Evolution of Civil War Weapons essays

Evolution of Civil War Weapons essays The American Civil War brought many changes, especially in weaponry. On the battle field, officers sought to improve warfare strategies. At home, politicians attempted to reshape the political view of the war. Finally, in the industries, engineers worked to improve the performance and cost of the weapons they wished to sell to their respective government. Weapon changes occurred in two basic areas: firearms (also known as small arms, which are anything that can be carried by a soldier), and cannons/projectiles (artillery). Sword and bayonets, though were important, saw little action in the war. The relative importance of sound weaponry resulted in an accelerated evolution of weapons that sparked the dawn of modern warfare. Firearms were perhaps the most basic unit of weaponry used in the civil war. There are five general categories of firearms used in the civil war: musket, smoothbore musket, musket rifle, carbine, and the revolver. Loading and firing these weapons, one of the most important lessons a soldier could learn, consisted of many steps: prepare to load, load, handle, tear and charge cartridge, draw rammer and ram cartridge, prime, shoulder arms, and fire. These firearms were usually implemented in effective groups and were loaded and shot to rhythm of music. In general, 400 men could fire 1,200 LBS per minute until there was no ammunition left. (Museum Experience) Muskets were the most widely used firearm during the Civil War (Bilby, 1). Foremost among these was the Springfield, which was manufactured at the U.S. Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts. By the end of the war, the total production of this single-shot, muzzle-loading musket approached 1.5 million. A musket in good condition was fairly accurate when firing at a block of men, no farther then 100 yards. Alas, in the battlefield, the conditions and effectiveness was far from perfect. The rifle was another significant weapon used in the war. Although the rifl...