Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

pressing against its flange, and is then restored to its place by a spring. The rifle shoots with great accuracy, putting every shot into a sixinch ring at four or five hundred yards, in the hands of a good marksman. The velocity of its shot is somewhat less than that of the Wesson, Maynard, or Colt rifles.

There are three models of repeating arms which have gained a high reputation: Colt's revolving rifles, and the Henry and Spencer repeating rifles.

The COLT's rifle is constructed on the same general principle as his pistols. A revolving chamber, fitted either for five or six shots, receives the charges, which may be either loose powder and ball or cartridges; a rammer, which

COLT'S RIFLE.

is moved by a lever, insures their being sent home perfectly true, and the balls fit so exactly to the bore of the chambers as to close them hermetically. The calibre of the barrel being .02 of an inch less than that of the chambers, the ball is necessarily forced to fit itself exactly to the grooves, which are seven in number, and cut with a gain twist (that is, revolving more rapidly toward the muzzle than toward the breech of the gun.) The charge is fired with a cap, and the working of all the parts is simple and exact. Like all of the weapons from this famous manufactory, the excellence of the material and workmanship are not surpassed. The annexed cuts give an idea of the construction of this rifle :

Mr. Cleveland states that he has with open sights placed ten successive shots from this rifle in a nine-inch ring at two hundred yards, and Lieutenant Hans Busk, of the Victoria Rifles, placed forty-six out of forty-eight shots inside a twenty-four-inch ring at four hundred yards, and the other two less than an inch outside, while eighteen of the forty-eight were inside a ring eight inches in diameter. He says: "For efficiency and strength of shooting nothing can beat it." General Marcy, U. S. A., pronounces it the most reliable and certain weapon to fire that he has ever used, and says, that if he were alone upon the prairies, and expected an attack from a body of Indians, he is not acquainted with any arm he would as soon have in his hands as this. The objections to it are, that it takes longer to load than any of the other breech-loaders; but when loaded; its five or six shots can be delivered with great rapidity); it is not so easy to clean as the metallic cartridge rifles, and is liable to be affected by dirt and rust in its working parts to an extent which would be objectionable to its military use. For hunting purposes it is admirable.

The SPENCER repeating rifle is a comparatively new arm, having been patented in 1860. It uses the metallic self-exploding cartridge, and has a magazine in the breech of the gun securely protected from all danger of accidental explosion, containing, in the army and navy rifle seven, and in the sporting rifle nine, cartridges, which are fed successively to the chamber by means of a spiral spring, and with such precision as to avoid the possibility of their not taking the grooves properly. An ordinarily skilled marksman can discharge the seven loads in twelve seconds, and whole platoons of soldiers waiting for the word of command can fire with good aim once in three seconds. When the seven charges are fired, the rifle is held with the muzzle pointing downward, and a tube being withdrawn, which contains the spiral spring which pushes the cartridges for ward, they are dropped into the magazine and the tube replaced. The operation requires but a very short time, and the soldier or sportsman is ready to fire his seven shots again. The gun is not liable to foul or to get out of order,

and its range and force are good. It will throw a ball two thousand yards, and will seldom miss its mark at from seven hundred to a thousand. At a distance of from thirty to fifty yards, it will penetrate a pine target to a depth of from nine to thirteen inches. It was used with terrible effect by the Union troops at Gettysburg and Chickamauga, and in some other battles of the war. At Gettysburg, it was said by eye-witnesses that the head of the column (opposed to the troops armed with this weapon), as it was pushed on by those behind, appeared

to melt away or sink into the earth, for though continually moving it got no nearer. Acting Brigadier-General John T. Wilder, of the Army of the Cumberland, in command of a brigade of mounted infantry armed with this rifle, wrote on the 28th of November, 1863, that at Hoover's Gap, June 24th, 1863, one of his regiments defeated a rebel brigade of five regiments, killing and wounding over five hundred, while their own loss was only forty-seven; and that from April to November his command had captured over 2,800 officers and men, losing as prisoners

Section of carbine, showing cartridges in magazine, with lever down and breech open.

in the same period only six men. The subjoined cuts exhibit fully the mechanism of the magazine and lock.

