AMMUNITION

During the Mexican War, U. S. Army infantrymen were issued prepacked ammunition. Military cartridges were manufactured with a measured amount of black powder along with the correct size projectile for a particular weapon.²⁶ Packaged ammunition reduced the steps needed to load a musket, and thus the process could be done more quickly.

The predominate cartridge issued to infantry soldiers during the Mexican War was a one ounce .64 caliber spherical lead ball, slightly less in diameter than the Model 1816 and 1835 flintlock muskets’ .69 caliber bore.²⁷ The sub-caliber ammunition allowed for the lead ball and paper to be loaded with a tight, but not too tight fit down the barrel. The lead ball was prepacked into a paper casing with 130 grains of black powder, approximately 10 gains of which were used to prime the pan.²⁸ Besides the .69 caliber ball cartridge, smoothbore muskets could also fire a cartridge which held one ball topped by three .30 caliber buckshot, called “buck and ball,” as well as a cartridge containing twelve .30 caliber buckshot.²⁹ A leather bullet pouch and a brass powder flask were commonly used by riflemen in the Mexican War to load their weapons. ³⁰ However, period rifles could also be loaded by using prepacked ammunition, which consisted of paper cartridge holding 75 grains of powder and a pre-patched .54 caliber lead ball.³¹

The actual type of ammunition issued to the Battalion soliders is unknown. Private Zadok Judd claimed his musket could “carry an once ball one mile.” At least two men, Privates Christopher Layton and Henry W. Bigler, noted the exact number of cartridges they initially received.

Authorities in the War Department encouraged target practice before the Mexican War and officers divided their men into three categories according to personal skill and accuracy. The ammunition intended for each season’s target practice was divided unequally among these groups of men, with the worst receiving the greatest number of cartridges. However, during the war, commanders placed a high premium on ammunition and curtailed most target practice.³²

Mormon Battalion journal entries indicate that the volunteers were drilled in the basic mechanics of loading, firing, and maintaining their new weapons at Fort Leavenworth during the first few days of August.³³ This type of “basic training” continued during the Battalion’s march to Santa Fe, New Mexico.³⁴

Figure 5