union solider said "They say we are not fair with weapons, we can load on Sunday and shoot the rest of the week."
Minie Ball
The Minie Ball changed the way guns work. The Minie Ball was the first bullet which intended purpose was to expand under the pressure this increased the muzzle velocity. Also their design was made to allow rapid muzzle loading of rifles. As a result, 90% of the casualties of the Civil War were caused by the Minie Ball.
Union VS. Confederate
Union Soliders
The Union had a clear advantage over the Confederates in the war, equipment wise. Since all the manufactured goods were in the north, the solders had more equipment. The Union had specific blue wool coats as uniforms. The Union infantry usually had a musket, a belt with a cartridge box containing 40-60 cartridges, a cap box, and a bayonet sheath. Soldiers also carried maps and sometimes gas masks. The Calvary carried all the items the infantry carried except more. The Calvary carried a pistol, instead of a musket, a carbine, and a saber. Both carried a knapsack for personal items, on average the equipment weighed around 50 pounds.
Confederate soliders
They Confederacy had a disadvantage against the Union in terms of equipment but had a better trained army. Since it was hard and expensive to dye wool, the Confederate's uniform was plain grey wool. They carried muskets, cap boxes, some brought slaves, and what I think was unnecessary, a full cutlery set. Since at the time France had the most powerful army in the world, the Confederates used the French's tactics. The South also had the terrain advantage since most of the battles were in the south. Rations were not very filling either, they mainly ate rice and bacon.
Bibliography
Works Cited
"The Civil War!" ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. 29 May 2013.
"History.com." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 29 May 2013.
"Weapons - Small Arms." Weapons - Small Arms. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2013.