7tncav

Weapons

Longarms:

The 7th Tennessee's longarms, like much of the Confederate cavalry,
underwent a transformation as the war progressed. Initially, most were
armed with double-barreled shotguns brought from home because of a
shortage of weapons. These were of 8, 10 or 12 gauge and were not sawed
off so some accuracy could be maintained. Pre-rolled cartridges of "buck
and ball" were issued for shotguns by the ordnance department. Though
shotguns could be found in the Confederate cavalry throughout the war,
their use diminished as troopers obtained more accurate rifled weapons.
Carbines were the preferred longarm of the cavalry. They offered reasonable
accuracy combined with portability. The problem was that they were not
always easy to obtain. Maynards saw some service early in the war due to a
small supply in Southern arsenals, but metallic cartridges required by these
were difficult to obtain. One of the the best and most reliable carbines was
the Sharps. Its use of paper cartridges also allowed a readily available supply
of ammunition. Infantry rifles and rifled muskets were by far the most
prevalent longarm in the Western Confederate cavalry. They were more
easily obtained, either from the enemy or their own ordnance department,
and their superior range made them an excellent weapon against the
increasing numbers of repeating rifles in the Federal ranks. Forrest's
command utilized Enfield, Springfield, and Mississippi rifles with great
effect at such places as Chickamauga, Okolona, and Fort Pillow; nullifying
the enemy's superior rate of fire. The rifle was usually carried slung tightly
over the shoulder. Veteran cavalrymen rarely carried their longarms
strapped to the saddle. Saddle carbine boots did not come into use until the
1880s.

Pistols:

The revolver quickly replaced the saber as the prime weapon on horseback.
Colonel Mosby stated, "If you're close enough to stick 'em, your close
enough to shoot 'em", was followed by much of the Confederate
cavalrymen by late 1862.

Our impression is that of the western theatre cavalryman and saber usage
was even more rarely found, once the war was heavily underway, than it was
with their eastern counterparts.

Evidence shows that the Colt Navy 36 cal. was the predominate revolver in
the 7th Tennessee. Large quantities were either contracted or duplicated by
the Confederates. The Navy was very accurate and relatively light to carry.
The Colt Army 44 cal. was the mainstay of the Federal cavalry, with
numbers of these falling into Confederate hands. The most reliable was the
Remington New Army 44. Its ease in reloading and sturdy construction
made it superior to the Colts. However, few Remingtons found their way
into Confederate hands. Some other manufacturers of Confederate
revolvers were: Spiller & Burr, Whitney, Leech & Rigdon, and Griswold to
name a few.

Most troopers would not have carried more than two pistols in order to
minimize weight. Quartermaster reports indicate that many carried no
pistols at all by late war. For our units' impression, only one pistol (or
none) is requested unless orders or scenarios dictate differently. Pommel
holsters were dispensed with by enlisted men after early war. Cavalrymen
learned to carry their firearms on their person.

Revolvers should be loaded with regular Cream of Wheat or vermiculite for
safety. Wonder wads are not allowed.

Sabers:

For centuries the saber had been the symbol of the cavalry. Images of
gallant cavaliers engaged in personal combat inspired many 'Beau Sabeurs'
to enlist in the cavalry at the beginning of hostilities. No saber was standard
issue for Confederates. The U.S. model 1840, nicknamed 'wristbreaker', was
found in U.S. arsenals throughout the South upon secession, and thus issued
to some regiments. The newer model 1860 'light' cavalry saber also existed
in lesser quantities and would become the standard issue for Yankee cavalry
during the war. Local firms, such as the Nashville Plow Works, produced the
majority of Confederate made sabers. Several of the early companies that
would later be incorporated into the 7th Tennessee received sabers made by
the Memphis Novelty Works. (No reproductions of these are made).

One of the reasons the Confederate cavalry quickly surpassed its Federal
counterpart was the ability to adapt to a changing mode of warfare. Leaders
like Forrest and Morgan, unhampered by West Point doctrine, realized the
limits of the mounted arm and developed more practical and effective
methods for the use of cavalry. Their men had to travel greater distances
than their eastern brothers did. They traveled light and moved quickly;
fighting dismounted in a pitched battle and using the horses only for
maneuver. In the scheme of these tactics the saber was obsolete….a useless
appendage that added unnecessary weight to the trooper's load. By mid-war
the saber was rarely carried by the enlisted man in the western theater of
the war. Major Hosea, a member of Union General Wilson's staff, recalled a
meeting with Forrest during a truce just prior to the Wilson Raid. Upon
receiving what was taken as a challenge by Major Hosea, Forrest replied,"
General Wilson may pick his men and I'll pick mine. He may take his sabers
and I'll take my six-shooters. I don't want nary a saber in my command-
haven't got one... I ain't no graduate of West Point; never rubbed my back
up agin any college, but Wilson may take his sabers and I'll use my
six-shooters and agree to whup the fight with any cavalry he can bring".
Forrest was able to prove his point later in the campaign, when he and his
escort company of 80 men stopped a saber charge by an entire Yankee
regiment, firing their Navy .36s from horseback and making good their
escape. Though the Federals were slow to learn, they did make one
adjustment, as mentioned by Captain Fredrick Whittaker, 6th New York
Cavalry, in his 1871 book Lessons of a Decade. In reference to dismounted
skirmishing he wrote, "The dash and impetuosity of a dismounted skirmish
line is far beyond that of an infantry force of equal numbers. The men
come into action perfectly fresh." Saber fights at mid or late-war
reenactments should be avoided.