@@CivilWarDigitalDigest awesome, my unit 45th Illinois Volunteers Infantry Company C Washburn Lead Mine Regiment reenactment unit. Use the Ellsworth Swing or the Kentucky Swing, also my Illinois Battlion use this way of stack arms.
John - it wasn't something I noticed as we shot, but it is a good example of what happens when men drill together over and over. I think we stacked arms about 50 times in less than two hours that evening between rehearsals and all the takes! Will
I just wants to say thank you for this video. We are a small group of people here in Denmark reenacting the civil war. We will never be "more" than at best mainstreamers when it come to the gear, but that is no excuse for bad drill... So over the last year we started to "clean up" our drill to get rid of a number of reenactorismes we use to do. (influenced by what people learned when they back in 2007 participated in a big mainstream event in the US. Like doing right shoulder shift arms, with the muzzle pointed almost straight up...) One thing we never really used was stack arms. We just placed our muskets in our tents when not in use. A issue have been a number of us not having the correct bayonets for our differed original European muskets... and for me as the main drill instructor, is the fact that it is pretty hard to practice by oneself. But some of us have started meeting every 2nd Tuesday (until the end of June) to do drill for a few hours in the evening. And the focus of our first drill evening was stack arms. And we simply started out by watching this video. Than practiced it, than watch this again and practiced some more. And by the end of the evening we where 5 who knew how to do this. And then last weekend we had a drill weekend, And the rest of the group (and a couple of germens who ad made the trip) learned it... And we did it a lot. It is still not as well drilled as what you show, but by now everyone manage to make it work with few issues... from all 4 positions. And arms stacked really do help make our camp fell like a military camp and not just some random camping.
Thrilled we can help from our side of the puddle. One trick, when you drill - rotate around the four positions and get each person a chance to experience all positions. It will help as you move forward so every one is exposed to all positions.
Here's my tip for unstacking [rear rank #2] rotate your rifle to allowing the bayonet to pivot and it will more easily free itself from the interlaced stack. The squad in the video looked very sharp - Huzza. *LIKED* the video.
My ancestor 2nd Lt. Charles M. Robinson was in Co. B. Obviously he had a command job on the line. Are there any accounts of company officers armed with the Spencer rifle?
I read about the Civil War a lot, and try to understand and stay educated on the entire conflict, but I've never read about such detail and disciplines as these videos show, so I'm not educated on these types of things. When would soldiers employ this procedure? I greatly enjoyed this video, and I look forward to more. Thanks for sharing.
Why don't any of the muskets have slings present? Is it because this would be how they were seen if in Garrison and not on campaign? Or is it simply for this presentation?
None of the above. It is the preference of the men who volunteered to help us make the episode that afternoon. This video should not show any preference to carrying a sling or not. I would suggest you look to original images for that. Will
why do they stack arms? what is the benefit of having the weapons gathered together, rather than with the solders. it seems like a security risk. just doing some reasurch for a personal project.
The thing to keep in mind is that the style of combat was linear tactics. Stacking arms left them together where troops could assemble and immediately be in line of battle. Because the style of fighting is different than today, this makes a lot more sense than if you ever considered it in any modern military.
@@CivilWarDigitalDigest when did this practice die out? the same time line battles were seen as obsolite or did it stay in military doctrin after this kind of warfare?
I know I have seen it in World War II manuals but it was nowhere near as common that I can tell. I’m not totally sure where it died out. That would come from research people are doing deeper that I have done in later times. Good luck!
I wonder if soldiers ever stacked arms without bayonets. I recall a guy named Silas in one of your videos called the bayonet "the soldier's multi-purpose tool." If a soldier wanted to use it for roasting meat or grinding coffee, how would his rifle stay stacked? Was stacking only for brief pauses?
Arms could be stacked, kept in their tents, or kept on their person. It would depend where the men were and what was needed. Stacking does show up regularly in period photos. However, in a camp, they would be better protected in their tents when not at drill, fatigue, guard reserve or otherwise. There is a method to stack by the ramrod, but it is in a different manual. Will
I was reading both Casey's and Hardee's entries on stack arms today, and it looks like soldiers would be able to stack arms by slightly drawing the ramrods and using them similar to the bayonets to lock the muskets together.
It was done in any situation where the men would be called back together quickly but needed to either rest or do something without their firearms. You see images of them across the war, both in camp and in the field.
Question: If a unit was using the 1855 version of the 1841 Mississippi rifle with sword bayonets, would this work for them too? If not, what procedure would they follow?
