New York Express War Coverage June 30, 1862

The Depot of the White House .
[From the N. Y. Express, June 30, 1862 third edition.]

The news now is of a huge stampede from the White House , by order — it would seem — in consequence of Gen. McClellan's right wing giving way. The "White House" being our great depot of provisions, etc., and the railroad there connecting our camps with the depot being broken up, it follows that General McClellan has but two alternatives left:
1st. To force his way to James river — in order, by connecting with the gunboats, to get something to eat.
2d. Rapid retreat further down the river, and if James river cannot be reached, retreat to York river and Hampton Roads.

The News from the army. [From the same paper, fourth edition.]
Some more light is thrown upon the army news in our special Washington dispatches (Fourth Edition.) The telegraph line connecting our depot with Gen. McClellan's army was broken Saturday, and hence, since that, we have nothing, and can have nothing from him directly. What happened afterwards, Saturdayafternoon and Sunday, is among the things yet unknown here.
The White House seems to have been abandoned in good order, with little loss on our part.

The very anxious men and minds, who had been so eager to have this little "White House " turned into a hospital, will see that great matter is ended by the house being burnt up. Two thousand five hundred dollars will build another as good a house, and $700 re-supply all the furniture.

What were General McClellan's intentions, after Sundaynoon, are now to be guessed. The railroad, track, locomotive, are all now in Confederate hands — and General McClellan must either retreat, in order to live, upon James river, to get a fresh and better hold, by means of the gunboats, upon Richmond — or else to Yorktown and Hampton Roads.

There are gunboats on both rivers, both Pamunkey and James rivers, which will protect his river flank. The army now, it is clear from this dispatch, is to be supplied from James river, upon which, doubtless, General McClellan is marching, whether in retreat, or in the line of Fort Darling and Wilton, seven miles below Richmond, remains to be seen.

Spencer (no headstamp) believed to be made in the 1860s by the Stamp Copper Company for Spencer Rifle Company. The case was made by W.R.A. (Winchester Repeating Arms) for the Stamp Copper Company, who finished the cartridge for Spencer Rifle Company. The reason being in those days the Gun maker (Spencer) had to supply the cartridges for the gun they produced, as no one esle would have them available. They may also be Springfield Armory, using C.D. Leet Cases.







56-56 Spencer The 56-56 Spencer Rimfire was introduced in 1860 and was the first Spencer Cartridge and Rifle. It was used in the Civil War in 1863, on the order of President Lincoln. It was later manufactured by many companies until 1920. It is now a scarce item, as you can't reload rimfire ammunition.

Spencer's Repeaters In 1863, two guns that literally changed the course of firearms history were first delivered to the U.S. government. These are the Henry and Spencer repeaters. These arms were among the first to use rimfire cartridges. The Henry was not actually designed as a military weapon. Some were purchased by the Army due to the emergency of the war. The Spencer, however, was specifically intended for military service. Almost 100,000 rifles and carbines were delivered on federal contracts before the end of the Civil War, not to mention state purchases. The Spencer Repeating Rifle Company went on to produce improved models after 1865. Unfortunately, they never got the really big government or foreign contracts needed to stay in business after the war. The company closed and was sold to the Fogerty Rifle Company in 1869, who in turn were bought by Winchester. It is no coincidence that Spencer carbines and rifles are quite similar to the corresponding Sharps models. Christopher Spencer was very familiar with the durability problems patent arms had experienced in service trials. He incorporated the best features of the most successful breechloader in his design. In fact, Spencer purchased complete barrels from the Sharps company for his first Navy rifles. Internal lock components are identical to the corresponding Sharps parts, except the sear, which must be ground a little to clear the Spencer magazine tube. Since the lock was one of the most vulnerable parts of a weapon, this interchangeability became a strong selling point. Spencers could be repaired with Sharps parts already on hand. The military Spencers of 1863 were all chambered for the 56-56 cartridge, which was developed by Crittenden and Tibbles about 1861. This firm supplied Smith and Wesson with the first cartridges made under the latter's rimfire patents of 1854. In an attempt to make militarily useful ammunition, the 56-56 features the largest case that was practical to form at the time. When fired in a rifle, this round would approach the performance of the 58 caliber musket then in use. During the War Between the States, the relatively low power of the 56-56 was not a great handicap. Most battles were fought at much less than 400 yards. Here, the cartridge was more than adequate. It also had the distinct advantage of light recoil. This was especially true for the rifle, which weighs almost ten pounds. In May of 1863, Spencer rifles became the first of the repeaters to be issued. They had an immediate and profound effect on tactics. Shortly after receiving the new guns, Wilder's Lightning Brigade defeated a Confederate force several times their own number at Hoover's Gap, Tennessee. In July, Irvin Gregg's cavalry division, including George Custer's brigade, stopped Jeb Stuart's southern troopers at Gettysburg. The Confederate cavalry was attempting to flank the Army of the Potomac in support of Pickett's ill fated charge. The Southerners had fought these same Federal troopers to a standstill at Brandy Station, only three weeks before. The Confederate horsemen then held the Yankee cavalry in check a week later at the battles of Aldie, Middleburg and Upperville. No Spencer equipped units had taken a major part in these battles. At Gettysburg, the 5th and 6th Michigan cavalry held the center of the Federal line that succeeded in stopping the southern cavalry. These units had been rearmed in May with Spencer's repeaters but were not posted to front line service until the end of June. Before then, their main duty had been riding picket in the Washington D.C. area. A good case can be made that, had Stuart's flanking movement been successful, reinforcements would not have been so readily available to the besieged Federal line. Then, Pickett's charge may well have carried the day. Not only was the Federal mounted service coming of age, so were their weapons.

