The Minie Ball
Minie Ball
This was the bullet that was in use during the Civil War. French Army Captain Claude F. Minie created this hollow bullet that could be put into a rifle much easier. The bullet would expand when firing, and the bullet's outside would catch the rifling, adding the spin to the bullet. This made the bullet extremely accurate and it also caused it to travel far distances. This would cause more deaths to Civil War soldiers because the tactics remained the same. Upon impact, the minie ball was hard enough to pierce the skin, but after it pierced, it would shatter. This made removing the bullet very difficult. Most soldiers had to be amputated to prevent infection. However, they would still get infected because the doctors used unclean equipment. The Civil War generals would be slow to realize this battlefield threat and not change strategies accordingly. More men would die.