Sewn Patches?

[kBob]

In my reading of some years back I read how the US Army troops armed with the 1841 rifle and the earlier flint rifle (1815?) used pre patched balls with lube already on them. As I understand it the troopers made these up them selves, cutting the patch materials to a certain shape setting the ball on the center of the patch sprue mark up, fold of the patch up to join over the sprue mark and then stitching the patch closed over the ball. The now fully dressed ball was then dipped in some sort of lube and then dropped in the bullet box. The ammunition pouch supposedly held only paper wrapped around powder. Think Musket or Minie cartridge without the bullet. Supposedly there were two or more different loads of powder for use at varying ranges to reduce the need of hold over.

SO my question, Anyone know what the pattern for the patch was or the lube involved? What the thread was and how much was used? I assume the patch must have fallen away somehow.

-kBob

 

[DD4lifeusmc]

too speak just basically and generally.
The lube was likely like what we use today. all natural.
Paraffin was first refined in the 1830's from petroleum.

So even though the ACW was 25 to 30 yr later, they were likely still using mostly all natural components.
Most likely Beeswax and a lard (tallow) mixture.
by prelubing and wrapping around the ball, it would slighlty simplify loading.
It would of course speed up the loading process.
Remember most all the weapons in the ACW were front stuffers, so this prelubed patch and ball combination would be just like doing each step manually and for the same reason.
Whether the shooter was shooting a patched smoothbore or a rifled bore.
The patch would asct as the seal. And yes would likely fall away as it exited the bore.
The pattern hard to say. Could of been round which would eliminate the "tails" you have with a square cut patch, or the outer edges could of been scalloped somewhat, like what happens when you cut a patch at the muzzle with a patch knife.

 

[Noz]

A favorite lube of the time was sperm oil.