This drill is for the musket. You are using a rifle. You'd look at the rifle manual. In many cases, it would be a ramrod stack, easiest found in Hardee's 55 - though the specific manual your unit used would be the place to go. In the US Infantry Tactics, both the rifle manual and musket manual are found. Hope this helps!
@@CivilWarDigitalDigest Thanks, I found it: books.google.com/books?id=MtNHAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA87. The rammers on 3 of the rifles need to be drawn slightly during the maneuver and the pushed back into place before the 4th is added.
It'snot called the position of a soldier it's called order arms when armed or attention when unarmed and when you call a command you need to scream it.
Good catch on order arms. Wrong on “attention” in Civil War era manuals, including Casey’s where this drill is pulled from. Also, I’d love to see a citation in a Civil War manual that says you need to scream an order to the three men standing closest to you. Thanks for taking the time to share notes!! Will
Which Hardee’s? The ‘55 version uses ramrods which doesn’t work well with reproductions because of how the new ones are made and the ‘62 works for CS troops only. At the end of the day, it is about what the men you portray used, for good or bad. Will
This is the most accurate...heck 100% accurate stack arms video (Casey's). Well done Will & Co.
Thank you!!
@@CivilWarDigitalDigest Love see you do stack arms with Ellsworth Swing or the Kentucky Swing.
Actually already on our radar!
@@CivilWarDigitalDigest awesome, my unit 45th Illinois Volunteers Infantry Company C Washburn Lead Mine Regiment reenactment unit.
Use the Ellsworth Swing or the Kentucky Swing, also my Illinois Battlion use this way of stack arms.
Thanks for these videos and so much important information.
I really like these videos. High quality, to the point, and informative. Great job!
Thank you!
Wow! When I saw the two front rank men return their weapons to order arms at the same time I was like, “woah, that’s awesome!”
John - it wasn't something I noticed as we shot, but it is a good example of what happens when men drill together over and over. I think we stacked arms about 50 times in less than two hours that evening between rehearsals and all the takes! Will
I just wants to say thank you for this video. We are a small group of people here in Denmark reenacting the civil war.
We will never be "more" than at best mainstreamers when it come to the gear, but that is no excuse for bad drill...
So over the last year we started to "clean up" our drill to get rid of a number of reenactorismes we use to do.
(influenced by what people learned when they back in 2007 participated in a big mainstream event in the US. Like doing right shoulder shift arms, with the muzzle pointed almost straight up...)
One thing we never really used was stack arms. We just placed our muskets in our tents when not in use.
A issue have been a number of us not having the correct bayonets for our differed original European muskets... and for me as the main drill instructor, is the fact that it is pretty hard to practice by oneself.
But some of us have started meeting every 2nd Tuesday (until the end of June) to do drill for a few hours in the evening. And the focus of our first drill evening was stack arms.
And we simply started out by watching this video. Than practiced it, than watch this again and practiced some more. And by the end of the evening we where 5 who knew how to do this.
And then last weekend we had a drill weekend, And the rest of the group (and a couple of germens who ad made the trip) learned it... And we did it a lot.
It is still not as well drilled as what you show, but by now everyone manage to make it work with few issues... from all 4 positions.
And arms stacked really do help make our camp fell like a military camp and not just some random camping.
Thrilled we can help from our side of the puddle. One trick, when you drill - rotate around the four positions and get each person a chance to experience all positions. It will help as you move forward so every one is exposed to all positions.
Here's my tip for unstacking [rear rank #2] rotate your rifle to allowing the bayonet to pivot and it will more easily free itself from the interlaced stack. The squad in the video looked very sharp - Huzza. *LIKED* the video.
Really helpful for us working over here in the UK.
Glad to hear that!!
I quite enjoyed the VHS series and Uncle Charles' narration.
Thank You so much for this video!
I so needed this because if you do not use it, you lose it. Muscle memory is real.
Great video, dude. Love your content. Will you be at Silent Machines?
Thanks for the compliments!! Hope it helps people. Wish I could make SM but I have a family conflict. Have a great March!!! Will
My ancestor 2nd Lt. Charles M. Robinson was in Co. B. Obviously he had a command job on the line. Are there any accounts of company officers armed with the Spencer rifle?
I have read accounts for over 30 years now. I have seen one. It is incredibly uncommon to see officers carrying long arms in the Civil War era.
Was wondering if you guys can do a video pertaining to oblique firing as there are differences between the reenactor way and the book way.
