Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a Whitney Pattern 1853 Enfield rifle-musket that played a starring role in Civil War politics before the first shot was fired. Whitney made about 3,500 of these around 1859-1862, and their distribution tells a story of pre-war tensions. At least 2,000 went to Maryland, where they were captured by Confederate sympathizers during the Baltimore riots of April 1861. Another 1,225-1,700 shipped to Georgia before the war started. This meant Whitney’s Enfield copies were arming Southern forces while the North scrambled for weapons.
The rifle shows typical Whitney modifications to the British design – “E. WHITNEY” marked lock, brass trigger guard bow with iron strap, and Whitney’s long-range rear sight. The bayonet stud doubles as a blade front sight, and the boxed “SR” over “15” marking on the stock flat indicates military inspection.
What makes this rifle historically significant is documented provenance – it’s pictured on pages 473-474 of George D. Moller’s “American Military Shoulder Arms, Vol. III” and bears his collection initials “GDM” at the toe. Moller was the definitive authority on American military weapons, making this a museum-quality documented example.
Whitney’s timing was unfortunate from a Union perspective. His high-quality Enfield copies reached Southern hands just as sectional tensions exploded into violence. The Baltimore riots showed how quickly civilian weapons could become military assets – these Whitney rifle-muskets went from state militia arms to Confederate battlefield weapons almost overnight.
Most of our POTDs utilize images from our friends at Rock Island Auction Company, the premier firearms auction in the United States. Take some time to browse their current auctions – who knows, maybe you’ll find a piece of history to take home!
“Whitney Pattern 1853 Enfield Type Percussion Rifle-Musket.” Rock Island Auction, www.rockislandauction.com/detail/4095/225/whitney-pattern-1853-enfield-type-percussion-riflemusket. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025.
Writer | TheFirearmBlog
Writer | AllOutdoor.com Instagram | sfsgunsmith Old soul, certified gunsmith, published author, avid firearm history learner, and appreciator of old and unique guns.
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