Texian Volunteer Fast-Loading on Horseback

[TexiKan]

Imagine my surprise on seeing a Gary Zaboly sketch (2010) on page 116 of the book "The Alamo and Beyond" by Phil Collins. What caught my attention is the sketch shows a man on horseback with the muzzlel of his rifle in his mouth. The description states: "Fast-Loading by placing rifle or musket balls in the mouth was a technique long used on the American frontier-going back to colonial times-by both frontiersmen and hunters, and sometimes soldiers. At the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836, many Texians loaded this way as they advanced against General Antonio Lopez Santa Anna's breastwork."

I was not aware of this practice but after all of the "blowing down the barrel" controversy (which I do not want to reignite!) I was surprised to learn of this particular technique!

 

[George T.]

I think that I had read about this before. I wonder how many were swallowed in the heat of battle. I know that it was common to have two revolvers as well. Geo. T.

 

[54ball]

Gary Zaboly sketch (2010)

If it was 1836 it would be more convincing, at least to me.

While there are some accounts of this, it may not be exactly what you would think. Lets look at these terms.
Loading from the horn
Loading from the pouch
Loading from the cartridge box
Loading from the mouth

Loading from the horn and pouch is a method of loading loose powder patch and ball by using those components from the horn and pouch. This is pretty much the standard way of loading a muzzleloader.
From the pouch could mean simply ball was kept in the pouch for loading.

From the cartridge box means a cartridge containing the ball and powder was loaded "from the box".

From the mouth IMHO it means ball was put into mouth for faster loading.

Does this mean the ball was actually spit into the bore? Maybe, but I do not think so.

Why? Because it is clumsy and unbalanced except in a standing position.

I think it would difficult to do at a run or on horse back. Trying to spit a ball down the barrel of a gun or rifle with a 42" barrel at a dead run or on a horse in a dead run would be a feat.

IMHO whats more likely is the ball was spit into the hand, then loaded. This indeed would have been faster than retrieving the ball from the pouch.

 

[Coot]

Gary Zaboly sketch (2010)

From the mouth IMHO it means ball was put into mouth for faster loading.

Does this mean the ball was actually spit into the bore? Maybe, but I do not think so.

Why? Because it is clumsy and unbalanced except in a standing position.

I think it would difficult to do at a run or on horse back. Trying to spit a ball down the barrel of a gun or rifle with a 42" barrel at a dead run or on a horse in a dead run would be a feat.

IMHO whats more likely is the ball was spit into the hand, then loaded. This indeed would have been faster than retrieving the ball from the pouch.

I agree. Having spent some time on horseback, trying to put a longarm muzzle into your mouth while riding sounds like an excellent way to lose some teeth & likely lose your grip on the gun as well. Trying to spit a ball down a muzzle sounds like a good way to leave a trail of balls on the ground behind you. Carrying a few balls in your mouth for quick access sounds practical for the time - spit a ball into your hand & then put hand over muzzle & drop (loose fitting) ball down the bore.

 

[TexiKan]

The sketch shows the rider leaning to the right with his right arm supporting the flintlock rifle (and the ramrod) midway and his left hand holding the muzzle of the rifle just behind the front sight and is on his mouth. His left hand also holds the bridle.

Agreed that it would be difficult to load while on horseback but the sketch is very clear he is not spitting the ball into his hand.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

And this is a period drawing done by an artist in 1836? Or is it a modern interpretation of what someone read? I have to agree with everyone else, it would be very difficult to "spit" a ball into that tiny little hole in the gun's muzzle while on horseback. Much easier to carry the balls in your mouth until needed and load using the hand.

This method of loading is often stated as the way native horsemen loaded while hunting buffalo on the run from horseback and I have a feeling that your artist simply figured that it had to have been done by everyone as a regular procedure - it wasn't. But it sure sounds good to someone that doesn't know anything about loading a muzzleloading firearm or about riding horses.....

 

[Zonie]

One of the neat things about being an artist is there are no rules.

Whatever you dream up can become reality on your canvas.

You don't have to know anything about riding, roping, shooting or guns to draw pictures showing these things.

It's easy to take many different things and to put them into the same picture as if they were all there at the same time while you draw it.

100 or 200 years later people will look at your work and say, "My! I never dreamed they would do things like that back then but look! Right there is a 150 year old drawing proving that they did."

 

[Rod Lassey]

Rodolph Kurz wrote in great detail about reloading on horseback while running buffalo. He makes it very plain that, while the balls are carried in the mouth, you'd use your hand to get them into the muzzle. He even tells which hand to use.

Rod

 

[TexiKan]

Well, as I said, I have not previously heard of this practice. The book is rather interesting and he states the practice was used by many others prior to to 1836.

