Unusual Civil War Weapon in the SCCRRMM Collection

Joe Long examines a Civil War pike. Gov. Joe Brown of Georgia ordered that 10,000 of these medieval-style weapons be created to arm soldiers.

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People & Blogs

Tags:

• civil
• war
• confederate
• weapon
• military
• army
• medieval
• georgia
• museum

[MrMonkeybat]

If it was supposed to be a cheap temporary weapon why bother with the unnecessary and elaborate switch blade mechanism.

[rod3067]

i think that spear has enough iron on it as for making a carbine

[hastur1234]

Small for a pike more like a spear.

[CitizenJohnSmith]

I think I'd have a better chance killing someone with a Springfield 1863 at what...600 yards they were sighted for...than 10 feet with a pike.

[Iowahorse]

Not an uncommon weapon, (The pike itself) during the early stages of the civil war, but quickly proved to be one of the most useless. Just goes to show how many elected men of the era really had no concept of the fighting times, as it were. His Ideas on the pike were by far not the only one. And BTW, thank you for showing this style. It's the first I've seen, demonstrated or otherwise. A great idea, just outdated even then. Thank again, I learned a few things, I like that.

[MerlinsJester]

@KayBeeEee1983 This is what I get for not joining the Military Enthusiasts club back in high school...

[KayBeeEee1983]

@MerlinsJester I think you need to do some research on civil war weapons and tactics. The rifled musket was much more accurate and had a much longer range than smooth bore muskets. Before the rifled musket, charges were how cavalry was best utilized on the battlefield. Smooth bore muskets had no range or accuracy, so cavalry would charge, retreat, charge retreat, over and over. The rifled musket put an end to that tactic. Albert SIdney Johnston was killed in a cavalry charge early in the war.

[MerlinsJester]

@KayBeeEee1983 Yes, I know about the damn calibur of the damn ball.

Regardless, musketballs are shot out of what is basically a pea shooter on steroids, and because of this has incredibly shitty accuracy and power. Sure, it could shatter a man's bone, but that's only if it hit.

Do you seriously think that cavalry tactics during those times involved a head on charge? Cavalry was then more often used for flanking an enemy's weak point and breaking a stalemate.

[KayBeeEee1983]

@MerlinsJester One "little" musket ball? The minie ball was .58 caliber. It would shatter a man's bone. I know that horse bones aren't human bones, but you act like they were shooting BB guns out there. You don't need to get a "bead" on a line of cavalry charging at you. You point your gun at the line and shoot.

[MerlinsJester]

@KayBeeEee1983 One shot? Do you know anything about fighting cavalry?

It's fast moving, the rider is always moving around in the saddle and getting at bead on him in the middle of a battle is frustrating, and the horse is the biggest target by far, and that can't be killed by one little fricking musket ball or early rifle round unless you peg the damn thing in the eyeball or something.

Pikemen are still a relevant enough counter to cavalry, even in that day. It was a logical alternative.

[KayBeeEee1983]

@MerlinsJester In the Civil War, cavalry was almost useless as a fighting force. Too big of a target and it only took 1 shot to take them down. They were much better utilized as scouts.

[KayBeeEee1983]

@MerlinsJester "Their reason for fighting was for money and personal survival really."

You really couldn't be more wrong about that. Union privates were paid $13 a month and they rarely got paid on time. Like I said before, most Union soldiers weren't conscripts, they were volunteers, so they weren't just fighting for survival. They were fighting for their country.

"The reason the North won was because of gentlemen."

What does that mean?