The M-1865 is the Spencer of the Indian Wars era. The only major changes are a reduction in caliber to .50" and 20 inch barrels for the carbines, down from the M-1863's 22 inches. Rifles remained at 30 inches. This, and all later military Spencers, are chambered for the 56-50 cartridge. The round was actually developed by the US Ordinance Department during the Civil War. Its introduction in March of 1865 was just barely too late for service in that conflict. The limiting factor in the Spencer design is overall cartridge length. Cases longer than about 1.7 inches will not feed through the action. By using a lighter bullet and slightly larger powder charge, the 56-50 improved on the ballistic performance of the 56-56 about as much as was possible. The 50 caliber Spencer went on to develop an enviable reputation on the frontier. This in spite of the fact that the round was under powered for the wide open west, even when it was first introduced. Spencers were the standard issue weapon of mounted troops for a decade after 1865, with few exceptions. Their firepower saved the day in many actions. When it came to a close fight, such as Beecher's Island in eastern Colorado, the repeaters were hard to beat. In a cost cutting move, they were finally superseded by the single shot Model 1873 Springfield carbine. The changeover started late in 1874, five years after the Spencer company went out of business. Some units were equipped with Spencers well into 1876. They continued to be issued to teamsters and settlers well after their departure from front line service. Westerners prized them as a handy saddle gun. Many were in use as late as the turn of the century. Their cartridges were loaded commercially at least through 1919. The greatest difference between the various Spencer models is the cartridge extraction system. Model 1863 and 1865 Spencers use a long blade on the left of the breech block carrier. In the M-1865, this blade is held forward with a helper spring to make single loading easier. M-1867 guns use the Lane patent extractor, a spring loaded tooth mounted on the centerline of the breech block carrier. The models of 1868 use a short blade relocated to the left of the breech block carrier. On the Line There are some wide spread prejudices against Spencers that have made their appearance on the line an all too rare occasion. The first is the inescapable fact that they won't shoot quite as fast as a Henry. In the time it takes a typical Henry shooter to get off 8 or 9 rounds, a Spencer will send 6 or 7 down range. This is a disadvantage, but not as much as shooting a muzzle loader in carbine matches. With practice, one can get very close to Henry speed, unless you are a lefty. The problem is mostly caused by the fact that the hammer must be cocked between shots. Another complaint is the seven round magazine. This can be a serious disadvantage on the pigeon board. By starting with a cartridge in the chamber, eight shots are available before reloading. That means 100% hits are required in this event, while the Henry shooters can miss a few before having to reload. A helpful trick is to hold a couple of spare rounds between the knuckles of your off hand. Then, when the magazine is empty and only one or two targets are left, the gun can be single loaded very quickly. This option is not nearly as convenient for the unlucky Henry shooter. If reloading becomes necessary, the Spencer's magazine can be refilled far more rapidly than a Henry. If everyone is missing and both the Henry and Spencer must be reloaded, the Spencer armed skirmisher can overtake a Henry shooter. For hanging targets, eight rounds are usually more than sufficient. A positive advantage of the Spencer design is that the magazine is safer to reload, since the muzzle is always pointed down range. A common misconception is that Spencers are more difficult to operate and prone to jamming. With the wrong ammunition, or a weak magazine spring, this is true. However, a properly prepared Spencer is as smooth and reliable as any Henry on the line. The best advantage of a Spencer is the outstanding accuracy of these arms. The author's M-1868 carbine has produced 1 1/4 " groups at 100 yards. One particular M-1865 rifle shot a 2 1/4 " group the first time it was fired this century, and using the magazine, which tends to dent the bullet noses.

