Defending Beecher Island

[Bottom Dealin Mike, SASS #22273]

Indian War Era Buffs might get a chuckle out of this short clip.

 

[twelve mile REB]

And to think a Spencer was fast in its day. Hard on arrows though.

12

[Trailrider #896]

There is one question I've had nagging at me for quite some time... And no satisfactory answer thusfar: You see Forsyth's 2nd-in-command, was Lt. Fred. H. Beecher, 3rd Infantry. Beecher was also the Acting Assistant Quartermaster of the 3rd Infantry. The 3rd was armed (by actual account of the Ordnance records) with Spencer Repeating Rifles with triangular bayonet. The 7th Cavalry was armed with Spencer Carbines, both M1860 and M1865, depending on which company. The 3rd Inf. was the "owning" unit at the posts where Forsyth organized his scouts, there were several companies of 7th Cav as "tenant" units at these posts. So the question I've been asking about is: did Beecher issue 3rd Infantry Spencer rifles to at least half of the scouts? Unfortunately, the Ordnance records for the period are missing! George Forsyth used the term "rifles" in his memoirs of the Beecher Island battle half a century later. Even with the passage of time, Forsyth would have known the differenece between rifles and muskets. He was even detailed enough to write that they had several rifles firing .50 cal central fire ammunition (M1866 Springfields) for long range sniping. Yet he never mentions Spencer carbines, just rifles. The only mention of Spencer carbines was that of Sgt. Reuben Waller, from the relief column of Co. H., 10th Cav, Capt. Louis Carpenter commanding. Danged itch I can't scratch!

[stepnmud#33546]

Been awhile since I'd read the Terry C. Johnson historical fiction novels, but the Beecher Island account was riveting and just thinking of laying low in a rifle pit for more than a few days and being surrounded without any expected reinforcements was a will of survival. Thanks for the video clip.