Weapons of the 24th

In response to the several requests, This section will cover the weapons of the 24th Michigan. Although there is a great deal of information available I have not yet begun to organize and process it.

The most immediately accessible information comes from The Small Arms used by Michigan Troops in the Civil War. This booklet was published by the Michigan Civil War Centennial Observance Commission in 1966. The following information comes from pages 40 and 41

TWENTY-THIRD MICHIGAN INFANTRY REGIMENT

The Twenty-third Michigan Infantry was mustered in at East Saginaw on September 13, 1862. Receipt of muskets altered to percussion, caliber .69, and Austrian Rifle Muskets with leaf and block sights, and quadrangular bayonets, caliber .54 and .55, and a dozen non-commissioned officer swords - all these are recorded as having been sent to the Twenty-third during the fourth quarter of 1862.

Third Class Arms, recorded as Musket, Smoothbore, altered to percussion, caliber .69, were assigned to the Twenty-third during the first quarter of 1863. At the same time the Twenty-third received three kinds of ammunition: cartridges for muskets, round ball, caliber .69 and .73, and musket cartridges, buck and ball caliber .69 to .73, as well as musket cartridges, elongated ball caliber .577 and .58.

Enfields, caliber .577 and .58, Springfields, Models 1855, 1861, and 1863, caliber .58, and Austrian Rifle Muskets were assigned to the regiment during the last quarter of 1863. For 1864, the regiment received rifle muskets of two kinds: Enfields, caliber .577 and .58, and Springfield Rifles.

The Twenty-third Michigan was mustered out at Salisbury, North Carolina, on June 28, 1865.

TWENTY-FOURTH MICHIGAN INFANTRY REGIMENT

The Twenty-fourth Michigan Infantry was mustered in at Detroit on August 15, 1862. A few days earlier, on August 6, Colonel Henry A. Morrow, commanding the regiment, was informed by Adjutant General John Robertson:

Fifty stand of arms have been ordered to be forwarded by the Quarter Master General to the Quarter Master of the Twenty-Fourth regiment for guard purposes. As these arms are in good order, it is expected that they will be kept in that condition and the officer in command of the camp will be careful that they will be returned to that department in as good order as possible.

Dating from the last of 1862 to the end of 1864, it is officially recorded that the Twenty-fourth received seven shipments of field arms. Rifle muskets provided were Springfields, Enfields, and Austrian of the identical models and calibers used by the previously mentioned Twenty-third Infantry. Swords were of two types, non-commissioned officer and musician; and ammunition consisted of musket cartridges, calibers .577 and .58.

The Twenty-fourth Michigan was mustered out at Detroit on Jun 30, 1865.

Last Updated: 12/25/00