Cartridge Confusion There is a lot of confusion with regard to Spencer cartridges. This is due in no small part to their peculiar designations. Much has been printed about Spencer calibers and cartridges, a large portion of it is not correct. At the time of their introduction, it hadn't occurred to anyone to name cartridges by the caliber of the barrel for which they were intended. Therefore the first metallic ammunition was designated simply by its body diameter. Thus the cartridge that fits the Model 1863 rifle and carbine was called the "Number 56 Cartridge", since the weapon for which it is intended had a chamber of about .56". The actual barrel caliber is .52". When a 50 caliber round was first investigated, it became obvious that the chamber diameter designation was not going to work. The new round would also be .56" in body diameter. At that point, another designation was introduced. This method uses the diameter at the head and mouth of the cartridge. Thus the No. 56 became the 56-56 and the new 50 cal. round became the 56-52. To add even more confusion, Springfield was also developing a 50 cal. round for the reduced bore M-1865 Spencer and, supposedly, all future carbines. This one was a great improvement over the commercial ammunition then being produced. It featured a cartridge case that covers and protects the bullet's grease grooves. In a foreshadowing of future designations based on barrel caliber, this became the 56-50. It was also known as the 50 U.S. Carbine and, in spite of its government roots, the 50 Spencer. There was considerable debate during development of the 56-52 and 56-50 between Christopher Spencer and Steven V. Benet of Frankford (incidentally, father of the poet of the same name). Benet held that the bullet was better protected by a longer cartridge case. Spencer maintained that the heavy crimp used would damage the bullet's nose or even cause it to strip, thus ruining accuracy. The result was that there were two cartridges available for 50 caliber Spencers. The two rounds are different but interchangeable. The 56-50 is the first generally issued inside lubricated rimfire cartridge. The bullet's grease grooves are covered by the cartridge case. In the 56-52, The bullet's grease grooves are exposed. The Army almost exclusively issued the Springfield designed 56-50 ammunition, even if it was commercially made. Civil War contract arms were all originally made in 52 caliber with 6 groove rifling. Over 11,000 of these were refinished and converted at Springfield to 50 caliber. Most also had Stabler's patent magazine cutoff added to allow use as a single shot. This work was done from late 1865 through the early 1870's. The conversions can easily be distinguished by their three groove rifled barrel liners. All other military models are 50 caliber. While these are the two common calibers of Spencer firearms, other chamberings exist. A few very rare and valuable sporting rifles were produced just after the Civil War, mostly from condemned parts. The greater number of these used a bottlenecked 44 caliber cartridge based on the 56-52 case. There are also a very few early prototypes in various small caliber chamberings, particularly 38 and 46 straight. (c) 1998 by A. M. Beck http://www.civilwarguns.com/spencer3.html

These are photos of the cartridge that was found on the wreck site at the Pamunkey. After photographing it, we reburied in the location it was found. I believe it was a 5656 Spencer round, which would date it and the wreck to the 1864 period.

Christopher Spencer’s Horizontal Shot Tower

By Stephen F. Blancard
http://www.leverguns.com/articles/blancard/spencer.htm

The old saying “Necessity is the mother of invention” was never truer than
during the mid-1800’s. The Industrial Revolution was well underway by the time
the war for southern independence had begun. A young man by the name of
Christopher Miner Spencer, born June 20, 1833 saw a need and proceeded to fill
it. In his early years he worked in Samuel Colt’s armory where he gained
valuable experience in the arms-making trade.