Here is a link to the sketch. I am assuming the sketch was created to support the fast-loading technique rather than it being created first. http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f35/TexiKan/Fast-Loading.jpg

 

[Coot]

The sketch is clearly a modern (contemporary) style. The idea of the horse coming to a sudden halt with the rifle in one's mouth and the reins in hand is a surefire way to lose teeth...... :nono:
Sort of like jumping off the barn roof with wings strapped on, it might sound like a neat idea but is not going to end well. If anyone wants to try, I have four horses and a good (but not cheap) dentist available. :wink:

 

[cynthialee]

looks like a good way to blow your head off

 

[Billnpatti]

I am not convinced that this method was ever used. :nono: I think it is a misunderstanding by the artist. :redface: Now, if we had a photo taken in 1836 showing this method being used, or we had someone who was living at that time who would testify that this method was actually used, I'd be convinced but just on the basis of a piece of comtemporary art, not a chance. :hmm: :shake:

 

[TexiKan]

Oh yes, the teeth would probably be gone under those circumstances! Just some insight into the artist listed in the book:

"Gary S. Zaboly is a historical illustrator and writer. He is the author of An Altar for Their Sons; A True Ranger: The Life and Many Wars of Major Robert Rogers; The American Colonial Ranger: The Northern Colonies, 1724-1764;co author and illustrator of The Annotated and Illustrated Journals of Major Robert Rogers;illustration and written contributions to Blood of Noble Men: The Alamo Siege and Battle;and numerous articles on various aspects of US military history. He is a member of the Alamo Society, The Company of Military Historians, a Friend of Fort Ticonderoga, and a founding board member of the Alamo Battlefield Association."

 

[Wes/Tex]

I've actually seen a couple references to this practice through the years but usually the gun spoken of proves to be a smoothbore. Though there's little actual vintage material about the true arms of the Texian cavalry at San Jacinto, I'd bet on shotguns or other smoothbore weapons. There's a lot of confusion to this day about who toted what that afternoon, including a M.1809/39 musket in the monument museum that's suppose to have been used...not till 3 years alter I'm afraid. Spit loading a rifled bore would have limited range to 'point-blank' with an undersized ball and not patch.

 

[Rod Lassey]

Here's a link to the Kurz quote:
http://www.manuellisaparty.com/articles/running_buffalo.htm


Rod

 

[54ball]

I really do like the sketch. But it is art and in this art the subject or subjects are modified to fit the theme or premise.

I hate to dissect the illusion but here goes.

Imagine the Texian rider as a stick figure. He would have one short arm and one long one.

The artist here uses tricks with shadow and the illusion of angle to make the short arm and long arm proportional. The artist himself may not even realize this, he's just trying to make an image fit the premise of spit loading.

The rifle. At the longest that rifle's barrel would be 24 to 26 inches as drawn. Yet it appears well proportioned and has the look of a rifle with a 36" barrel. As drawn the rifle would be very small at places. The riders giant hand on his one giant arm can grip around the trigger guard and lock.

How he is holding the ram rod ?? That giant hand helps.

The horse is rearing. The front feet are up and she is in a slide. The action of the rider does not show the same action. He is not braced for the sudden stop that is about to come, he also unbalanced to the rifle side. I guess he can catch himself with his giant arm.

He's either going to drop his rifle or bust his a$$ in the next second. Probably both.

The pistol, how long would it ride there, like that?

 

[Matt85]

i agree with the others, ive ridden a few horses in my life and can assure you loading from the mouth at any decent speed would not be possible. heck, even with the horse just walking it would be tough. at speed you would just end up smashing out your front teeth and losing the ball. the onley people who would think its possible are people who have never ridden a horse.

-matt

 

[TexiKan]

OK, let's say there was NO illustration provided and there was only the quoted information stating this loading technique.

The book consists of many artifacts from the Alamo and that era. The illustrations are used in support of the information given and I do not believe the artwork is there to be definitive proof, although the artist does have "stitch counter" credibility outside of his artistic endeavors.

My curiosity was peaked in just knowing something like this was supposedly used, and according to the info, it was not an isolated practice!

He also stated further down in the text, "Short rifles or carbines were preferred."

 

[Rod Lassey]

There's nothing wrong with the quote as stated, it's just that the artist misinterpreted how the operation was performed. Read the quote I provided from Kurz---this was a common practice, most frontiersmen would have been aquainted with it.

Rod

 

[RedFeather]

I've only read about this when running Buffalo. Pour in the powder, spit the ball into the barrel (or hand to barrel), tap the butt on the ground and give the gun a hard shake to the lock side to prime the pan. I remember the author stating that the touch holes on these guns had been enlarged to make the priming easier.

Why on earth would the fellow in the picture spit the ball down the barrel and then finish up the job with the ramrod? Sounds kind of bass-akwards if he wanted to save time. Perhaps the artist should try holding a longrifle by the barrel at arms's length? Of course, these were Texicans and not mere mortals. Ain't that Pecos Bill's paw in the pitcher?