Interesting account from the Battle of Peachtree Creek

[Kiltman20]

Reverend Washington “Wash” Bryan Crumpton
Sergeant, Co H, 37th Mississippi
Cantey's Brigade, commanded by Col. O'Neal

Stone’s Brigade on our right had come up through an old field facing a battery and had been unsuccessful. Lieutenant Pierce English, gun in hand, and three of us found ourselves on a hill rather behind the battery on our right. We had used up all of our ammunition. So, we picked up Yankee cartridge boxes which strewed the ground. Their guns carried a ball about two calibers smaller than ours, so we abandoned the slow method of drawing the rammer to load. We tore the cartridge, placed it in the muzzle, and stamped the breech on the ground; the weight of the bullet carried the cartridge home, so we had to only cap and fire. It was almost like a repeating rifle.

 

[Jim in Wisconsin]

I think there would be no use to aiming it either, the ball wouldn't hit where you aimed anyway.

 

[Roundball2319]

Didn't matter if it hit what you aimed at or not. The rate of fire and the fact that bullets were still flying towards the Yankees made the small group of men seem like a much larger force and a stray bullet still kills or damages what it hits.

 

[Roundball2319]

Thanks for sharing this account.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

Anyone that has been in harms way can appreciate that personal account by Sargeant Crumpton. You do what you need to do. No other opinions matter.

 

[Artificer]

Reverend Washington “Wash” Bryan Crumpton
Sergeant, Co H, 37th Mississippi
Cantey's Brigade, commanded by Col. O'Neal

We had used up all of our ammunition. So, we picked up Yankee cartridge boxes which strewed the ground. Their guns carried a ball about two calibers smaller than ours, so we abandoned the slow method of drawing the rammer to load.

I wonder if it would be possible to find out just what muskets Co H, 37th Mississippi had?

If they had .69 smoothbore or rifled smoothbore muskets, yeah, the Yank's .58 cal. ammo would have easily worked that way.

Gus

 

[Stantheman86]

I wonder if it would be possible to find out just what muskets Co H, 37th Mississippi had?

If they had .69 smoothbore or rifled smoothbore muskets, yeah, the Yank's .58 cal. ammo would have easily worked that way.

Gus

I would also guess they had some kind of .69's and most likely the Federals had .58 Minie cartridges.

Or, if he says "2 calibers smaller" possibly the Yanks had .54 Minie cartridges for Lorenz rifles? Not as likely but who knows.