With the advent of self-contained metallic cartridges such as Smith and Wesson’s
.22 short rimfire and the .44 Henry rimfire, Spencer foresaw great changes to
come in the small arms industry. By the late 1850’s his inventive mind had begun
to conceive not only a reliable breechloader, but a repeating one at that. He
was fully aware of the deficiencies of other early repeaters such as the
Volcanic with its “Rocket Ball” cartridge and Colt’s revolving rifle. But by
using a completely self-contained metallic cartridge, their faults would be
eliminated.

What he envisioned was a lever-actuated rolling block action. Cartridges were
fed through a tubular magazine in the buttstock. The inner magazine tube could
be withdrawn from the butt for loading. Similar in function to the modern .22
cal. rifle with an under barrel magazine. Capacity was seven rounds.

Spencer’s first model was believed to have been completed in 1859. His friend
R.S. Lawrence, of the firm of Robbins and Lawrence were early contractors of
Sharps rifles and carbines. So it is not surprising that some lock parts with
interchange with the Sharps. Spencer’s first arms were in .36 and .44 rimfire.
These used a smaller frame than the later military models. Spencer obtained his
first patent on March 6, 1860. A second patent issued July 29, 1862 contained
several improvements to the original design.

Spencer was anxious to arm the Union with this rifle. However, he son ran
headlong into the thick red tape of the Federal government. Fortunately, he was
able to obtain an interview with president Lincoln. Knowing that Lincoln was a
man who would appreciate his rifle, he decided to go straight to the top. The
following is a quote directly attributed to Christopher Spencer concerning his
interview with the President.

“On the 18 of August, 1863, I arrived at the White House with rifle in hand, and
was immediately ushered into the executive room. I found the president alone.
With brief introduction I took the rifle from its case and presented it to him.
Looking it over carefully and handling it as one familiar with firearms, he
requested me to take it apart to show the “inwardness of the thing.” It was soon
dissected, laid on the table before him. After a careful examination and his
emphatic approval, I was asked if I had any engagement for the following day.
When I replied that I was at his command, he requested that I “Come over
tomorrow at 2 o’clock, and we will go out and see the thing shoot.”

Arriving at the appointed time, I found all in readiness to proceed to the
shooting place, which was about where now stands the Washington Monument.
Accompanying us was his son, Robert, and one of the officers of the Navy
Department who carried the target and rifle, with the ammunition. Arriving at a
point opposite the War Department the President requested Robert to go over and
ask Mr. Stanton to come over and see this new gun fired. Robert soon returned
and reported Mr. Stanton too busy to attend. “Well,” says the President, in his
humorous way, “they do pretty much as they have a mind to over there.”
While we were waiting for Robert, Mr. Lincoln discovered that one of the pockets
of his black alpaca coat was torn open. Taking a pin from his waistcoat, he
proceeded to mend it, remarking, “It seems to me that that don’t look quite
right for the Chief Magistrate of this Mighty republic, Ha! Ha! Ha!”

Arriving at the shooting ground, Mr. Lincoln, looking down the field, said, “It
seems to me, I discover the carcass of a colored gentleman down yonder,” and
ordered the target placed so as to avoid accidents. The target was a board about
six inches wide, and three feet long, with a black spot near each end. The rifle
contained seven cartridges. Mr. Lincoln’s first shot was low, but the next his
the bull’s eye, and the other five were close around it. “Now,” says he, “we
will let the inventory try it.” Being in almost daily practice, I naturally beat
the President a little. “Well,” he said, “you are younger than I am, have a
better eye, and a steadier nerve.”

The end of the board which the President had shot was cut off by the Navy
official, and handed to me when we parted on the steps of the White House. I
kept it until 1883 when at the request of one of the staff of the Army and Navy
Journal, it was sent to Springfield, Illinois, to be placed in the collection of
relics.

Some authorities question whether this interview was in 1862 or 1863. It seems
more likely that it was 1862. Since by the spring of 1863 Spencer's were in
widespread use. It was noted that the President was quite impressed with young
Spencer’s rifle. What effect the presidential test had on future government
orders is hard to determine.

