This is a very good example of one of the tens of thousands of European muskets and rifles imported to army early war volunteers in the Civil War. Many of these arms were made in the Belgian city of Liege, whose gun makers produced copies of regulation arms for a number of European countries. This is a copy a French infantry rifled musket and is clearly marked on the lock plate “LEMILLE / A LIEGE” with European stock marks on the left butt flat and wrist. Also stamped clearly on the wrist is “G.A. SMITH,” who could have been a soldier, but also an arms importer or one of the U.S. agents scouring Europe for military arms.

The follows the general lines of the French infantry musket of 1842, slightly modified in 1857. It is iron mounted, with three barrel bands, the upper band being double, with a barrel-mounted blade front sight, bayonet stud mounted under the muzzle, and has been rifled and fitted with a folding long range rear sight. As was common, it was left in its .70/.71 caliber. As is characteristic of many French and Liege arms, it has a back action lock, with the lock plate secured at the rear by a screw requiring a special screwdriver to discourage meddling by curious privates. (In European armies the sergeant was often the lowest ranking soldier to be equiped with the necessary gun tools.)

The metal is smooth overall with a matching thin brown patina mixing with underlying pewter gray. Bands, sights (including ladder on rear sight,) ramrod, bayonet stud, swivels, etc. are in place. The wood fits the metal tightly and has nice color and surface with just a few dings on the left forestock, forward of the middle band. The stamped markings in the wood are crisp. The mechanism needs a little tinkering: the hammer holds at full cock, but not at half-cock. Imported arms played a key role in the war, particularly in the early years before U.S armories and contractors could catch up in production. Some estimates of imported French and Belgian arms place their numbers close to 150,000 and they are frequently referred to by soldiers. This is a very good example that would fit a collection of Civil War longarms or show off well with a set of early-war accouterments.  [SR]

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