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Book Reviews These are some reviews from a recent issue of
The Civil War News:
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A Revolution in Arms: A History of the First Repeating Rifles
Joseph G. Bilby
Illustrated, maps, notes, bibliography, index, 270 pp., 2005. Westholme Publishing, Eight Harvey Ave., Yardley, PA 19067, $26 plus shipping.
The author of this book is no stranger to readers of The Civil War News. Joseph Bilby’s column “Black Powder, White Smoke” deals with firearms and shooting, so it should be no surprise to his readers that he now offers a comprehensive work on repeating rifles. Bilby concentrates on the Henry and the Spencer, but first spends a great amount of detail on the history and events that led to the first repeating weapons firing a self-contained metallic cartridge. The author’s initial chapter is a history of man’s search for the ultimate weapon from the most primitive stone-throwing sling, through spears, the bow and arrow, and finally a projectile propelled by gunpowder. The mechanics of the matchlock, flintlock and percussion systems are explained in order to set the background for the desire to create a firearm that would fire faster and could be loaded from the breech. The idea of a breech-loading shoulder arm had its beginning during the 1500s and resulted in a wide array of inventions throughout the coming years. A variety of systems were developed by Chaumette, Ferguson and Hall. Prior to our Civil War, American inventors such as Jenks and Sharps appeared on the scene with even more advanced designs, but major problems still had to be dealt with. The leakage of gas at the breech had to be surmounted and regardless of the body of the cartridge a percussion cap had to be used to ignite the powder charge. Samuel Colt introduced the first successful American repeating firearm but even his guns depended on the combustible cartridge set off by a percussion cap. The next step was to find a firearm that could be loaded with several cartridges that contained a primer, powder and projectile. “The Search for the Perfect Cartridge” is an extremely important chapter in this book. Author Bilby goes to great lengths to explain the background of the self-contained cartridge and breech-loading system which actually was first patented in France in 1812. The Dreyse “needle gun” was a further development as were those of Flober, and Smith and Wesson with their .22 rimfire revolver. The early work of Benjamin Tyler Henry and Oliver Winchester is well covered with Henry’s modification of the Volcanic to fire a self-contained .44 rimfire in an under-the-barrel magazine that could hold 15 rounds plus one in the chamber. With the advent of the Civil War the success and massive sales of the Henry rifle seemed assured. Winchester, who handled production, went to great lengths to get the Henry’s government blessing, but by 1866 only 13,000 had been manufactured. The chapter on Christopher Spencer and his breechloader with a self-contained cartridge is again important in the story of repeating arms. There is a lot of information on the development of the cartridge and the marketing of carbine and rifle versions to both the Army and Navy. By January 1863 a fair amount of Spencers were in the field and the numbers increased dramatically throughout the war. Both Winchester and Spencer clashed with Federal Chief of Ordnance Gen. James W. Ripley and their frustrations are duly noted. Four chapters are devoted to the Henry and Spencer in combat. “Louisville to Gettysburg,” “Chickamauga to Olustee,” “The Wilderness to Atlanta” and “Shenandoah to Appomattox” cover the battles where the repeaters saw service, and the officers and men who put their faith and sometimes their money into these revolutionary new arms. Used primarily by cavalry, but often infantry as well, the Henry and Spencer maintained a good combat record although many of the officers of the day did not understand their tactical use and a Spencer carbine could not compete against a long-range Enfield in the hands of a determined Confederate soldier. The Union troops did put their weapons to good use. It is noted that over a nearly four-month period in 1865, Sherman’s forces expended more than 200,000 rounds of Spencer carbine and rifle ammunition and over 38,000 rounds of Henry cartridges. Bilby’s last chapter covers the use of repeating rifles/carbines in the final months of the war, plus information on the Blakeslee cartridge boxes, Confederate use of the Spencer and Henry and what happened to the military repeater in the postwar Army. The author says that the lever-action breech-loading repeater did not win the Civil War for the Union and that the North could have won without them. However, he does state that they did help end the war sooner and created a more highly effective cavalry arm. Unfortunately, the government chose not to continue use of the Henry or Spencer as a major weapon after the war and fell back on the single-shot system with the Allin action. While Spencer pursued other interests following the Civil War, Oliver Winchester continued with the manufacturing of a variety of models that saw both domestic and foreign use. Surplus Spencers and Henrys continued to turn up on the American frontier, and over 44,000 Spencer rifles and carbines were used in the Franco-Prussian War. As a result of the Civil War Centennial and the growth of the North-South Skirmish Association replica Henrys and Spencers came on the market with reloadable center-fire ammunition. A Revolution In Arms is well-written and researched. There are extensive notes and an excellent bibliography. The book is in hard cover with high-quality paper allowing maximum usage. The story line progresses in an understandable way for those unfamiliar with the subject. There are numerous photos of weapons and personalities associated with the Spencer and Henry, several maps, a photo and sketch of the Blakeslee cartridge box, patent drawings of the Spencer and Henry, and ammunition examples. There is an appeal here whether you are a military historian, cavalry enthusiast, arms collector, shooter or interested in the technology of the Civil War. Bilby has done a fine job and his work certainly should be an addition to your library.
Dale E. Biever
Dale E. Biever received his M.Ed. in American history from Kutztown University. He is past vice president for administration and former member of the Board of Governors of the Company of Military Historians. A retired educa-tor, he was registrar at the Civil War Library and Museum in Philadelphia.
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