HENRY'S repeating rifle is a still later invention, patented, we believe, in 1861. The principal novelty in this gun is the magazine and the manner of loading from it. It consists of a metal tube under the barrel, extending its entire

Spencer Rifle.

length, of sufficient diameter to admit the cartridges freely. A section of this tube near the muzzle contains a spiral spring to throw the cartridges upon a carrier-block in the rear, and by means of a metallic sleeve five inches in length, embracing the barrel of the gun at this point, can be revolved upon the axis of the bore so as to open the magazine, and admit the

The

introduction of the cartridges, of which it holds fifteen. Upon closing it, after filling, the spring throws a cartridge upon the carrier-block, which, by a forward movement of the triggerguard, is raised to a level with the chamber, the hammer, by the same movement, being carried to a full cock. A reverse movement of the guard, bringing it to its place again, forces the cartridge into the chamber, and the gun is ready to fire. The aminunition is fixed, metal cased, with fulminate or cap in the rear. hammer, upon falling, strikes a rod, or breechpin, upon the front of which are two sharp points, which are driven into the rear of the cartridge, thus exploding it. The weight of the gun complete is about 10 pounds; it has six shallow grooves, each of an inch in width, with a gaining twist. The cartridge weighs 295 grains. In an experiment at the Ordnance Department, Washington, 120 shots were fired in five minutes fifteen seconds, including the time spent in reloading.

The following cuts show the construction of the rifle. The little projecting piece on the under side, in the first cut, directly in front of the shoulder, at the breech of the barrel, is the finger-piece connected with the follower on the end of the spiral spring. To load the magazine this finger-piece is drawn up to the lower end of the sleeve, which is then turned far enough to allow the follower to rest on the edge of the magazine, where it is held in place till the cartridges are dropped in.

Henry's Repeating Rifle.

This gun is not remarkable for accuracy at long distances, but at one hundred yards or thereabouts it is a very effective weapon. The sudden reduction of half the thickness of the barrel for five inches from the muzzle probably impairs its accuracy at long range. Its magazine, being in a thin metallic tube under the barrel, is liable to be indented by a shot or accidental blow, which would prevent the cartridges from sliding down, and as they cannot be easily introduced into the barrel in any other way, this would render the gun nearly useless. The necessity of leaving an open slit for the finger-piece to slide in exposes the contents of the magazine to the influence of dust and wet, which would tend to clog the passage and rust the spiral spring. Still this weapon has many excellent points, and in its method of loading, the capacity of its magazine, and its rapidity of firing, it surpasses any other repeating rifle. It is stated on good authority that Col. Nelter, while raising a

[graphic][subsumed]

Sectional view of working parts, showing the operation of removing the empty cartridge and cocking the hammer. regiment of Kentucky volunteers at Owensboro', Kentucky, sent out fifteen of his men armed with this rifle on a scout. They were attacked by a rebel force of two hundred and forty soldiers in an open lane where there was no shelter, and owing to their capacity to main

tain a rapid and continuous fire, they successfully repulsed and drove from the field the entire rebel force. Capt. James M. Wilson. Co. M 12th Kentucky cavalry, was attacked in his own house by seven mounted guerrillas armed with Colt's revolvers. He sprang for a log cabin

[ocr errors]

across the street where he had his Henry rifle, Colt's revolver, etc., and though his clothing was riddled by their shot, gained it without a wound, and seizing his Henry's rifle, killed five of his assailants with five shots; the other two sprung for their horses, one of these he disabled with his sixth shot, and killed with the seventh; the other he killed with the eighth. The State of Kentucky, in consequence of this feat, armed his company with this rifle.

