Customer Reviews

Small Arms at Gettysburg: Infantry and Cavalry Weapons in America's Greatest Battle

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Small Arms at Gettysburg: Infantry and Cavalry Weapons in America's Greatest Battle" should be of value to anyone seriously interested in the nature of fighting at Gettysburg in particular or the American Civil War in general. The author examines the numerous types of firearms used by both the Union and Confederate armies at Gettysburg, cavalry as well as infantry. The development history of these weapons is covered, as well as how they were actually used on the battlefield.

Although the greatest space is devoted to rifle-muskets (as well it should be, since rifle-muskets by far were the most common shoulder arms used at Gettysburg), smoothbore muskets and breechloading rifles and carbines and revolvers are also described as well. An item of especial interest to me was the author's detailed discussion of the "buck-and-ball" ammunition commonly used in smoothbores (and, as is made clear, a good many smoothbores remained in the soldiers' hands at the time of the battle), the most detailed description of this ammunition type I have ever seen: usually, it is mentioned only in passing, almost as a curiosity rather than a significant piece of military technology, but in "Small Arms at Gettysburg" the history and employment of "buck-and-ball" is given its due attention for the first time.

The writing is vivid, yet detailed. If you are a serious student of the military side of the American Civil War, this is a volume that belongs on your bookshelf.

Although the Battle of Gettysburg has been extensively studied, there are relatively few full-length treatments of the types of arms used in the conflict. Joseph Bilby's "Small Arms at Gettysburg: Infantry and Cavalry Weapons in America's Greatest Battle" (2008) offers a detailed discussion of the carbines, single-shot rifles,repeating rifles, smoothbores, sabres, and handguns that were used at Gettysburg. Bilby has written extensively on Civil War weaponry. He has also written regimental histories of Irish units during the Civil War.

In places, Bilby's book is technical and presupposes considerable background knowledge in the reader about Civil War arms. He discusses the history and technological development of the various types of small weapons (that is not including artillery) that found their way to Gettysburg. He also provides fascinating information about the companies and individuals that developed the weapons. But when it comes to explaining the manner in which each weapon worked and how, for example, one model of carbine differed from another, he is frequently difficult to follow. Bilby assumes that any reader interested in this book will have a more than elementary familiarity with firearms. Diagrams of selected weapons showing how they were loaded and how they operated together with some simple preliminary information would have been useful.

In addition to the technical information on the weapons, Bilby discusses the way the arms were used, developed, and tested during the Civil War. His discussion of these matters is insightful and clear even for those readers without much background in arms. He addresses subjects that are frequently overlooked -- such as the lack of training in marksmanship provided to most soldiers by both Union and Confederate armies before marching the troops off to battle. Bilby offers a perceptive discussion of the difference between smoothbores and rifles and considers carefully the alleged changes that the more advanced weaponry brought to the conduct of the war. This information is valuable in understanding the conflict.

Most of Bilby's study concerns the use of the weapons he describes at Gettysburg. Here again, his analysis is useful. I learned a great deal from his discussion of the encounter between Buford's cavalry and Heth's infantry which opened the first day of the battle in which the union troops used single shot carbines. Bilby considers the effectiveness of these weapons and measures them against other factors -- such as Heth's delay in pressing the cavalry units at the outset -- in assessing the outcome of the first day of the battle. I learned a great deal as well about the cavalry fighting on July 3 at Runnell farm (East Cavalry Field)where the Union troops in fact used repeating rifles and where handguns and sabres played a major role. Bilby views this third day cavalry fight as the harbinger of modern weaponry. Bilby also has much to say about the use of smoothbores at Gettysburg, about the circumstances in which they were effective (particularly in helping to repel Pickett's charge in its final stages) and about the different kinds of ammunition they could fire. He offers an excellent discussion of sharpshooters on both sides and of the types of weapons they employed. He is critical of accounts that overemphasize the role of sharpshooters from Devil's Den during the third day of the battle -- in contrast to a treatment of this subject I heard during a recent battlefield tour. And, of course, he spends a great deal of time with the single shot rifle. The models made by either Springfield or Enfield predominated during the conflict and signaled beyond doubt the obsolescence of the smoothbores.

This is not an appropriate book with which to begin a study of the Battle of Gettysburg due to the technical nature of much of the subject matter. For those with a solid grounding in the battle, especially for readers with an understanding of firearms, this book will be valuable. An understanding of the deadly weapons the soldiers carried and their use is important to understanding the conflict. As Bilby recognizes, the greatest value of the study lies in illuminating the work of the soldiers themselves, the dangers they faced, their suffering, and their heroism.

