Withdrawing to Fort Donelson-Feb 9-12, 2012

[BrianHicks]

Mr. Walsh - form printed and sent in today.
Mr. Hicks - my ancestor was in the 49th, so I will be proud to serve with you in the 48th.

Sir, you are always welcome. We'll Jerry Hughes and his son in the ranks with us. His GGGGrandafather was in the 48thm, and was surrendered at Donelson.

[BrianHicks]

This is form research Jerry Hughes has been doing:

'I'm going through microfilm for the Military Board and the Adjutant General records to see if I can any specifics on the types of weapons in the Tennessee arsenals in the fall of 1861. I did find some telegraphs to New Orleans inquiring about purchasing 5000 to 6000 percussion hammers for 69 calibre and suitable cones. I also found where they purchased 2000 mess kits for $21, but no description of them. I'll let you know if I find anything."

Which would indicate that there were perhaps 5-6000 Model 16/22s in Tn. Arsenals that were likely designated (or in the process) to be converted to percussion use during the Fall of 1861. With such information, (and lacking any other guidance at this time) I'd like to see .69's as the weapon of choice for the 48th Tn.

[dixieflyer]

With such information, (and lacking any other guidance at this time) I'd like to see .69's as the weapon of choice for the 48th Tn.

I'm all over that, and have a .69 CS box to go with it. I may pick up another Morrow & sons .69 box though. I cannot imagine a more appropriate box for Donelson than a Nashville-produced box. Wish I still had the one a friend of mine made me years ago.

[Daniel]

Col. Heiman wrote in his Fort Henry report, "With the exception of the Tenth Tennessee and the Fourth Mississippi these were all new troops , who had just entered the service. They were not drilled, were badly equipped, and very indifferently armed with shot-guns and Tennesee rifles. " He called the 48th Tennessee and the 51st Tennessee "skeleton regiments, containing together not more than 400 men."

Years ago, while looking at the Records of the State of Tennessee Military & Financial Board, I saw a list of equipment which was delivered to Capt. Morgan at Fort Henry on July 4, 1861. I believe this to be Co. C, 10th Tennessee commanded by Captain St. Clair M. Morgan. The were issued 80 flintlocks, 80 cartridge boxes, 80 brush and picks, 160 gun flints, 80 gun slings, 80 waist belts, 8 spring vises, 8 ball screws, 4 saber belts, 84 knapsacks. And remember this is one of the better equipped units.

Dan Stewart

[fortdonelsonrelics]

Very nice - only up for 2 days and I'm already getting registration forms in the mail !! Momentum is building - thanks to everyone who is supporting this event!

John Walsh

[dixieflyer]

Our registration forms got printed out yesterday, just awaiting word on who is organizing companies and/or word from those that are. I'm not going to sign up with a company without someone's permission.

"This is going to be GREAT!!" - Flounder

[fortdonelsonrelics]

At the outbreak of war, Tennessee had in its arsenals:

10,161 Muskets and Rifles (1,680 Percussion - 8,481 Flintlocks) of which 4,300 were unserviceable.
350 Carbines
4 Field Artillery Pieces
(Stanley Horn - Tennessee's War, 1861-1865, 1965 p. 19)
Where The South Lost The War: Kendal Gott - p. 3

John Walsh

This is form research Jerry Hughes has been doing:

'I'm going through microfilm for the Military Board and the Adjutant General records to see if I can any specifics on the types of weapons in the Tennessee arsenals in the fall of 1861. I did find some telegraphs to New Orleans inquiring about purchasing 5000 to 6000 percussion hammers for 69 calibre and suitable cones. I also found where they purchased 2000 mess kits for $21, but no description of them. I'll let you know if I find anything."

Which would indicate that there were perhaps 5-6000 Model 16/22s in Tn. Arsenals that were likely designated (or in the process) to be converted to percussion use during the Fall of 1861. With such information, (and lacking any other guidance at this time) I'd like to see .69's as the weapon of choice for the 48th Tn.