The WHITWORTH rifle, which is manufactured either as a breech or muzzle-loader, is the only English rifle which fairly competes with our American breech-loaders. As a breech-loading

44

rifle it has been manufactured only by Westley Richards. It has a hexagonal bore and fires a hexagonal bolt an inch and a half in length, though only 4 of an inch in diameter. This bolt weighs 517 grains. The bore is constructed with a complete turn in twenty inches, or one and a half turns in the length of the barrel, which is thirty inches. The charge of powder is seventy-six grains. It is a very efficient weapon of great range, though lacking somewhat in precision, is not liable to foul, but its cartridge, which is made of paper, is so long and narrow as to be liable to burst on the march.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Operations of the Florida and Alabama-The bark Tacony-Capture of the Chesapeake-Damage to Federal CommerceIncrease of the Federal Navy-Operations of the North Atlantic Squadron-Operations of the South Atlantic Squadron -Attack on Fort McAllister-Attack on Charleston-Capture of the Atlanta-Other Naval Operations.

THE most important operations of the Confederate navy were those performed by the armed sea-going cruisers, whose depredations upon commerce cost the United States many millions in money, and almost paralyzed the shipping interest in the chief seaports. The commencement of 1863 found the Alabama, before mentioned, actively cruising among the West Indies. In the middle of January the Oreto, afterwards called the Florida, slipped out of Mobile, where she had taken refuge some months previous, and joined the Alabama in her work of destruction; and in the beginning of April the Japan, subsequently named the Georgia, escaped from the Clyde, and proceeding to the neighborhood of Ushant Island, on the French coast, was there armed and equipped as a privateer. "Sailing sometimes under the English and sometimes under the rebel flag," says Secretary Welles, "these rovers, without a port of their own which they can enter, or to which they can send a single prize for adjudication, have roamed the seas, capturing and destroying the commercial ships of a nation at peace with Great Britain and France; but yet when these corsairs have needed repairs or supplies, they have experienced no difficulty in procuring them, because it had been deemed expedient to recognize the rebels as belligerents. Not one of the many vessels captured by these rovers has ever been judicially condemned as a legal capture. Wanton destruction has been the object and purpose of the captors, who have burnt and destroyed the property of their merchant victims."

During the first three months of 1863 the Alabama and Florida cruised with impunity in the West India waters, finding no difficulty, when hard pressed, in taking refuge in neutral

ports, or within a marine league of the shore of a neutral Government, and meeting with abundant sympathy from the local authorities and the population. Fulfilling few of the obligations of armed cruisers, they yet demanded and received all the favors accorded to nations having open ports. The Federal war vessels, on the other hand, were invariably subjected to the rules of national law in their strictest construction. The vigilance of the flying squadron under acting Rear Admiral Wilkes, which was organized to protect American interests in that quarter, and especially to guard the treasure ships in their transit to and from Aspinwall, finally made the neighborhood too hot for the Alabama and Florida, and in April they steered southward, and recommenced their work of destruction off the coast of South America, where many valuable prizes fell into their possession, which were almost invariably burned, or bonded, the crews being despatched to the nearest available port. In May the two privateers parted company, the Alabama proceeding to the Cape of Good Hope, while the Florida sailed northward, and on July 8th ventured within 60 miles of New York. After remaining several days in this dangerous neighborhood, she repaired to Bermuda, and about the middle of August turned up on the track of the Liverpool and New York packets. Then, after capturing a few prizes near the British Isles, she put into Brest for repairs.

In the early part of August the Alabama, accompanied by the Tuscaloosa, a captured merchantman, transformed into an armed tender, arrived at Capetown, where an enthusiastic ovation awaited them. One of the first acts of the privateersmen was to capture the American ship Sea Bride, within a marine league of the

land. The American consul protested against this proceeding, and also against the admission of the Tuscaloosa, before legal condemnation, into Simon's Bay, as a violation of the Queen's proclamation of neutrality, but could obtain no redress. Soon afterward the Georgia, which ever since her equipment as a privateer had sailed southward along the African coast, burning and plundering on her way, also arrived at Capetown.

