The state governments dominated the process of supplying arms to troops during in the Civil War’s first year, and the federal government did so starting in the war’s second year. However, a small portion of the arms used in the Civil War came from private companies sold to individuals. Individual cavalrymen sometimes bought their own weapons, or private wealthy citizens also funded regiments to buy carbines and other supplies. Purchasing arms through private companies, although costly to the individual soldier or financer, offered benefits to manufacturers and firms that sold the guns.



The state governments could not always raise the necessary funds to boost the war effort and looked to their wealthy elite citizens to fund the cause.1 Those well-off citizens’ reasons for supporting the war effort varied, ranging from the noble cause of ending slavery to the economically driven profit building.2 Yet, as Historian Paul A. C. Koistinen writes, "Whatever the motive, elite leadership was generally effective and played an important role in keeping an often war-weary population committed to fighting."2 Those community and opinion leaders' support of the war effort spread patriotism, hope, and confidence to the citizens at home as well as the soldiers on the field.

Other private purchasers were companies. Those firms bought guns to then sell them at an inflated price. According to Winston O. Smith, “the guns obtained by the private companies might have been factory ‘seconds’ which had been turned down by the Army’s inspectors. Another possibility is that many privileged and influential companies and individuals during the War were able to obtain guns from some of the factories for speculative resale to the Army at enormous profits.”3  Although the “factory seconds” were not of federal military quality due to some flaw, possibly dealing with interchangeability, the guns were still in 

 

PHOTO: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS