Very Stupid Question

[callicles]

I see pictures from the Civil War with muskets stacked like a teepee. Question: how were infantry soldiers issued muskets? Were they issued particular muskets, or did they share them? In other words, was an individual soldier responsible for his own weapon, or were muskets a sort of communal item, where you just grabbed the nearest next to you? I just see reenactments where each reenactor has his own rifle he paid for, so he keeps up with it for his own, modern reasons. I know this makes little sense, but I hope you guys understand that I'm stupid and hope you'll be kind to the stupid folks like me! Thanks!

 

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[Terry Soloman]

Generally, each soldier was responsible for the weapon he was issued. In Southern states, many soldiers used their personal weapons.

 

[kingskid1611]

Good question, not stupid. Everyone is interested in different things so they may not have knowledge outside their enjoyment. I have always thought that in war you pick up rifles along the way and use them but I could be wrong.

 

[against the wind]

You know, now that you mentioned it,, I have seen those pictures. Usually in a Union Camp where there were tents. I can understand how the tents would require you to lay the rifles down, so it was easier to arrange the rifles in a teepee like formation outside of the tents. I'm sure each soldier had his own rifle that he cleaned and maintained. Each weapon probably had a distinguishing mark that enabled a soldier to be able to tell his weapon from any other. Your rifle was sometimes the difference between life and death. You kept it clean and ready at all times.

 

[Gravitytester]

I went through basic training in 1984 and during one of our FTX's we had to arrange our rifles in the teepee stack. We used the sling of one rifle to attach the other two to it. Our weapon number was stenciled on the butt stock so it was easy to tell which one was yours. In my 27 years in the Army that is the only time we did that but I know it was a fairly common practice in the revolutionary and civil war. It kept them off of the ground and somewhat clean. I would think they would have marked their gun in one form or another so they could identify it in the stack.

 

[callicles]

That is very good information, guys! Thanks!!!!

 

[BosnMate]

Rifles were issued to individual soldiers. Each man had to take care of his own weapons. In more modern times the guns have serial numbers, and woe be to the recruit that doesn't have the serial number of his rifle memorized. Earlier the rifles and/or muskets were stenciled or engraved with unit ID's and numbers. There are WWII Marines that probably still remember the serial number of their M1 Garand. That said, I don't think rifles now days have stacking swivels, but up to WWII and Korea, the M1 Garand had stacking swivels. Carbines, Tommy guns etc. didn't get stacked. There are a number of reason for stacking weapons. A soldier under arms is marched to PT, then arms are stacked and they do the exercises, or chow, or setting up a tent camp etc. Here are some pictures, and a link to Civil war era stacking arms. In order to stack arms, the weapon has to have a "stacking swivel." Here are some pictures of stacking swivels, and the link to the article I mentioned.

https://pspaugy.wordpress.com/2014/...y-of-federal-late-war-arms-and-accoutrements/






Photo above shows the stacking swivel on an M! Garand.

 

[favored papa]

last answer covers it all. well done. But we stacked M-16's by making a loop in the sling and running the barrel of the second and third through the loop and fighting it down others were piled on.

 

[RGINN]

When the confederate army came into Benton County Arkansas and took my great-great grandpa they didn't 'issue' him nothin. They pretty much just said come with us, you're gonna fight, so if you got a gun you better bring it. Union Army probably had a little more funding, and better able to outfit their soldiers.

 

[civil_war22]

When the confederate army came into Benton County Arkansas and took my great-great grandpa they didn't 'issue' him nothin. They pretty much just said come with us, you're gonna fight, so if you got a gun you better bring it. Union Army probably had a little more funding, and better able to outfit their soldiers.

That stinks.

 

[SusanMN]

At least for some union soldiers they were issued rifles and other items. I have one great grandfather who had the cost of an apparently lost screwdriver deducted from his muster out pay. No idea why he was given or needed the screwdriver but that's what his payroll paperwork says,

 

[Dr. Syn]

Thinking about it, they would have to have some way to ID their weapon. Last thing I would want is to run out of the tent, grab a weapon willy nilly, and find out it was the one previously used by some slob who didn't take care of it, or never got around to loading it. That would make for a bad and possibly short day.