ARMS AND
EQUIPMENT
ARMS
Initial issues appear to have been the M1841 rifle with probably a sword/sabre
bayonet but these were almost certainly replaced by the time the Sharpshooters
were formed. The Spartanburg newspaper the Carolina Spartan indicated that the
new regiment was to be armed with the Minie rifle. Two Company recruiting
advertisments appearing in the same paper 'The Morgan Light Infantry' (Co D) was
described as "armed with the best Minnie Muskets" and the Spartan
Rifles (Co K) with the Springfield rifle. All of these terms are used to decribe
the Springfield rifle musket, which seems to point to the Springfield being the
preferred weapon of the regiment. There does not appear to be any documentary
evidence of specialist weapons (the whitworth etc) having been used by the
Palmetto Sharpshooters.
However from the book "The Siege of Suffolk" the forgotten campaign a
piece by a JR Bowen
of the 1st NY Dragoons states "The CS Sharpshooters along Terry's front was
enhanced by the
presence of an actual Sharpshooter regiment in Jenkin's S,C brigade members of
Joseph
walkers Palmetto Sharpshooters carried the deadly British Whitworth rifle and
doubtlessly
used them against Pecks Yankee's.
EQUIPMENT/ACCOUTREMENTS
Ordnance Dept papers in the S.C. State Archives indicate black leather
accoutrements with plain roller buckles were widely issued after 1861 and
although some belt plates were issued plain buckles seem to be the most widely
used. Cap pouches were probably patterned after the U.S . M1850 rather than the
shield front Confederate issue. The shoulder strap for the cartridge box would
have been the same width as the waist belt. The canteen was almost certainly of
the tin drum type as records show that these were procured from tin smiths
rather than woodworkers although some wooden canteens were used these were
probably purchased locally by individuals and not a regimental issue. Canteen
straps were generally leather and removable rather than the stitched cloth
straps of federal issue. Haversacks appear to have been of a white cotton type.
Knapsacks came in various guises i.e. a rigid box affair or a British pattern S.
Issacs, Campbell& co knapsack or even a French rider type Knapsack.
This is most of what we have at present regarding
the uniform and equipage of the Palmetto Sharpshooters and South Carolina troops
in general in the Army of Northern Virginia during the 1863 period.