CSA Senator Wigfall & Son Letter

Camp near Chesterfield Station

Friday Jan 9th, 1863

Dear Papa

I wrote to Mama the day I reached camp, a week ago to-day. I have not heard from any of you since leaving the Springs but am in hopes of receiving a letter to-day. You asked me before I left to write and give my views on the subject of our artillery organization. As it stands at present there is little or no regularity about it, and it would be hard to change it for the worse. The organization of a six-p’d’r. “mounted battery”, i.e. a field battery in which the cannoneers walk by the side of the pieces or are mounted on the ammunition-chests, as opposed to “horse artillery” in which the cannoneers are on horseback, as laid down in the U.S. “Instruction for Field Artillery”, is as follows: on a war footing, six pieces, one Captain, four Lieutenants, one for each section, and one to command the line of caissons, two staff sergeants (Qr. Mr. and 1st or Orderly), six sergeants chiefs of pieces, twelve corporals gunners and chiefs of caissons, six artificers, two buglers, fifty-two drivers, and seventy cannoneers. Of these last three drivers are required for each carriage, and there being twelve carriages (six pieces and six caissons) thirty-six drivers are necessary to carry the battery into action, leaving sixteen for other purposes, of whom six are allowed for the forge and the battery-wagon necessary for shoeing horses, mending harness and repairing breaks generally, so that ten are left spare. It must be taken into consideration that an infantry company’s efficiency exists in exact proportion to its numbers no matter how much reduced, while on the contrary when a company of artillery falls below a certain number of men its guns become useless; hence the necessity of carrying into the field spare men as well as spare horses, wheels, poles, &c. To man the guns requires, in addition to the sergeant and two corporals, seven cannoneers for each piece making forty-two, and leaving twenty-eight spare. The six artificers might very well consist of one blacksmith, one horse-shoer, one carriage-maker, one wheelwright, one harness-maker and one saddler. On adding them all together we find that they amount to five commissioned and one hundred and fifty enlisted. The “Instructions for field Artillery” which comprises the regulations for Artillery in the US army says the number of men in a battery should never be less than twenty-five per piece even in six-pdr. batteries. The above distribution you see gives that number exactly. I enclose a plan of organization into brigades and divisions which though very crude and undigested may possibly be of some assistance to you. The commissioned and non-commissioned staff of the brigades and divisions should not be taken from among the officers and non-commissioned officers of the batteries for they have each their own particular duties to perform. I would have no Chiefs of Artillery at the head-qts of the Army corps or of the Army; but would let the Colonels of Artillery stand in the same light to the Major-Generals com’dg Divisions as the Brig-Gen’ls of Infantry, and occupy the same position in respect to their own commands as the Colonels of Infantry Regt’s. The Artillery Reserve, to quote from the US “Ins. for field Art.”, “constitutes a distinct arm of battle, under the immediate orders of the general commanding”. The mail has come but brought no letter for me. Give my best love to Mama. I will write to Louly in a day or two. Write whenever you have leisure dear Papa and believe me as ever

Your affectionate Son Halsey

1 Bat. Com’d by a Captain.

2 Bat’s 1 Bat. Com’d by Capt. 1 Brigade com’d. by a Major 1 Bat. “ “ “

2 Brig’s. 1 Brig. Com’d by Maj. 1 Division com’d by a Lt-Colonel. 1 Brig. “ “ “

1 Brig. Com’d. by Major 3 Brig’s 1 Brig. “ “ Major 1 Division com’d. by a Colonel. 1 Brig. “ “ Lieut-Col.

The Artillery Reserve to be commanded by a Brigadier-General. The batteries to be organized into Brigades and Divisions and the Brigades and Divisions to be distributed between the Artillery Reserve and the various Infantry Divisions of the different Army Corps.

Editor ~ Thank you again to the Iridell Blues for giving us this unique piece of history.

John Holland ,Small Arms Staff Officer Chairman, Small Arms Committee

The Model 1841 Rifle, aka “Mississippi Rifle”, is the most diverse U.S. military arm ever made, with some 50 or so variations known by collectors. It has maintained its popularity ever since the first ones were delivered to troops for field trials. The N-SSA currently recognizes not only the original basic as-issued model, but also another 12 variations. These variations are the different types of sight alterations allowing for long range shooting. The vast majority of other Mississippi Rifle alterations were for bayonet adaptions, and therefore are of little interest to the N-SSA competitive shooter.

The variant being discussed in this article is known in the N-SSA as a “Type F”. As you have seen, it is also known as a “Moller Type IV”. The difference in naming is due to the fact that the N-SSA was the first entity to actually classify the sight variation types of Mississippi Rifles some 40 years ago. When the late George D. Moller published “American Military Shoulder Arms, Volume 3, Flintlock Alterations and Muzzleloading Percussion Shoulder Arms, 1840-1865” in 2011, he created his own classification system, which is rather different from what the N-SSA had done thirty years prior. George Moller’s three volume set of books on “American Military Shoulder Arms” has become the virtual “Bible” for reference purposes. Because they are so popular, and constantly referenced by collectors, is why I included his terminology in the header to this article for clarification purposes. The set is expensive, but I still highly recommend them to collectors. Most people in the N-SSA will only be interested in Volume three. Fortunately they can be purchased separately.

For our purposes I will use the N-SSA designation of the “Type F”. This alteration was done at the Harper’s Ferry Armory during the Fiscal Year of 1860, which ended in April of 1861 when the Armory was captured by Confederate forces. The Type F is the last of the series of Model 1841 Rifles altered at Harper’s Ferry. The existing records indicate that there were 1,060 such alterations done. Normally Harper’s Ferry used only Harper’s Ferry made rifles for their alterations, however the Type F is now known to have also been done using contract rifles. The previous alterations were experimental in nature and were really a testing ground looking for the best sight to use on a new rifle that was being developed. That new rifle was of course the Harper’s Ferry Model 1855 Rifle, which was introduced in 1857.

The Model 1841 Type F wasn’t really of an experimental nature, but rather an expedient to get rifles to the government. The rear sight used on this rifle is the same short base leaf sight that had been adopted for the Harper’s Ferry Model 1855 Rifle in 1858. Also included in the upgrade alteration of the Type F Rifle was the short double strap front band, a Model 1855 Rifle bayonet lug, and 1855 Rifle front sight. The .54 caliber bore was reamed and re-rifled to the standard .58 caliber. This upgraded M-1841 Rifle had everything that the M-1855 Rifle had except for a tape primer, which was already showing itself to be problematic. In my personal opinion this was a far better rifle than the then current M-1855 Rifle! The weight is nearly identical, it has a larger patch box, the same latest version rear and front sights, and you don’t have to fumble with the percussion cap to get it on the nipple because there is no high hump tape primer lock!

For those who may be interested in replicating this unique Model 1841 “Mississippi” Type 4 Rifle, included for your convenience is the latest version of the Small Arms inspection sheet for this rifle.

Editor Note ~ If any of our members wish to get their hands on a nice reproduction model of this firearm you are in luck. Pedersoli makes a fine reproduction of this firearm that you can pick up easily.