Simply reading *all* of the ORs pertinent to the Confederate command, and not simply Joe Johnston’s memoirs, easily paints one a different picture than what has traditionally been reported.

Couple it with the tendency of historians to treat Vicksburg as the U.S. Grant Show,” and it’s not surprising the story starts on the western bank of the Mississippi River, and ends under that tree between the lines, with Pemberton, Johnston and Davis relative side shows.

Don’t get me wrong – Pemberton still surrenders in the end … 🙂

Dave

You’re correct about the caliber. My bad.

I think you’re correct in your analysis. The issue is not the speed of fire, but rather the myth and its perpetuation. But, your point is well-taken.

Eric

The firepower story might not be such a myth, even tho it seems indisputable that Buford’s boys were armed with single-shot Sharps carbines.

Consider: the Sharps was good for about 10 rounds per min. aimed fire; the Spencer maybe 15 (one rd every 6 secs vs. one per 4 secs). But — every 7 shots the Spencer shooter has to stop, remove the follower from the stock, drop in 7 more rounds, recharge, and resume firing. The Sharps shooter does not, so in a sustained engagement, as at Gettysburg, the rates of fire are probably pretty close, especially considering the time needed to acquire and aim at a target, lulls in the action, time to cool off, resupply, etc.

So my take would be that there was not a whole lot of difference in the amount of lead going downrange whether they were armed with Sharps or Spencers, given the circumstances. Both arms, of course, would vastly outshoot muzzle loaders.

To be precise, all of the 5th Michigan Cavalry and approximately half of the 6th Michigan Cavalry of Custer’s Michigan Cavalry Brigade were armed with Spencer repeating rifles. Those weapons played a major role in the fighting on East Cavalry Field on July 3, 1863.

Eric

However, I think you will find that Custer had a fair amount of Spencers at that time.

I just looked them up. My source for the first episode is a postwar newspaper article by a trooper of the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry. The second is a March 22, 1863 article from the New York Times.

Eric

It’s fairly well documented, but I can’t recall the precise sources for that episode. I will try to remember to look it up.

Thanks for your kind words about both the post and the book.

Eric

The questions of reliability of sources written long after the war is another rant for another day, but you’re right.

Eric