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Title:	CARBINE -  MERRILL CARBINE TYPE II .54 SN# 14737
Maker/Manufacturer:	MERRILL, JAMES H.
Date of Manufacture:	1863
Eminent Figure:
Catalog Number:	SPAR 4830
Measurements:	OL: 95.8CM 37 3/4" BL: 56.1CM 22 1/8" 6.8 lbs.

Object Description:

MERRILL CARBINE TYPE II .54 SN# 14737
Manufactured by James H. Merrill, Baltimore, Md. in 1863 - Standard Merrill Type II percussion breechloading carbine. Brass furniture. Sling ring on left side of stock. Double-leaf rear, iron blade front sight. Weapon weighs approximately 6 lbs. 8 oz. Bullet weighed 400 grains and contained 40 grains of powder.

Markings:
Lock: 1863. Eagle. J.H. MERRILL BALTO/PAT. JULY. 1858/APL. 9 MAY 21-28-61. Stock: No inspector cartouche on stock. However on left flat where cartouche normally would go is US in circle, like a miniature belt buckle or cartridge box plate.
Barrel: V/P/Eagle.
Triggerguard and side plate: 76.
Internal parts: 76.
Buttplate: U.S. 720 (possibly old Museum number).

1909 Catalog #3164 - "Carbine. Merrill Breech Loading Rifled Carbine. Cal..51. M'f'd under patents of July, 1858 and 1861. Paper cartridge. Brass buttplate, guard, and band."

Exhibit label: "BREECH LOADING PERCUSSION PAPER CARTRIDGE - The mid-nineteenth century was a period of great experimentation in firearms. The Merrill carbine exhibits one of the many attempts to develop a breech-loading weapon, in this case combining a paper cartridge and a percussion cap."

Notes: The Merrill carbine was tested in the 1860 carbine trials. The board ruled the weapon was unfit for military service. The board objected to the plunger used to push the paper cartridges into the chamber, as well as the paper cartridges. Nevertheless, Merrill's agent, S.P. Dinsmore managed to bypass the Ordnance Department by demonstrating the weapon to field officers.
The first 200 Merrill carbines delivered to the government were issued to Colonel Dichell's 1st New York Mounted Rifles on January 25, 1862.
Merrill carbines also saw service with the 1st & 3rd Wisconsin, 11th, 17th and 18th Pennsylvania, 27th Kentucky, 1st, 5th and 18th New York, 1st New Jersey, 7th Indiana, and the 1st Delaware.

"Merrill, James H. - Baltimore, Md. James H. Merrill was associated with Latrobe and Thomas from 1855 or before to 1860, when the Merrill Patent Fire Arms Mfg. Co. was organized. In 1869 the first quit business. During the period January 1, 1861, to June 30, 1866, the Government purchased 14,495 Merrill carbines and 583 rifles, paying $398,685.13....
In the Government trials of 1866 to determine the possible number of shots per minute, the Starr tied with the James H. Merrill revolving carbine for the doubtful honor of being the slowest arm to be loaded and operated. The Henry led the field with 25 shots per minute, the Starr and Merrill but 6 shots per minute." - Gardner

"During the 1863-1864 Ordnance Department survey of officers using the various breech-loading carbines in field use, 91 officers responded on the Merrill. The results were: Best-5; Good-14; Fair-13; Poor-16; Worthless-43." - John D. McAulay

"During the fourth quarter of the year (1863), over 20 officers from nine regiments responded on the Merrill carbines. Their views ranged from the Merrill being very good, to totally unfit for service use. The major complaints were that the stocks broke often at the wrist area. Other concerns raised were that the sights came loose and the carbines became fouled after a few firings so that it was impossible to open the breech for reloading. The Secretary of War was notified that many of the carbine barrels were bursting; therefore, he directed that all Merrill barrels be proved at the Washington Arsenal. These arsenal-proved barrels will be found with the VP/eagle stamped on them."

"The Ordnance Department issued Merrill carbines to the following Union cavalry and infantry regiments:
Arkansas 2nd;
Colorado 2nd;
Delaware 1st;
Illinois 1st, 11th, 16th, 83rd Mounted Infantry;
Indiana 2nd, 6th, 7th, 12th;
Kansas 2nd, 6th, 7th, 14th;
Kentucky 2nd, 4th, 5th, 26th Mounted Infantry;
Maryland Purnell Legion
Michigan 3rd;
Missouri 9th, 11th;
Nebraska 1st;
New Jersey 1st;
New York 1st, 1st Vet., 4th, 5th, 18th,
Ohio 3rd, 10th, 11th;
Pennsylvania 5th, 11th, 17th, 18th;
Tennessee 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 10th, 11th,Wisconsin 1st, 3rd; and
United States Colored 2nd.
Prior to the onset of the Civil War, Merrill carbines found their way into the Southern state arsenals. With a pending conflict brewing, astute Southern military leaders purchased arms before the trade embargo was put into place....In addition to state purchases, numerous Merrill carbines were obtained from captured, wounded, deceased, and retreating Union troopers. For these arms, the Confederacy manufactured cartridges at their Lynchburg and Richmond Arsenals. The Confederate States of America field manual calls for the Merrill cartridge to have a bullet weight of 430 grs. and to be charged with 50 grs. of black powder. The bullet manufactured at Richmond Laboratory was flat based and contained only one greased groove. Other Richmond packaged carbine cartridges were fitted in drilled wooden blocks. The Merrill cartridges were not an exception and were placed in a drilled wooden block with an identifying label wrapper attached. The methodology of packaging at Lynchburg is not known.
The following Confederate cavalry regiments were issued Merrill Carbines:
Georgia 8th;
North Carolina 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th;
Texas 1st, 27th;
Tennessee 7th, 17th; and
Virginia 1st, 7th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 24th, 30th, 35th Bn." - White

"During the Civil War, from 1 January 1861 through 30 June 1866, the national government purchased 3,477,655 muskets, rifles, carbines and pistols, 544,475 swords, sabers and lances, 2,146,175 complete set of infantry accouterments, 1,022,176,474 small arms cartridges, and 1,220,555,435 caps for small arms. The following is a list of specific arms:
14,495 Merrill carbines $374,804.63." - Hartzler, Yantz & Whisker

LOAN HISTORY OF THIS WEAPON:
Army #0587 - Loaned to Major Thomas O. Rose, Headquarters, Military Personnel Procurement Service. N.Y., N.Y. Loan returned on 8 February 1957.

References:
Flayderman, Norm. FLAYDERMAN'S GUIDE TO ANTIQUE AMERICAN FIREARMS...AND THEIR VALUES. 8th Ed. Krause Publications. Iola, Wi. 2001.
Gardner, Robert E. SMALL ARMS MAKERS. Crown Publishers, Inc. N.Y., N.Y. 1963.
McAulay, John D. CARBINES OF THE CIVIL WAR 1861-1865. Pioneer Press. Union City, Tn. 1981.
McAulay, John D. CARBINES OF THE U.S. CAVALRY 1861-1905. Andrew Mowbray Publishers. Lincoln, R.I. 1996.
Reilly, Robert. U.S. MILITARY SMALL ARMS 1816-1865. The Eagle Press. Baton Rouge, La. 1970.
White, Terry A. AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS OF COMBUSTIBLE AMMUNITION. Thomas Publications. Gettysburg, Pa. 2002.