What weapons and equipment were used in the battle of Palmetto (sic) Ranch?
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Dear Anonymous NRA Member,
For something as off the beaten Civil War track as the Battle of Palmito Ranch, Texas, it was necessary to consult a specialist, and the following comes through the kind courtesy of Donald L. Barnhart Jr., who happens to have recently published a story on the fight in the May 2015 issue of America’s Civil War (still available):
During the war, [arming the Confederate forces in the trans-Mississippi theater of operations] wasn’t so much a matter of choice as it was availability. There were few railroads and established roads in Texas, making it difficult to bring in quality firearms. It became even more difficult after the Mississippi River was captured and the Trans-Mississippi was cut off from the rest of the Confederacy. In the 1860s, it could take up to 3 weeks to travel to Austin. Today it takes 3 hours.
Without a doubt, the most popular firearm used by Rangers was the 1851 Colt Naval Revolver. The “Navy Sixes” they lovingly called them. A Texas Rangers order for 1,000 Colts placed before the war put Samuel Colt in the firearms business. Most of these were issued or purchased prior to the war. In frontier Texas, a good revolver was a must. You never knew when a band of Comanches or Kiowas might show up at your doorstep. The two main Civil War pistol factories in Texas were Tucker, Sherrod and Co. in Lancaster (just outside of Dallas ) and the Dance Brothers in Columbia, TX. Both produced versions (but in small amounts) of the Colt revolver. The Dance Revolver was finely crafted and is greatly sought after by gun collectors. There were still shortages. Pistols were also obtained from U.S. armories in Texas captured early in the war, blockade runners, and purchases made in Mexico.
The second most common firearm was the double barrel shotgun. If you didn’t have a Colt, you more than likely had a shotgun. Most of these were brought from home where they were used for hunting. Because of the scatter of the shot, they were used very effectively by Texas cavalry forces. At the Battle of Palmito Ranch, the Colt revolver and double barrel shtgun were the most commonly used firearms among Texas Confederate forces.
On the Union side, they had Enfield rifles which were probably issued before arriving at Brazos Island. Ships periodically brought in ammunition and supplies to the island. A letter from Colonel David Branson of the 62nd U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment mentions seven Enfields that were lost by his regiment. I’m not sure about Barret’s sidearm. Probably, like many Union officers, he had a model of the Colt Revolver.
Sincerely,
Jon Guttman
Research Director
World History Group
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