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Mississippi Rifle

National Museum of American History

Object Details

Whitney, Eli
Description
Physical Description
Model 1841 Mississippi rifle, .54 caliber.
General History
This gun derives its nickname of the "Mississippi rifle" from the Mississippi Riflemen led by Jefferson Davis. The Mexican-American War began in 1846. Davis looked favorably upon the war as the United States stood to acquire considerable land south of the Missouri Compromise line. It was an area in which Southern institutions could expand. Davis resigned his House seat in June and rejoined the army. On July 18, 1846 he was elected colonel of the First Regiment of Mississippi Riflemen. In September of the same year, he participated in the successful siege of Monterrey, Mexico. In June, the army offered him an appointment as brigadier general of a militia unit, but he declined. In traditional Southern style, he believed the appointment was unconstitutional. The United States Constitution, he argued, gives the power of appointing militia officers to the states, not to the federal government.
Credit Line
U.S. Military Service Institute
1849
associated date
1849
ID Number
AF.32808
catalog number
32808
accession number
69413
Object Name
rifle
Other Terms
rifle; Firearms; Percussion Fire; .54 In; Rifled; Muzzle Load; Sa
Physical Description
wood (overall material)
steel (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 7 in x 50 in x 2 3/4 in; 17.78 cm x 127 cm x 6.985 cm
Place Made
United States
used
United States: Mississippi
See more items in
Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
Military
ThinkFinity
Exhibition
Price of Freedom
Exhibition Location
National Museum of American History
National Museum of American History
Subject
Firearms
related event
Mexican War
Expansion and Reform
Record ID
nmah_414665
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a2-104d-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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