The Marines A Brief History
In the run up to the Civil War in 1859 the Marine uniform was to change considerably, apart from the full dress uniform with shako, this remained until 1875. The new weapon; for the Marines were to change from the M1842 smoothbore musket to the M1855 .58 cal rifled musket from the Harpers Ferry Arsenal Virginia, these were to have the new Maynard tape priming system which was a small door on the side of the lock plate that opened to take a small roll of caps, this were to become a marines nightmare as when the caps got damp they failed to fire and after a while the doors catch would also fail causing it to fly open, so the coil of capes were replaced by putting the more reliable percussion cap on the nipple. These muskets were to remain as the Marines long arm until in 1864 when they had started to be armed with the M1863 Springfield rifled musket.
The most distinguishing features for the Marines were to be the white leather cross belts holding the cartridge box and bayonet with an oval adjusting plate in the centre.Also stated in the regulations were that from the 15th May to 15th October marines would be issued with white drill cotton trousers, this may have been extended on board ships in tropical
deployments like the Atlantic Blockading Squadron, West Indian and Gulf Squadrons, sky blue trousers were issued between 15th October until 15th May with French pockets (mule ear) these were not a regular issue for the US army.
On the outset of the war in 1861 Congress were to increase the Marine Corps to 3,074 enlisted men and 93 officers but during the war the Corps strength did not exceed 3,900, they were to be spread out between the Navy and on detachment to the Army. The first major battle at Manassas they were to be driven off the Henry House hill three times before covering the rout of the Union army along the Warrenton Turnpike back to Washington, Marine casualties stood at 19 wounded 6 missing and 9 dead.
By the end of the war of unpleasantness the Marines had been engaged in well over 79 actions on land and sea from small landing parties to destroy rebel storages and combined operations with the Army, one of their most famous victories was on the 10th June 1864 when they manned one of the heaviest pivot guns on the forward deck in what was to be one of the finest victories at sea when the Sloop USS Kearsarge engaged the CSS Raider Alabama and sinks her of the coast off France in the English channel.
