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--Last edited by oldkingcrow on 2008-02-13 16:02:16 --

I'd say that in the south and (mid)west particularly, it was an armed society, but not openly. Typical anecdote from Last Winter in the United States by F. Barham Zincke, 1868, quoted in The Railroad Passenger Car by August Mencken:

Quote :

Not far from the town of Jackson, Miss., [the train injured a cow on the tracks]... The conductor called out for the loan of a pistol to enable him to put it out of its misery. In an instant almost from every window on that side of the train a hand was extended offering the desired instrument. On my making some observations on the number of pistols that were forthcoming ready-loaded at a moment's notice, the gentleman seated next to me replied that it was quite possible that I was the only man unarmed on the train; in consequence of the frequent robberies no one ever thought of moving without his six-shooter.

Since the English author was surprised at the pistols being produced, I'd say that the passengers weren't wearing them openly, but had them available. I've seen similar accounts of men carrying bowie knives concealed under their coats or vests.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

I think that the Hollywood "wild west" movies have had as much to do with the carrying of a gun visible as anything. Were fireamrs carried? Yes, but not the way we see. Even post war in the "wild west", they were not as prevalent as people think. I remember reading somewhere that even Wyatt Earp had a special pocket made into his frock coats in which to carry his firearm so it was readily available without being readly apparent. Most images I have seen of civilian areas from the period shows appropriately dressed people without any weapons on display.

I think the amount of weaponry in civilian hands can easily be exaggerated.  

For one thing, if there were that many decent weapons among the general populace, there would not have been such a frenzy to buy arms overseas at the start of the war, including in some cases junk.  

For another, a colt pistol cost $25 in '61, and would go up to $30 as the war went on.  That's a lot of cash, and another reason why it's probably not terribly realistic to see such weapons in the hands of artillerymen, or more than one apiece to cavalry, and why the stories of such being bestowed en masse to volunteers are probably also exaggerations.  

Little pocket pistols may be another story.  A couple of years ago the American Rifleman had a picture of Walt Whitman's four-barrel Sharps revolver.  A cute thing -- just the sort of heat you'd want if you had a habit of being in odd places at odd times.  Too bad it never got a mention in "Leaves of Grass."

Good point Michael.  I would think citizens probably had squirrel rifles, turn of the century long arms, and maybe a shotgun around the house.  All old hand me down stuff.

Here lately I’ve been reading about the election of 1875.  The latest book on the subject is a 2006 work by Nicholas Lemann entitled Redemption, The Last Battle of the Civil War.  It is about an ugly, nasty time that has generally been overlooked by historians.  If it gets mentioned at all, there will be some blasé comment about the election of 1875 ending reconstruction.  It was so much more than that.  After doing a bit of reading, you can quickly see there is not a whole lot about which to be proud.  It was a time when representatives and senators were appointed to the National Congress by state legislatures, not by popular vote.  It was a time of black and tan state legislatures and carpetbagger rule in the deep South.  It was also a time of an armed population.  The weapons may not have been modern and, as Ken pointed out, could very well have been antiquated, but they were adequate to do what they did.  There was carnage and bloodshed galore.  Some of these were nothing less than atrocities, multiples of them.  Seventy-two people were killed at Colfax, LA, perhaps more.  Twenty-nine more deaths occurred in the vicinity of Vicksburg, MS.  There were other such incidences elsewhere. All of this came about during President Grant’s administration.  If the Federal government took any action at all it was of the too little too late variety.  It must have been a frightening time to live.  

My grandfather would occasionally retell some of the  stories his father had told him about the “75 Election.”  They were bad.  There must have been lots of guns among the civilian population.

It would be interesting to know what percentage of the Civil War vets purchased their weapons at the end of the War? From my reading it seems a lot of guys thought the Government was asking too much money for their weapons.  

Quote :

Curtis Makamson wrote : My grandfather would occasionally retell some of the  stories his father had told him about the “75 Election.”  They were bad.  There must have been lots of guns among the civilian population.

Another period with a lot of violence was the 1840s and early 1850s, with racial and immigrant riots in cities, sometimes stirred up by the Know-Nothings when they came about. Not all the violence was by guns--knives, clubs and bricks were often employed--but guns were part of it as well.

And then, moving right along, there was notoriously well-armed "Young America" of the late 1850s.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

A sk not far from my home here in Illinois in '64 involved civilian "copperheads" who attacked soldiers returning from furlough.  The incident happened during the Democratic convention.  Though one man involved in the fight was the Local Sheriff, Most were armed with pistols.  I think they had planned the attack though, so other than the Sheriff and maybe his deputies they normally wouldn't have the handguns with them.  I would say a long arm as well would have been more common.  But a pistol would not be unusual.  I think travelling to town would have the average man toting a fowler, or squirel rifle.  Whether it was to dispatch a highway man or a squirrel it was one item most in this area did not get far away with.  Like to day it depends on region.  

My thoughts
The Mad MIck!!!