During the Civil War the North and South used a
great variety of small arms ammunition, but the
type most used was the minie ball. Prior to the
development of the minie ball, rifles were not used
in combat due to the difficulty in loading. The
ammunition used by rifles was the same diameter
as the barrel in order for the bullet to engage
the groves of the rifled barrel. As a result the
ball had to be forced into the barrel. The minie
ball, originally designed by Captain Claude-Etienne
Minie of France and improved on by manufacturers
in the United States, changed warfare. Since the
minie ball was smaller than the diameter of the
barrel, it could be loaded quickly by dropping the
bullet down the barrel. This conical lead bullet
had two or three grooves and a conical cavity in
its base. The gases, formed by the burning of powder
once the firearm was fired, expanded the base of
the bullet so that it engaged the rifling in the
barrel. Thus, rifles could be loaded quickly and
yet fired accurately.
These two minie balls from opposing sides met
head-on during fierce fighting at the Battle of
Fredericksburg, Virginia, in December 1862.
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