Reader Jay Hull wrote me after reading my May column discussing the prototype of Pedersoli’s new reproduction .54 caliber Model 1854 Lorenz rifle. Pedersoli stated that several changes would be present in the production version. Unsurprisingly, the gun will feature the long-range sight rather than the block sight, although both were used on original Lorenzes.
I went on to note that the 5th N.J. Regt. of the Second N.J. Bde. was initially armed with Lorenzes. The brigade’s other three regiments, the 6th, 7th and 8th, carried smoothbore muskets. The idea was that, with a limited supply of rifled arms available, a brigade would get, if possible, one of its regiments armed with rifles and that unit could then be deployed for skirmish duty, where accuracy was more useful.
The Jerseymen were with the force that caught up with the Rebel rear guard at Williamsburg on May 5, 1862. In the ensuing
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battle, a brutal close-range encounter fought in a rainstorm, the brigade had its baptism of fire. The three smoothbore armed regiments slugged it out with the Confederate rear guard on the Union left while the 5th was deployed in front of the division as skirmishers. By and large, the Jerseymen seemed satisfied with their Lorenzes.
As Jay pointed out, however, that satisfaction was far from universal. He reenacts and does living history with today’s 27th Conn. Inf., and that original regiment had most of its companies armed with Lorenzes. As Jay notes, “many of them were not inspected by a competent inspector and were not 100% functional; to the point that prior to the 27th’s first battle at Fredericksburg, the men were told by their brigade commander, Colonel Samuel Zook, ‘Boys, if you cannot discharge them, you can use the bayonet.’” The regimental history noted that “scarcely one of these weapons One of the Trenton marked Model 1861 rifle muskets made by the Trenton Locomotive and Machine Company and purchased by the state of New Jersey for the New Jersey Rifle Corps. (Photos by Tim Prince) was without defects in the most essential particulars.” If my brigade commander told me that if my gun would not fire and that I should use my bayonet, I would be less than enthusiastic going into a fight. In fact, a lot of Lorenzes were made by shady contractors rather hastily and had a bad reputation. Guns of the same pattern issued by the Hapsburg government were far better arms.
With most active members off to the front, and far more attention paid to state soldiers in the field, many state militia organizations went into decline during the Civil War. The New Jersey militia, understrength and armed with obsolete smoothbore muskets, was one of them.
The Gettysburg emergency drew attention to the sorry state of the N.J. militia and inspired state officials to create the N.J. Rifle Corps in 1863. Although a few units of the old militia were allowed to continue, recruits to the new organization were issued distinct uniforms to emphasize that they were members of an elite organization. Initially, the Rifle Corps was less than a stunning success, with only six companies of the authorized forty organized by the end of 1863, but the corps was deployed to control a riot that broke out between employees of two rival railroads in November.
In order to properly arm the state’s Rifle Corps, N.J. purchased several thousand rifle-muskets in 1863 and 1864. Once they arrived in Trenton, these guns were marked “NJ” on the barrel and stock opposite the lock to indicate state ownership. The first two orders, in July 1863, were to New York arms merchants Schuyler, Hartley and Graham, for 2,500 and 1,500 Colt “Special Model” 1861 rifle muskets. Shortly after delivery of the initial order, however, the second one was cancelled. It seemed that Colt, or Schuyler, Hartley and Graham, was trying to dump weapons that had failed federal inspection by selling them off to unsuspecting states.
New Jersey had a very sharp quartermaster general, however, and each weapon received was disassembled and carefully inspected by “a competent person” at the state arsenal. A report noted that “the inspector rejected a great number of parts.” The state “allowed the contractors in every instance to replace the parts rejected for defects with perfect parts,” although the number of those replacements was not noted. There were no details as to why the second Colt contract was cancelled, although one would assume that there was a lack of “perfect parts” to replace the inferior ones.
Other contracts, for standard Springfield pattern Model 1861 rifle muskets, granted to J.T. Hodge and A.M. Burton of the Trenton Locomotive and Machine Co. in Trenton, and Middletown Manufacturing of Conn., were not cancelled, so it is safe to assume that those contractors either supplied satisfactory arms or had a ready supply of parts.
The N.J. Rifle Corps was initially created by gubernatorial order in 1863, and I thank Staff Sergeant Brian Darling of the N.J. National Guard for digging up the Corps’ formal legislative authorization act, passed in 1864. Interestingly marksmanship training is strongly stressed:
Chapter 336: An Act for the more effectual organization of the This gun is properly marked “US/TRENTON” with Eagle forward of hammer on lock and “1863” on tail of lock and on barrel flat.
Stock is maker marked opposite lock “J.T. HODGE” who was Addison Burt’s partner at the Trenton Locomotive and Machine Co. There are two inspector’s cartouches crisply stamped opposite lock as can be seen in photos. New Jersey Rifle Corps 1. The Rifle Companies organized under Governor Parker’s order of June 29, 1863, will form one corps, known as the New Jersey Rifle Corps, which may include up to forty
2. Each company will parade
into service for a maximum of three months in case of “invasion, tumult, riot, resistance of process, or the immediate danger of same in any city or
4. Substitution is permitted.
5. Widows and minor children of
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men killed on active service will be entitled to pensions.
Joseph G. Bilby received his BA and MA degrees in history from Seton Hall University and served as a lieutenant in the 1st Infantry Division in 1966-1967. He is Assistant Curator of the New Jersey National Guard and Militia Museum, a freelance writer and historical consultant and author or editor of 20 books and over 400 articles on NJ and military history and firearms, and as publications editor for the NJ Civil War 150 Committee edited the award winning New Jersey Goes to War.
