Captured muskets ( PIttsburgh landing, march '62 )

[Frenchie Larry]

Dear comrades,

Still researching any info about the guns of the 18th LA in 1862-63, I recently saw that this unit captured at Pittsburgh landing about one hundred feds from the C and K companies of the 32nd Illlinois Infantry Regiment (sharpshooters ? ).

I think that we can take as a valuable assumption ( but maybe I'm mistaken ) that the rifle-muskets of the captured yanks were kept by the 18 th LA. So I'm very interested by any info about the muskets carried by the 32nd illinois Infantry at this period.

( to Curt-Heinrich ; I'm still very interested by the Miss'Rifle M41, and that's sure that one of us or more ( including me I hope ) will carry one of these beautiful weapons, defarbed in the best way we can.... , but now just trying to sum up all the valuable firearms for our unit ;) )

Best regards,

Christophe Larribere

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Captured muskets ( PIttsburgh landing, march '62 )

Adjutant General's Report

The Thirty-second Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was organized at Camp Butler, Illinois and was mustered into service of the United States December 31, 1861. The command was recruited under the "Ten Regiment Call," and by special authority from the War Department comprised ten companies of infantry, once of cavalry, and a battery of artillery. Precious to taking the field the latter detachments were assigned to regiments of their distinctive arms of service, Rogers' Battery as Company K, 2d Illinois Regiment of Artillery.

January 20, 1862, arrived at Cairo and drew arms, smooth-bore muskets altered from flint-lock. February 2, relieved Eighth Illinois at Bird's Point Mo. February 8, ordered up Tennessee River, and on the 9th reached Fort Henry, Colonel Davidson, escorted the battery to Fort Donelson and participated in the action, with slight casualties. February 15, the same company was detached as sharpshooters on gunboat, proceeding up Tennessee River to Eastport, burning a railroad bridge, and capturing a vessel in course of equipment as a rebel gunboat. Later in the month Companies C and K, Captains Phillips and Rider, were embarked on the wooden gunboats "Tyler" and "Lexington," and on March 1, encountered a rebel battery at Pittsburg Landing. After a sharp action the rebel battery was silenced, and portions of both companies made a landing and were fiercely attacked by infantry and cavalry, and obliged to return to the boats, having lost one killed and several wounded, among the latter Captain Phillips. The gunboats lay in the stream for some days shelling the position and preventing fortification until the arrival of a portion of General Grant's army.

March 15, the Regiment debarked at Pittsburg Landing and was assigned to the First Brigade, Fourth Division (Hurlbut) Army of the Tennessee.

April 6m at 8:30 A.M. the Regiment went into action in the battle of Shiloh, and successfully withstood three severe charges with slight loss. The regiment was then shifted to the extreme left of Hurlbut's Division, the flank of which was hard pressed by Breckinridge. Upon this position the enemy made a repeated and most desperate assaults, and here fell General Albert Sidney Johnson, the rebel commander in-chief. The Regiment held its position until about 3 o'clock, most of the time at short pistol range; when having exhausted all its ammunition, down to the cartridges in the boxes of the dead and wounded, it retired with fixed bayonets under a terrible enfilading and reverse fire upon the left flank, which was wholly unsupported. In this action the Regiment lost 44 killed and 212 wounded and prisoners, more than fifty per cent of the force which went into action. Here Colonel Logan was in confusion, but reformed in the line of battle that evening, and advanced with its division the next morning.

[Frenchie Larry]

Re: Captured muskets ( PIttsburgh landing, march '62 )

Thanks for this great info. I am always pleased to read period texts, especially this type of reports. The great attitude of this unit is impressive, too.

So, If I understood weel 1° this unit had old smoothbore muskets ( including flintlocks ) ... 2° but only lost one killed a a few wounded at Pittsburgh landing... not 100 prisoners ! This is maybe a "mix" in my mind with the Shiloh battle...

Hard to go against such an evidence !

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Captured muskets ( PIttsburgh landing, march '62 )

Christophe

I love the term "sharpshooters" being applied to men armed with converted flintlock muskets. :D

[Frenchie Larry]

Re: Captured muskets ( PIttsburgh landing, march '62 )

I fact, one of my pards working on the Grisamore memories sent me this info today. I just asked him by email the exact source of this info. But I'm still waiting his answer.

... about the term of " sharpshooter ", I think that a man who can hit someone else at more than 70ft with a with an old altered 1816 smoothbore can be called " sharpshooter " :D :p .. or say he's damn'd lucky

After checking the Grisamore, the 100 prisoners were a big mistake from us ... but the only CSA " cavalry " in this fight, according to Grisamore, were an officier and a soldier who tried to use an artillery horse ( the horse refused to move ). In fact, from the same sources, the G company moved back during the fed' landing, and then the 2 fed' companies advanced directly on the complete 18th LA regiment, hidden behind a hill, and was a bit .. surprised...

[John of the Skulkers Mess]

Re: 32nd Ill.

Ken Baumann's 'Arming the Suckers' lists the following abstract of issues to 32nd:

January 3, 1862 - 170 French rifles, 657 muskets.

By 4th Qtr, the regiment was armed with rifled muskets.

And "January 29, 1862, arrived at Cairo and drew arms, smooth boore muskets altered from flintlock."


John Pillers
TSM

P.S.
Reportedly, the first Federal casualty at the place, when U.S. troops raided in March, was a soldier with the 32nd Ill.