2. Source 1 says that ‘the pike was the most
commonly used weapon during the civil war.’
The pike was a long wooden pole with a steel
point at the end. Pikes were cheap to make
and easy to use. Pikes could be very effective if
used in large groups. Pikes were supposed to
be sixteen feet but many soldiers sawed the
bottom off so it was easier to carry.
Pike men usually formed the front line of an
army. Pikes were mainly used to stop cavalry
from charging but they were also used against
men.
3. During the civil war there were two main kinds of muskets; the matchlock and the
flintlock. They had a firing range of up to three hundred yard. They could also be as
long as five feet!! They were both loaded in the same way; gunpowder was poured into
and compacted by poking a stick down the barrel, then a lead ball would be put in and
wadding to keep the ball in place.
To fire the matchlock, the more common musket, the soldier would empty gunpowder
into a pan and cover it to protect it. He would then press a lighted piece of flax into a
metal trigger called the serpent. When the gun was fired the lighted flax in the serpent
would come down into the pan and light the gunpowder. The flame fro this would then
enter the barrel of the gun and light the gunpowder that had been poured into it and
the lead ball would be fired out.
The Flintlock was easier to fire but more expensive the pan would be filled in the same
way but the serpent contained a piece of flint, which when it struck the pan it would
create a spark which would light the gunpowder.
Source 1 tells us that ‘both weapons were dangerous and clumsy to use.’ Some long
muskets were so long and heavy they needed a stand.
4. The cannons used in the civil war were
extremely heavy and hard to move.
Source 1 tells us that ’the largest cannons
could need up to sixteen horses to
move.’ The more common cannons were
smaller and therefore easier to
maneuverer but they still needed four
men to move it. Because they were so
hard to move they had to be put in
position before the battle. The rounds
used for the cannon were usually balls of
iron, but sometimes stones were used.
After the cannon had been fired the
soldiers operating it had to go through
strict procedures so the cannon can be
fired again, they need to; clean it, load it
with gunpowder and the lead ball or
stone and then fire it. The cannon was
inaccurate and was used to mainly
create fear among the enemy.
5. This weapon was easy to move and could be used
by only one man. The mortar works by firing a
explosive shell high into the air and then it
explodes on impact. Although the mortar was
hard to aim, source 1 states ‘it was the most
destructive weapon used in the civil war.’
6. When I say source 1 I am referring to
http://www.historyonthenet.com/Civil_War/w
eapons.htm.
I think that this source is reliable as it is a recent
historian that has written it and it is not one of
those question and answer websites, it contains
lots of facts.
