Weapons at the Battle of Stones River: Civil War Armaments in Detail

The Battle of Stones River (December 31, 1862 – January 2, 1863) near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, saw Union and Confederate armies armed with a mix of standard-issue and captured weapons. The arsenal reflects the transitional state of Civil War infantry, cavalry, and artillery technology.

Union Army (Army of the Cumberland — Rosecrans)

Infantry

• Springfield Model 1861 — .58 caliber rifled musket; standard Union issue; 40,000+ at Stones River
• Enfield Pattern 1853 — .577 caliber British import; second most common; interchangeable .58 Minie ball
• Colt Model 1855 Revolving Rifle — .56 caliber, 5-shot cylinder; issued to some units (21st Ohio); prone to chain fire
• Starr Model 1858 Revolver — .44 caliber, double-action; officer/NCO sidearm

Cavalry

• Saber (Model 1840/1860) — "Old Wristbreaker" heavy cavalry saber; light cavalry saber
• Colt Model 1851 Navy Revolver — .36 caliber, 6-shot; most common Union cavalry sidearm
• Sharps Model 1859 Carbine — .52 caliber breechloader; paper/cased cartridge; superior rate of fire

Artillery

• 12-pdr Napoleon (Model 1857) — Smoothbore; workhorse; canister devastating at close range
• 6-pdr Field Gun (Model 1841) — Smoothbore; lighter, being phased out
• 10-pdr Parrott Rifle (Model 1861) — Rifled, iron reinforcement; longer range, accuracy; prone to burst
• 3-inch Ordnance Rifle (Model 1861) — Wrought iron; accurate, reliable; 3-inch caliber

Confederate Army (Army of Tennessee — Bragg)

Infantry

• Enfield Pattern 1853 — Primary Confederate longarm; blockade-run imports
• Richmond/Fayetteville/Cook & Brother Rifle Muskets — Confederate copies of Springfield; variable quality
• Colt Model 1847 Walker Revolver — .44 caliber, 6-shot; massive (4.5 lbs); early war issue
• LeMat Revolver — .42 caliber 9-shot cylinder + .63 caliber shotgun barrel; distinctive, rare

Cavalry

• Saber — Captured Union or Confederate manufacture
• Colt Model 1847 Walker / 1851 Navy / 1860 Army — Mixed availability
• Sharps Carbine — Captured or imported; prized
• Merrill / Maynard / Burnside Carbines — Various breechloaders; limited numbers

Artillery

• 12-pdr Napoleon — Captured or Tredegar (Richmond) manufacture
• 6-pdr Field Gun — Older bronze tubes
• 10-pdr Parrott Rifle — Tredegar/Confederate production
• 3-inch Ordnance Rifle — Rare (requires wrought iron)
• 12-pdr Howitzer (Model 1841) — Bronze; shorter range, higher angle
• Whitworth Rifle — British 12-pdr breechloader; hexagonal bore; extreme accuracy (sniping)

Significance

Stones River saw some of the war's highest artillery density (500+ guns). The Union's superior breechloading carbines (Spencer, Henry rifles appeared later) and consistent ammunition supply gave firepower advantage. Confederate weapon diversity complicated logistics—over 20 calibers in Army of Tennessee.

Weaponry at Stones River illustrates the industrial disparity that increasingly defined the war's later years.