I read about the Civil War a lot, and try to understand and stay educated on the entire conflict, but I've never read about such detail and disciplines as these videos show, so I'm not educated on these types of things. When would soldiers employ this procedure?
I greatly enjoyed this video, and I look forward to more. Thanks for sharing.
Anytime they wouldn’t need or want to be carrying rifles. During certain drill/practice or resting for a prolonged time.
So even at the end of the day after a battle?
Good job another great video
This didn't seem so complicated with the M-16
Why don't any of the muskets have slings present? Is it because this would be how they were seen if in Garrison and not on campaign? Or is it simply for this presentation?
None of the above. It is the preference of the men who volunteered to help us make the episode that afternoon. This video should not show any preference to carrying a sling or not. I would suggest you look to original images for that. Will
@@CivilWarDigitalDigest thanks Will! Much appreciated!
You need to remind some of us what VHS is....lol
Knowing what VHS is is part of why my hair is white.... Will
Great video now Will, how was stack arms done using Hardies and three band rifles in say 1861?
why do they stack arms? what is the benefit of having the weapons gathered together, rather than with the solders. it seems like a security risk.
just doing some reasurch for a personal project.
The thing to keep in mind is that the style of combat was linear tactics. Stacking arms left them together where troops could assemble and immediately be in line of battle. Because the style of fighting is different than today, this makes a lot more sense than if you ever considered it in any modern military.
@@CivilWarDigitalDigest when did this practice die out? the same time line battles were seen as obsolite or did it stay in military doctrin after this kind of warfare?
I know I have seen it in World War II manuals but it was nowhere near as common that I can tell. I’m not totally sure where it died out. That would come from research people are doing deeper that I have done in later times. Good luck!
@@CivilWarDigitalDigest thanks, by any chance might you have any resources or leads for me?
I wonder if soldiers ever stacked arms without bayonets. I recall a guy named Silas in one of your videos called the bayonet "the soldier's multi-purpose tool." If a soldier wanted to use it for roasting meat or grinding coffee, how would his rifle stay stacked? Was stacking only for brief pauses?
Arms could be stacked, kept in their tents, or kept on their person. It would depend where the men were and what was needed. Stacking does show up regularly in period photos. However, in a camp, they would be better protected in their tents when not at drill, fatigue, guard reserve or otherwise. There is a method to stack by the ramrod, but it is in a different manual. Will
I was reading both Casey's and Hardee's entries on stack arms today, and it looks like soldiers would be able to stack arms by slightly drawing the ramrods and using them similar to the bayonets to lock the muskets together.
Old Fort Wayne
Very interesting! How often was this done and under what circumstances?
It was done in any situation where the men would be called back together quickly but needed to either rest or do something without their firearms. You see images of them across the war, both in camp and in the field.
Brian Jankowski... movie star.
Careful, Mike. You are next…
@@CivilWarDigitalDigest lol I just learned a slight mistake I've been making for the last twenty years by watching this!
Step one... put the short guys in the rear rank so they are staring at the upper posterior thoracic area of the front rank.
Question: If a unit was using the 1855 version of the 1841 Mississippi rifle with sword bayonets, would this work for them too? If not, what procedure would they follow?
This drill is for the musket. You are using a rifle. You'd look at the rifle manual. In many cases, it would be a ramrod stack, easiest found in Hardee's 55 - though the specific manual your unit used would be the place to go. In the US Infantry Tactics, both the rifle manual and musket manual are found. Hope this helps!
@@CivilWarDigitalDigest Thanks, I found it: books.google.com/books?id=MtNHAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA87. The rammers on 3 of the rifles need to be drawn slightly during the maneuver and the pushed back into place before the 4th is added.
It'snot called the position of a soldier it's called order arms when armed or attention when unarmed and when you call a command you need to scream it.
other than these small errors it was very informative
Good catch on order arms.
Wrong on “attention” in Civil War era manuals, including Casey’s where this drill is pulled from.
Also, I’d love to see a citation in a Civil War manual that says you need to scream an order to the three men standing closest to you.
Thanks for taking the time to share notes!! Will
Fort Wayne in Detroit ????
That’s right!
Civil War Digital Digest I’m apart of the 102nd colored troop and we meet there
Shane Gillis would love this
Glad to have any history buffs with us!
Certainly an inferior method to Hardee's.
Which Hardee’s? The ‘55 version uses ramrods which doesn’t work well with reproductions because of how the new ones are made and the ‘62 works for CS troops only. At the end of the day, it is about what the men you portray used, for good or bad. Will