Weapons of the Civil War

Above is a picture of a Gatling Gun. It was probably the first "machine gun" in the world, capable of firing 600 bullets a minute. The Gatling Gun was invented by Richard Jordan Gatlin in 1861 and patented in 1862. The Gatling Gun had 6 barrels, all revolving around a central shaft. Gatling Gun used the 6 barrels partially to cool the gun during firing. Since the gun was capable of firing 600 rounds a minute, each barrel fired 100 rounds per minute.
The Gatling Gun however, was rarely used in the Civil War. Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler, after a field test, purchased 12 for $1,000 each. He then used two of them in the battle of Petersburg. This weapon, although not officially adopted till 1866, still made a huge impact on outcome of the Civil War and, more importantly, the future of warfare.

This is a 1861 Springfield rifle. It was standerd use for both the Confederates and the Union. They were made in the U.S., although production mostly happened in the North because thats were all the factories were. It was the most widely used infantry weapon used in the Civil War. This is a Enfield rifle. "Springfields" were used in huge quantities by both sides, and there was quickly an arms shortage. Europe then manufactured huge numbers of Enfield rifles and they were imported in numbers exceeding 800,000. It was the second most widely used infantry weapon in the war. Enfield rifles however, did not work as well as Springfield rifles. Many soldiers would exchange there Enfield Rifle with a Springfield of a dead soldier.

The weapons in the Civil War that did the most damage to human life were infact, cannons. Advancments in the field of artillary made a large differnce in the Civil War. These advancments have made a large differnce in our lives, as they reasulted in newer and better exploseives, like bombs, and nukes. Bellow are just a few of the types of cannons used in the Civil War.

A 3 Inch Ordance Rifle.

A Napoleon.
A row of 12 Ib. Parrots.

A 32 Ib. Howitzer.

Rows of 6 Pounder Guns.

• The Union used hot air balloons to spy on confederate troops
• Allegheny Arsenal was the biggest millitary manufacturer in the war, making over 14 million bullets a year
• Quaker cannons were logs that were painted black to look like cannons
• Fort Pittworks made 15% of the unions artillery in wartime production (The cannons were made during the war.)
  

Ethan & Moshe (Deborah's design team)