[Daniel]

This is what I could document regarding the small arms at Fort Henry.
First Brigade – Col. Heiman
10th Tenn Inf. – Flintlock muskets “The best equipped regiment of his command…was armed with old flintlock ‘Tower of London’ muskets that had ‘done the state some service in the War of 1812.”
27th Ala. Inf. – shotguns and bowie knives
48th Tenn Inf. – shotguns and Tennessee rifles

Second Brigade - Col. Joseph Drake
4th Miss. Inf. – unknown
15th Ark. Inf. - unknown
51st Tenn Inf.- shotguns “inefficient arms in the shape of double barreled guns”
3rd Ala Battalion (Gavin) - unknown
Cavalry – Heiman wrote “None of the cavalry had either sabers or pistols, and were only partly armed with double-barreled shot-guns, no other equipments whatever.”

This event will be challenging to us. Not very many of us have shotguns, flintlocks or Tennessee rifles. Also as noted earlier in this thread, even if we did have those types of weapons the park service will allow only precussion muskets for firing demos. Perhaps we could have an "indifferently arm" company with flintlocks, shotguns and Tennessee rifles. I am thinking about carrying my M1816 flintlock at least on the march.

Dan Stewart

[dixieflyer]

Ahhh, the joys of picking a unit first, and then living with the research results you find out later.

Dan, you are right, this is going to be a challenge. I know that researching Donelson and in particular Tenn. units at Donelson has been your baby for many years. So, do we:

- Go with what we have, and ask people to acquire shotguns, rifles, flintlocks, etc.?

- Change the unit(s) portrayed to better fit what people already have in terms of weapons/equipment?

- Just forge ahead with the chosen unit to portray, and carry percussion alteration M1816's, M1842's, Enfields,* etc. anyway and chalk the inaccuracy up to realizing reenacting is an imperfect science/avocation and modern realities and economics demand some accommodation at times?

**Thing is, we know that there were units there with percussion alteration M1816's, etc., it's just a matter of which units were they?

I am curious as to why the ban on flintlocks for public demonstrations? Surely there are other NPS sites having to do with the AR and War of 1812 that do flintlock musket and rifle demos, so I don't think it is an NPS-wide ban.

Thoughts?

[Daniel]

Warren, My main thought is that I am glad we have good people like John Walsh and company commanders like Brian Hicks making these types of decisions. I am glad I will be a private in the ranks. But you asked me some questions so this is what I think. IMHO I think is impossible to do a correct Fort Henry infantry unit because our weapons are much better than what those units ,that we know about, had. When one account gives the 10th Tenn as the best arm (flintlock musket) unit at Fort Henry then our M1842s look pretty darned good. Most of us living historians lack a shotgun, Tennessee rifle or a Brown Bess. It would be nice to see a whole company with flintlocks or shotguns but that is not going to happen. So going with what we have is probably the best. I do not think anyone should think about going out and buying a shotgun or flintlock for one event. I think everyone should do their best with what they have. And that is what reflected in John's guidlines. Still when I choose a company I will probably ask permission to carry a flintlock to at least get a sense and lend a bit of atmosphere to the Fort Donelson march.

I think there are plenty of opportunities to create a sense of what these units were like even without the correct arms. With the exception of the 10th Tenn and 4th Miss Inf. most of the units at Fort Henry were new units. These units were formed in the December of 1861 and January of 1862. I doubt that there were many band box soldiers. Those were probably pretty well gone by the winter of 61/62. So I think the guidlines are right on the money for frocks and cilvian sack coats. And I like John's mentioning that people will be allowed to use black trimming on trousers and kepis if they want to.

I kind of wonder what regiments the other two companies will represent. The big question that I have about the units at Fort Henry is was the 4th Mississppi like? Having done the 2nd Miss at Manassas I wonder with their brother unit was like. What type of arms and uniforms they had? According to accounts, besides the 10th Tennessee they were the only other unit that was ready for service.

And finally I know the 3rd Tennessee which was at Fort Donelson (not Fort Henry) had percussion muskets.

Dan Stewart