The first recorded use of a Spencer in battle was by a personal friend of
Christopher Spencer named Sgt. Francis O. Lombard. Lombard used it in a skirmish
near Cumberland, Maryland on October 16, 1862. The first official use of the
Spencer was at the battle of Gettysburg.

Initially rifles were issued to the cavalry. But the shorter carbine soon proved
its superiority for mounted troops. From Jan. 1, 1861 to June 30, 1866 the
Federal government purchased 94,196 carbines, 13,171 rifles and more than
58,000,000 cartridges.

The wartime Spencer was chambered for the No. 56 Spencer rimfire cartridge, also
called the .56-56 Spencer. Rifles had a 30” round barrel, full forend retained
with three iron bands. About 700 rifles were ordered by the Navy and made to
take the sword bayonet. Spencer is though to have actually made about 1,000 on
this production run. Probably selling the remaining 300 to the public. All other
rifles procured by the government from Spencer were made to take the socket
bayonet. The wartime Spencer carbine had a 22” barrel, short forend retained
with a single iron band and spring. From the receiver back, it is the same as
the rifle. Approximately 50,000 war model carbines were produced. By the end of
the war the Spencer carbine had pretty well established itself as the best arm
suited for cavalry use.

After the war, Springfield Armory altered approximately 11,000 war model
carbines. The barrels had liners installed to accept the new .50 cal. cartridge.
A device know as the “Stabler Cut Off” was added which enabled the gun to be
used as a single shot, keeping the magazine in reserve. This was a small piece
very similar to a wing nut. It was mounted on the trigger plate just ahead of
the trigger. When positioned lengthwise it prevented the breech block from
opening far enough for the magazine to fee a fresh cartridge. When turned
sideways it allowed the block to open fully.

In 1865 Spencer came out with a new version appropriately called the Model 1865.
This was essentially the same as the war model, except that it was chambered for
the new .56-50 cartridge. Production of this model was about 23,000 pieces of
which about half are fitted with the Stabler Cut Off. These are marked on the
barrel breech “M 1865”. The Model 1865 was also made under contract by the
Burnside Rifle Company. Burnside production was approximately 34,000 carbines.
The only variation from Spencer made guns are that these have three groove
rifling instead of six groove and are marked as made by the Burnside Rifle
Company.

The Model 1867 soon followed. This again was almost the same as its predecessor.
However, many of these were fitted with the “Spencer Patent Magazine Cut Off”.
This was an extra wide device in place of the usual narrow cartridge ejector.
Pivoting the top prevents the breech block from traveling rearward enough to
accept the next cartridge from the magazine. Marked on barrel breech “M 1867”.
Spencer’s last version was simply called the “New Model”. It was identical to
the Model 1867, with the exception of “N.M.” marked on the barrel breech.

In 1871 Springfield Armory altered 1,108 Burnside made Spencer carbines to
infantry rifles. These had their barrels replaced with 32 ½” round barrels
chambered for the .56-50 cartridge. A full forend was added, retained with two
iron bands. (All Spencer made rifles have three iron bands.) The Stabler Cut Off
was added as well. All Spencer rifles and carbines altered by Springfield Armory
will have three groove rifling.
A relatively small number of sporting rifles were made. Some were made on the
military action. But others were made using a smaller, scaled down receiver.
These were occasionally chambered for the .56-46 Spencer rimfire cartridge. In
prime condition these command a premium price. I direct the reader to
“Flayderman’s Guide To Antique American Firearms” for a more detailed
description of the various models.

The Spencer had proven itself in combat during the war and then again in the
Indian campaigns. Despite its proven record it was withdrawn from service in
1873. The Army had changed its mind and decided that the single shot Model 1873
“trapdoor” Springfield was better suited to their needs. Most troopers were
reluctant to turn in their repeaters for single shots. But orders were orders.
Perhaps the Spencer was ahead of its time. In its heyday, during the war there
no doubt were times when Confederate troops armed with old smoothbore muskets
faced Federal troops armed with the repeating Spencer. The comparison is truly
dramatic. Certainly the courage of the Southerners cannot be denied. The death
dealing Spencer soon earned the sobriquet “Horizontal Shot Tower”.

