Volunteer firearms of the Mexican-American War

[user 56333]

We've all heard of the "Mississippi Rifles" (both the unit and the weapon they lent their name to) ... but what about all the other volunteer units that saw service in the Mexican-American War? What were they shooting with?

For instance, how common was it for volunteer units to acquire their own firearms (rather than have them issued by the government), and how much did the weapons of volunteer units differ from those of the US regulars?

 

[64Springer]

I believe the definition of volunteer is bring your own private firearm.

I would think .36, .40, .45 for volunteer units and .69 for government troops.

Military arms had big pointy things in front. Volunteer arms did not.

And I would venture to say that volunteer units were five times better shots than government troops.

 

[user 56333]

I believe the definition of volunteer is bring your own private firearm.

Not at all! Not every man who enlisted in the (many) volunteer units of this war would have necessarily owned a firearm in civilian life. Volunteer units as a whole could make arrangements to outfit their men with uniforms, kit, and guns. After all, I think we both know that the men of the Mississippi Rifles unit did not own those guns before they joined ... It was Jeff Davis who arranged for them to be provided with those guns.

Also you need to think about logistics here ... if every man in a volunteer unit was bringing his own private gun, the unit would have an extra headache of trying to get extra rounds and replacement parts for the myriad of guns that would be floating around in that unit. Much easier (and cheaper) to have every man in the unit equipped with the same gun.

 

[64Springer]

You answered your own question.

 

[user 56333]

You answered your own question.

How so? All I said was that volunteer units could provide their men with guns, but I still don't know examples of what sorts of guns these units provided their men with, apart from the aforementioned Mississippi Rifles unit. That's why I'm here asking.

 

[64Springer]

The army would have supplied standard issue rifles of the day.

Google is telling me the Model 1822 flintlock musket in .69 caliber.

 

[BillinOregon]

I have long wondered what my great-great-grandfather might have been issued when he enlisted on May 1, 1847, in Austin, in the First Texas Mounted Rifle Volunteers. Some of these boys under Jack Hays were also issued the fabled Walker Colts. His company, under Captain Highsmith, did not see any action in Mexico, instead fighting Native Americans along the Brazos near present-day Waco more in the role of Texas Rangers.

 

[BillinOregon]

It wouldn't have been Model 1822 flintlock smoothbores. I like to imagine they were issued Model 1841 Mississippis.
By the way, great-great grandfather, a native Virginian, was 17 when he enlisted, not 21. He died in 1883 just after the family had moved from Buffalo Gap to Kimble County.

 

[user 56333]

@BillinOregon I've read that regular US cavalry in the Mexican-American War used M1843 Hall carbines and Springfield M1847 carbines, but I have no clue if any of the mounted volunteer units (like your ancestor's) also had them.

 

[AtlatlMan]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that whatever weapons the Volunteers may have started out with ended up being replaced by 1842 Springfields.

 

[Red Owl]

We've all heard of the "Mississippi Rifles" (both the unit and the weapon they lent their name to) ... but what about all the other volunteer units that saw service in the Mexican-American War? What were they shooting with?

For instance, how common was it for volunteer units to acquire their own firearms (rather than have them issued by the government), and how much did the weapons of volunteer units differ from those of the US regulars?

I haven't read anything about US forces in the War with Mexico using privately owned firearms. In a militia (own firearms) it was sort of like jury duty, everyone was liable, you didn't volunteer. So, a volunteer was different from a militiaman. I think.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

We've all heard of the "Mississippi Rifles" (both the unit and the weapon they lent their name to) ... but what about all the other volunteer units that saw service in the Mexican-American War? What were they shooting with?

For instance, how common was it for volunteer units to acquire their own firearms (rather than have them issued by the government), and how much did the weapons of volunteer units differ from those of the US regulars?

The Mormon Battalion was armed with US Model 1816 Muskets and a few Harper's Ferry 1803 Rifles.

LD

 

[tenngun]

I haven't read anything about US forces in the War with Mexico using privately owned firearms. In a militia (own firearms) it was sort of like jury duty, everyone was liable, you didn't volunteer. So, a volunteer was different from a militiaman. I think.

I was thinking this. Most volunteer unit seems to have been outfitted by the government, a little different then 1812
I know there were some units on the edge of mutiny over smoothbores vs the Mississippi
I’m thinking ‘volunteers’ was the name designated to the state raised regiment
There may have been lots of true volunteer units, I’m not an expert here,
So pipe up any one who knows better.

 

[Frod733]

Hello.. Not sure if this applies here, but thought I would ask. I have heard that British Baker rifles were present in the Mexican forces at the Alamo. Is there any documentation to this?

 

[Story]

I have long wondered what my great-great-grandfather might have been issued when he enlisted on May 1, 1847, in Austin, in the First Texas Mounted Rifle Volunteers.

Enjoy this thread https://alamostudies.proboards.com/thread/275

 

[BillinOregon]

Thanks, Story. Since the order specified 800 "percussion rifles," these would have had to be either the Hall or the Model 1841 Mississippi. So the next question would be which type of rifle, or both, was stored at the Baton Rouge Arsenal in 1846.