150 Years Ago, a Time Line for Loading a Civil War Rifled Musket

The Springfield rifled musket stood 58 inches tall from butt plate to the end of the barrel. It was a percussion fired muzzle loaded single shot weapon. The primary weapon of the Union Army and many units in the Confederate Army, this firearm was responsible for the lion's share of battle wounds and fatalities during the Civil War.

Infantry in the Civil War were highly skilled in the use of their rifled muskets. The soldiers each carried forty rounds in the standard issue cartridge box. Loading was accomplished in these steps:

The musket was steadied in left hand, barrel pointing up, with the butt stock resting on the ground. The barrel was facing away from the soldier.

Right hand draws a paper cartridge from cartridge box on the right hip. (The minie ball was wrapped in a cylinder shaped paper cartridge that also held a measured amount of black powder, usually 65 grains.)

Holding the bullet end between the fingers, the paper end was ripped open with the soldier's teeth.

The powder was then poured down the barrel.

The minie ball was then removed from the paper, and pushed into the barrel with the thumb, hollow base down.

The ramrod was then pulled from the channel under the barrel and in the gunstock, and turned so the shaped end of the ramrod was placed on the minie ball in the barrel.

The minie ball was rammed down the barrel until it rested firmly on the powder.

The ramrod was removed from the barrel and returned to its channel.

The musket was then raised by the soldier and held barrel pointing forward cradled with the left hand, with the gun stock against the body.

The right hand went to the cap pouch on the belt above the right front pants pocket. A percussion cap was removed.

The hammer of the musket was pulled to the half cock position, the fired cap removed, and the new cap placed on the nipple. (The nipple was hollow, which allowed the spark to travel to contact with the powder in the barrel.)

With the percussion cap in place, the musket was ready to bring to full cock and then to be fired.

A well trained infantry soldier could fire three rounds each minute in battle.

I was a member of a Civil War Memorial Unit many years ago. The unit was Company D, 5^th California Volunteer Infantry, which during the Civil War was stationed in Tucson, Arizona Territory. We carried model 1863 Springfield rifled muskets and authentic accoutrements and uniforms. I was always amazed at how accurate those muskets were out to 400 yards. It only took firing about half a dozen rounds by the method outlined above to have your mouth and face totally covered in black residue from the powder. The model 1863 is a fun weapon to shoot. It was also sobering to think of the carnage caused by these muskets 150 years ago.

Source:
Firsthand experience performing the period Manual of Arms and shooting hundreds of rounds through an 1863 Springfield rifled musket.
William Hardee's Light Infantry and Rifle Tactics, 1st Revised Edition, 1861