Robin Friedman

This book is well-written, informative, and a real treasure for those with a serious (i.e., have already read five-plus books on the topic) interest in the American Civil War. Ignorant of firearms and their development, I found
the author's detailed treatment of the topic to be both appropriate and highly useful.

His treatment of cavalry action on the first and third days is especially
well done, and his considered conclusions regarding the development and use of weaponry are insightful.

This one stays in my library - as soon as I get it back from my brother-in-law, who owns a gun shop...

Joseph Bilby, author of an excellent work on the development of repeating rifles, has provided another fine monograph on Civil War weaponry. This time he discusses the weapons used at our nation's largest battle. Bilby manages to make rather technical issues surprisingly interesting and understandable to the non-technical reader. In addition to discussing the weapons themselves, he illustrates their uses in battle. His section on sharpshooters is outstanding and worth the price of the book itself. While not a book for the beginner in Civil War history, this is a very readable work that will not fail to inform any reader.

This book was recommended to me by the American Rifleman (one of the magazines for NRA members), and I'm glad that they recommended it. This is an excellent book that covers all the small arms used during the battle of Gettysburg and some that weren't. It does expect an understanding of the battle prior to the reader picking it up so I recommend that you read the Gettysburg book by Sears, Trudeau or Coddington first. Of course, if you have read any book that covers the whole battle, then you will be prepared for this.

The book covers all the small arms, each in its own chapter. First, the cavalry carbines are covered, then the rifled-muskets are covered, then the smoothbores, the repeating rifles, the sharpshooters and then it ends with pistols and sabers. The book provides the history of the development of the weapon and then some examples of its use at the battle of Gettysburg, and if not used there, its use in other Civil War (or even other military) actions.
All the major weapons, and not so major, are covered, the Sharps carbine, the Enfield and Springfield rifle-musket, the Spencer rifle, the Sharps rifle, and the Colts pistol and rifle.

Here are some interesting anecdotes that I picked up to whet your appetite.
1. The cavalry at Gettysburg used numerous different carbines, the Sharps, the Merrill, the Burnside, the Gallager, and even a rifle, the Spencer. It must have been a challenge to keep all of these different carbines supplied since they each used different bullets.
2. There were three major rifle-muskets used during the battle - the Springfield was the most used, and then the Enfield and an Austrian Lorenz in a number of different calibers.
3. Smoothbore muskets up to 100 yards, using buck and ball, where actually more deadly than rifle-muskets and much of the fighting was done at that distance. Consequently, a number of regiments used smoothbores although they stopped using them shortly after Gettysburg.
4. There were many different units that used the Sharps rifle, for its skirmishing companies, since this was a very accurate and quick firing rifle.
There were more interesting anecdotes.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the Civil War.

A great technical read on a very sparsly covered subject. Enliven with with enough personal accounts to keep it from being a dry read. Fun if you a battle and wapons nut. NOt for the causal read.

This book is more than what the title indicates. With many references, the author shows the developement of firearms and their use by military from about 17th century to somewhat past the Civil War. This is much more than a book about who did what and when. Beyond being a useful augmentation to the battle at Gettysburg, this is a serious book about technology, military procurement, the need for marksmanship, and the need for leaders to understand the limitations of their "tools."
The writing flows well and keeps the interest. Actions from the Battle are use to illustrate. Missing is detail about the 20th Maine led by Chamberlain.
If one were to purchase one book on black-powder firearms, this is the book. You might, or might not, wish also to purchase a picture book showing such firearms.

VERY COMPACT AND WELL RESEARCHED BOOK ON THE SUBJECT.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR THOSE A.C.W. BLUFFS,SPECIALLY THOSE INTERESTED IN THAT PERIOD'S EQUIPMENT.ONLY A REGRET COULD BE MADE ABOUT THE GRAPHIC MATERIAL PRESENT IN THE WORK,I FIND IT A LITTLE SCARCE.

The book was good, as far as the technical things were addressed. But i was looking for more of the day to day dealings with keeping their weapons clean,and what little tricks the solders might have had to keeping the water out. Also,the minie ball would have a tendency to want to slide back out of the barrel, if the rifle was pointed down and the barrel was clean. So, how did the solders deal with that? Im sure it came up from time to time. They were not shooting up hill all the time.Thats about it in a nut shell.

sicerely yours
Bill McClintock

Based on the reviews and the write-up I'd expected a book with detail on the design of the small arms used and their operational deployment. This book is something different. After reading the 1st chapter I sent it back.