Casual students of the American Civil War easily accept the notion that. the Confederacy relied completely upon foreign imports and captured Union weapons to arm its soldiers during the war. This belief is only partially true. While the South did import arms, and, likewise, made use of captured arms, the truth is that, in spite of a limited industrial base, the Confederacy did manage to arm its forces by capitalizing upon the resources of its several arsenals and armories, as well as a number of private manufacturers.

Of the many establishments that provided arms to the Confederacy, the Tyler Ordnance Works in Tyler, Texas, was, per-Laps, the most removed from the major areas of conflict. Its origin lies in a contract between the Texas State Military Board and the business partnership of Short, Briscoe & Co., which was signed November 5, 1862.

Five categories of arms have been documented as being manufactured at Tyler - "Texas Rifles," "Texas Patent Breech Rifles," "Hill Rifles, Enfield Rifles" and "Austrian Rifles." Three other varieties of arms have been identified; hut examples of them have yet to surface.

Of the five types of arms made at the Tyler Ordnance Works, the most famous is the "Tyler Texas Rifle. The contract cited above called for the firm to produce 5000 "stand of arms after the Mississippi Rifle." The state would pay $35 per rifle, including bayonet. While the contract was for the state of Texas, and the Mississippi Rifle was .54 caliber, Short, Briscoe & Co. agreed to comply with the Confederate standard of .577 caliber, set back in June 1862.

Only one rifle, the initial sample offered, would be delivered to the state of Texas before the company sold its operations to the Confederate Ordnance Department. Labor and material difficulties delayed Short, Briscoe & Co., and prevented them from fulfilling their initial contract for 500 rifles due on June 1, 1863.

Initially, the new Tyler Ordnance Works only repaired damaged arms; but, in November, 1863, 100 Tyler Rifles were delivered to the Confederate government, with another 84 delivered the following month. While the earlier rifles were manufactured with sporting rifle barrels brought in from Little Rock, Arkansas, reports state that 130 new Texas rifles" were delivered in January of 1864. These may have been made with new barrels manufactured at the Tyler works.

The rifles come in several variants:

Type I

The first Tyler Texas Rifle had an overall length of 48 inches, with a barrel length of 32-3/16 inches. The lock was a basic English Pattern 1853 rifle musket type; however, it was secured to the stock by only a single bolt, screwed into the plate just to the rear of the mainspring upper arm support.

The sights were iron with a fixed single leaf for the rear and a brazed blade one inch from the muzzle for the front. The barrel was secured to the stock by a tang screw and two barrel bands - the rear band styled after the U.S. Model 1841, but made of iron.

The forestock ends abruptly, approximately two-thirds of the way down the barrel from the breech, in a nosecap that was distinctive to the Tyler Works. The cap resembles the rear portion of a U.S. Model 1841 front barrel band (Figure 1). It was held in place by friction, while the rear band had a retaining spring. The stock was unusual in that it was light orange in hue - possibly cut from holly wood.

Type II

The second variation is similar, in most respects, to the rifle described as Type I; however, there were some minor dimensional differences; and the fore-stock extended to within seven inches of the muzzle. The rear sight was an iron blade, fixed 6-3/4 inches forward of the breech. The front sight was a brazed blade 5/Sinch back from the muzzle. Both this version arid the Type I have been tentatively labeled as infantry arms.

Type III

The third variation of the Tyler Texas Rifle was shorter than the previous two, with an overall length of 45-1/2 inches and a barrel length of 30-7/16 inches. The front barrel band did not "cap off" the rounded forestock; but was set back a few inches. The front band appears to be the middle band from a U.S. Model 1842 Musket. Both bands were held in place by friction. rather than with retaining springs. This type probably was made for cavalry use.

Type IV

Also known as the Tyler "Texas Patent Breech Rifle," this variant was shorter than the others, being only 43-1/4 inches long, with 27 inches of "true" barrel and an addition inch of patent breech. The bands were similar to those of a Type I, and were held in place by retaining springs These rifles were manufactured beginning in July 1864. Some 70 "short" and seven long patent breech rifles were manufactured in July and August of 1864. The remaining samples of this model were scattered among the 180 "Texas" Rifles made in November and December 1864.

In all, 1,193 "long" rifles and 70 "short" rifles were delivered between November, 1863 and March, 1865. Tyler Texas Rifles were unique among the many interesting arms to come from Southern armories. It is unfortunate that so few specimens survive today.

Sources
· Confederate Rifles & 'Muskes, Dr. John M. Murphy and Howard M. Madaus
· Confederate Arms, Wm. A. Laugh III and Edward N. Simmons

Scanned from the November-December 1997 issue of The Skirmish Line. Graphics omitted.