Load!
Re-enactors from the 3rd Maine Regiment Volunteer Infantry load their rifles in preparation for a firing demonstration in the fields at Alna Center, during the June, 2024 "Road to Togus" event at the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum.
Back in the 1860s, most Federal Soldiers in the infantry carried the M1861 Springfield Rifle, a heavy, single-shot, muzzle-loading weapon of .58 caliber. A far cry from military weapons of today, these rifles were effective out to about 500 yards, but even the most highly-trained soldiers were only able to load and fire perhaps 3 rounds per minute accurately. The loading process had multiple, time-consuming steps, and usually required the soldier to be standing. Since most infantry fought in lines, in open country, a soldier loading his weapon was an inviting, stationary target. It's no wonder that Civil War battles produced incredible and terrible casualty rates. The folks who took on the defense of the United States of America were some pretty brave people.
Load!
Re-enactors from the 3rd Maine Regiment Volunteer Infantry load their rifles in preparation for a firing demonstration in the fields at Alna Center, during the June, 2024 "Road to Togus" event at the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum.
Back in the 1860s, most Federal Soldiers in the infantry carried the M1861 Springfield Rifle, a heavy, single-shot, muzzle-loading weapon of .58 caliber. A far cry from military weapons of today, these rifles were effective out to about 500 yards, but even the most highly-trained soldiers were only able to load and fire perhaps 3 rounds per minute accurately. The loading process had multiple, time-consuming steps, and usually required the soldier to be standing. Since most infantry fought in lines, in open country, a soldier loading his weapon was an inviting, stationary target. It's no wonder that Civil War battles produced incredible and terrible casualty rates. The folks who took on the defense of the United States of America were some pretty brave people.