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The 150th anniversary of the
American Civil War is upon us. The
words that Ulysses S. Grant wrote in the
preface to his book Personal Memoirs
of U.S. Grant. I will take to heart in my
writings. During the next few years there
will be many articles written about the
150th Anniversary. It is an important
time in the history of the United States
of America and an important time in the
history of muzzleloading firearms and
accoutrements.
This month 150 years ago, July
21, 1861, the First Battle of Bull Run/
Manassas took place. Manassas was the
name given to the battle by the confederate
forces because it took place near the town
of Manassas in Prince William County,
Virginia. It is common for many of the
same battlefields to have different names
because the North and South forces gave
them their own names and both stuck in
history. April, 1861 – just months after
the start of the war with firing on Fort
Sumter in South Carolina the Northern
public clamored for a march against
the Confederate capital of Richmond,
Virginia, with hopes of an early end to the
war. Brigadier General Irvin McDowell
was appointed by President Lincoln
to command the Union Army in its
march against Richmond. McDowell was
concerned about the untried and untrained
men in his army. He was reassured by
President Lincoln, “You are green, this is
true, but they are green also; you are all
green alike.” Against McDowell’s better
judgment he commenced his campaign
against the Confederate Army commanded
by General Beauregard.
On July 21st Brigadier General
McDowe l l advanc ed a c ro s s Bu l l
Run towards the equally unseasoned
Confederate army of Brigadier General
P.G.T. Beauregard near Manassas Junction.
McDowell’s plan for a surprise flank attack
against the Confederate left was not well
executed by his inexperienced officers
and men, but the Confederates, who
had been planning to attack the Union
left flank, found themselves at an initial
disadvantage.
Confederate reinforcements arrived
from the Shenandoah Valley by railroad
and the course of the battle changed. A
brigade of Virginians under a relatively
unknown Colonel from the Virginia
Military Institute, Thomas J. Jackson,
stood his ground and Jackson received his
famous nickname, “Stonewall Jackson.”
The Confederates launched a strong
counterattack and the Union Troops
began withdrawing. Many panicked, and
the battle turned into a rout as Union
troops frantically ran in the direction of
nearby Washington, D.C. Both sides were
sobered by the violence and casualties
of the battle, and they realized that the
war could be much longer and bloodier
than originally anticipated. For more
information about the 150th Anniversary
Celebration at the Battlefield site go to
www.manassascivilwar.org.
When we think of the American
CivilWar we automatically think of the .58
caliber Minie ball and the 1855 and 1861
rifled muskets. But just as common in the
war – especially in the earlier battles – was
the Model 1842 percussion musket. The
Model 1842 was the last U.S. smoothbore
musket. It was the first U.S. musket made
with a percussion lock, though most of
the 1840 flintlocks ended up converted
to percussion locks before reaching the
field. The Model 1842 was .69 caliber
with a barrel length of 42 inches and an
overall length of 59 inches, and it weighed
— Muzzle Blast, September 2011 —
by James C. Fulmer
NewRelease for CivilWar Anniversary
“In preparing these volumes for the public, I have entered upon the task with sincere desire to avoid doing injustice
to any one, whether on the National or Confederate side, other than the unavoidable injustice of not making mention
often where special mention is due.” U.S. Grant (Mount MacGregor, New York, July 1 1885
Left to right: Steven Hench and Mac Spencer of the Kentucky Rifle Association; Dorothy Maxfield
and Barry Maxfield of the Contemporary Longrifle Association.
Beyond Friendship