Early in February, 1863, the Vanderbilt, one of the largest and fastest steamers in the United States Navy, was put into commission for special service against privateers in the West India waters, and her commander was ordered, should he be satisfied that the Alabama and Florida had left that locality, to proceed down the South American coast to Rio Janeira, and thence to the Cape of Good Hope. In derogation of these orders, Admiral Wilkes, soon after the arrival of the Vanderbilt in the West Indies, transferred his flag to her and detained her in his possession until the middle of June, many weeks after the departure southward of the privateers. The latter, in consequence, were enabled to do immense damage to American commerce in the Southern Atlantic, and the plans of the Navy Department for their capture were frustrated. The Vanderbilt finally reached Rio Janeiro in the middle of July, and proceeding thence to Capetown via St. Helena, arrived at the former place in September. The rebels, however, were by this time on the alert, and kept out of the way of the Vanderbilt, which returned to the United States in the latter part of the year, having accomplished nothing important during her cruise. Subsequent to September the Alabama proceeded to the East Indies, and took many valuable prizes in that quarter, while the Georgia returned to France.

Early in May the Florida, while cruising in the West Indies, captured the brig Clarence, which was fitted out as a privateer and supplied with a crew, under command of Lieut. Charles W. Read, formerly a midshipman in the U. S. navy. The Clarence immediately steered northward, keeping near the Florida and Carolina coasts, and taking several valuable prizes on the way. On June 12th, when within 30 miles of the capes of Virginia, she captured the bark Tacony, to which vessel Lt. Read transferred his command. For the next twelve days he pursued a career of uninterrupted success among the unsuspecting merchantmen and fishing vessels which he encountered; but ascertaining that Union cruisers were on his track, he burned the Tacony, to avoid recognition, and on the 24th transferred his crew and guns to the captured schooner Archer. He then made for Portland harbor, with the intention of burning two gunboats building there and cutting out the revenue cutter Caleb Cushing. At sunset he came to anchor near the entrance of the harbor, and soon after midnight, the moon having then gone down, rowed direct to the Cushing in two boats with muffled oars,

boarded the vessel, and having overpowered the crew, started for sea. No sooner was the Cushing missed from her anchorage than the Forest City and Chesapeake, two merchant steamers, were manned with troops and armed volunteers, and started in pursuit. A short distance from the harbor they overhauled her, and having no guns capable of coping with her heavy armament, made preparations to board, perceiving which the rebels took to their boats, after firing half a dozen shots at the steamers. Soon after the Cushing blew up. The boats, however, were captured, as also the Archer, and the whole crew securely confined.

On December 17th the steamer Chesapeake, plying between New York and Portland, was seized on her passage to the latter place, when about twenty miles northeast of Cape Cod, by sixteen of her passengers, who represented themselves as belonging to the Confederate States. The captain was put in irons, one of the engineers killed and thrown overboard, and the first mate wounded. The crew and passengers, with the exception of the first engineer, retained to manage the steamer, were subsequently put ashore in a boat, and the Chesapeake sailed to the eastward. Upon the reception of the news in the United States, a fleet of cruisers started in pursuit, and on the 17th the Chesapeake was captured by the Ella and Anna, in Sambro harbor, Nova Scotia, and with a portion of her crew, was carried to Halifax and delivered to the authorities. The prisoners were released by a mob, but the Chesapeake was subsequently restored to her American owners by an order of the chief colonial tribunal.

Of the amount of damage inflicted by rebel cruisers upon American commerce no complete estimate has been made. While at Capetown in September, Captain Semmes stated that the total number of captures made by the Alabama amounted to fifty-six vessels, which he supposed would involve a direct loss of four million dollars, beside the loss of freight, the high rates of insurance, and other embarrassments caused by the danger of carrying goods in American bottoms. The captures of the Florida were estimated by her commander in September at seventy-two, and their total value at $15,000,000, which is evidently exaggerated. Yet this is but a small part of the loss then sustained by American commerce, as will be seen by the following figures:

[blocks in formation]
« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »