5 guns!

I love how folks say this and that was never done during the civil war and how photos were all 'staged' showing men 'festooned' with pistols.

There is a tintype I have seen in my Grandad's collection of a dead Confederate with at least 4 pistols on his rotting person.

Oh, wait...that just couldn't happen!!!!!
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I'm just telling you what knowledgeable reenactors say - pistol use was not common among enlisted men. I'm sure some soldiers were festooned with pistols, but this was not normally the case.

Also, some photographs of the dead were also staged. Like the famous photo of the dead guy in the rocks at Devil's Den.

Steve
 
I'm just telling you what knowledgeable reenactors say - pistol use was not common among enlisted men.
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Not really talking about "enlisted men". Jose was a (fictional) Guerrilla. Most Missouri guerrillas (bushwhackers) didn't even carry rifles or shotguns. Some did, but very few. Heck, they didn't even wear uniforms. Almost all of them carried between two and eight revolvers. Sometimes more. They fought by ambush, close, quick, sudden attacks that left the enemy confused and panic stricken. They did not line up in the middle of a field in neat little rows waiting for the enemy to attack like the big armies of the time. They would hide in the brush or creek beds alongside much used roadways and either wait for enemy troops to happen by or lure them into a trap. Guerrilla warfare was/is a hell of a lot different than standard military warfare. Also FWIW, it wasn't uncommon to see enlisted cavalry troopers with two revolvers. They realised early on that a second revolver was better than a sabre.
 
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Thank you sir. I have studied guerrilla warfare in Missouri/Kansas for fifteen years or more. Bill Quantrill and "Bloody Bill" Anderson (two most well known) were rough fellows. By the way, in Jose Wales they show "Bloody Bill" as a man close to 50 years old, the real one was only 24 or 25 when he was killed in 1864.

The real Bloody Bill. Notice two revolvers.
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Bill dead. Notice the three Colt revolvers?
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Closer dead pic.
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More guerrillas.

Archie Clements, Dave Pool and Dave Hendricks. All of them have two revolvers.
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A young Jesse James. Three revolvers.
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Capt. John Jarrett. Although he is wearing a union belt plate he was no "yankee". Three revolvers.
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and because I like the pic, here again is George Maddox. Four revolvers.
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Deerslayer, not counting holsters and belts I'll bet the loaded guns would run 9-10#... Men were tougher back in Josey's day..
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I weighed myself with and without my duty gear on there is a 30+# difference. Rig belt with gun, radio, light, 2pr handcuffs, pepper spray, baton, keys, magazines, tazer, the carriers for all, back up .380, vest, and 2 pocket knives (one hidden on belt).

I would expect just 6-8 guns and spare ammo would weigh similar.
 
Figure another holster on the belt plus a dual shoulder rig ( or it's antique cousin)
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There were no shoulder holsters in the civil war. In the field it was common for guerrillas to wear two to four revolvers on their belts, two in saddle holsters and usually two to four more in saddle bags. They carried as many as they could get their hands on. Also, weight wasn't a problem for them. They carried little more than guns and ammunition, and the horse carried man and equipment. Guerrillas usually rode lightweight civilian saddles, and didn't worry about carrying food, as the locals provided meals (sometimes weather they wanted to or not). Remember, these fellows fought from the back of a horse. If they were caught in a fight on foot, their "edge" was gone.
 
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I carried a Colt 1911, (4) magazines, a Taser, Radio, Flashlight, Double cuffs, Expandable Baton, and Vest with shock plate for 20 years, everyday. The entire setup weighed about 30 pounds...
 
OK Josey only had 4 guns

Still just think about the weight of all that ammo and steel and Leather hanging around your middle! Wowo what a case of having enough gun eh?
I could see a shooter trying t carry just 2 calibers, it must have been a nightmare trying to rload quicklly! However that little .31 adds so much "Cool" to the Movie that it just has to be there! Way better than any Derringer!
Next time I'll take my shoes off to count on...
ZVP
 
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