Spencer’s diligent efforts during the war soon proved to be his undoing. After
the war there was a vast surplus of arms available to the public. Spencer just
could not compete. He had produced himself right out of the market. By 1869 the
Spencer Repeating Rifle Company was in bankruptcy. All its assets were purchased
at auction by the shrewd Oliver Winchester, who immediately turned a profit by
selling off Spencer’s machinery.

Christopher Spencer continued to be active in manufacturing. He later patented
one of the first slide action shotguns made in America. His inventive genius was
not limited to just firearms. Spencer’s innovations in the machine tool industry
are still used today. Christopher Miner Spencer spanned the era from flintlock
to machine gun, living to the age of 89. He died on January 14, 1922.
From 1860 to 1869 almost 140,000 Spencer rifles and carbines were made in
military configuration. A relatively small number of sporting rifles were made,
certainly not many. I believe it would be safe to say that total Spencer
production did not exceed 145,000 pieces.

Identification of the various Spencer cartridges has always been a problem due
to their unusual designation. The first cartridge designed by Spencer was simply
called the “No. 56 Spencer rimfire”. At the time this was fine. There were very
few other cartridges available. Later it was called the .56-56 Spencer. The “56”
represents the diameter of the cartridge at its base, .560”. The second number
is the neck diameter. In this instance it simply means it is a straight case.
The listed dimensions are as follows. Case length .875”, rim diameter .645”,
bullet diameter .550”. But as usual there is quite a bit of variation in these.
Bullet weight was 350 grains. This was backed by 45 grains of black powder,
giving a muzzle velocity of about 1200 fps. While not equivalent to the service
load, it was quite adequate at short range.

By 1864 Springfield Armory had designed a new cartridge. This was designated the
.56-50 rimfire. In this case the “50” does not really represent neck diameter,
but rather a rough statement of bore size. The listed dimensions are a s
follows. Base diameter is the same as the .56-56. Neck diameter .543”, rim
diameter .639”, bullet diameter .512”, case length 1.156”. This was loaded with
a 350 grain bullet and 45 grains of black powder, giving a muzzle velocity of
about 1230 fps. It could penetrate almost a food of soft pine at 15 feet.
Now to add to the confusion, Christopher Spencer did not approve of Springfield
Armory’s .56-50. He believed it had an excessive crimp. By designing the
cartridge with a bottleneck instead of the deep crimp, he felt accuracy could be
improved. Thus in 1866 the .56-52 was born. Although very similar to the .56-50,
its dimensions are slightly different. The listed dimensions are as follows.
Base diameter is again .560”, neck diameter .547”, rim diameter .642”, case
length 1.020”, slightly shorter than the .56-50. Bullet diameter .525”. This is
.013” larger than the .56-50 bullet. Since this was primarily a sporting
cartridge it was loaded with either a 340, 386 or a 400 grain bullet and backed
by 45 grains of black powder.
The .56-50 and the .56-52 are said to be interchangeable despite the difference
in dimensions. Considering the wide tolerances acceptable 120 years ago, this is
understandable. As an example, the bore of my own 1865 model Spencer carbine has
a groove diameter of .514”. I know of a Burnside made Spencer carbine who’s
groove diameter measures .524”. Yet both these carbines are chambered for the
same cartridge. Accuracy would vary quite a bit depending on the cartridge
selected.
The last Spencer cartridge is known as the .56-46 Spencer rimfire. It was used
almost exclusively in the rare sporting rifles. This was one of the first true
bottleneck cartridges. The listed dimensions are as follows. Base diameter
.558”, rim diameter .641”, neck diameter .478”, case length 1.035”, bullet
diameter have been noted between .460 and .488. This cartridge was usually
loaded with a 330 grain bullet and 45 grains of black powder giving a velocity
of about 1200 fps. Ballistics were improved over the larger cartridges and
recoil was reduced by the lighter bullet.
All these cartridges were loaded by a number of different companies between 1860
and 1920. Due to the leeway in tolerances, the dimensions of these cartridges
vary considerably. In some cases it is all but impossible to tell the
differences between a .56-50 and a .56-52.

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