What if (American Civil War Question)

you could design your own personal, Cavalry Regiment to prepare for American Civil War Combat? How would you equip them with firearms?

From the money raised by my Michigan beer brewing industry and the other procedes gained from the whorehouse industries of indeterminate investment origins, I would issue each man with a Henry Repeating Rifle, at least two La Mat revolver pistols (the La Mat's fired nine shots and had an additional 16 Gauge shotgun barrel fitted into the middle of the pistol's cylinder that fired a VERY potent round that was GRATE' for close combat.) I would throw away each and every sabre in the regiment and lastly, issue my unit of Michigan Cavalry with LOTS of ammunition.

My artillery support would use imported British, Whitworth breech loading cannon.

My Regiment would kick those Johnny Rebs south all the way down to Mexico and beyond!

What say you guys?

 

I like Civil War too, but I don't know if we should talk about it here. We'll see.
The Henry was an excellent gun but was not liked by the "Brass", because of the extra ammo needed to be supplied. A 15 shot, 44 cal round with decent range certainly would be an advantage.
I've shot from horseback before, and I admit I never hit much of anything I was aiming at, so many shots would be the way to go.
The advantage of cavalry is speed & range...not so much weapons. Most when facing superior numbers, dismounted as Beauford did at Gettesburg.
The Spencer was used much more...100,000 vs. 1,200 in that war. 7 shot 52 cal, and much more rugged & easier to re-load.
I've heard Quantrills raiders (sp?) used to carry up to 16 6-shot pistols in saddlebags to give them the firepower advantage. After closing the distance of course. This might be a more effective way to wage war from a horse.
The sword, though only effective at only it's length range, had a mental effect on it's victims. It never ran out of ammo and inflicted horrific damage (as did lancers). I personally would not eliminate this item, for crowd control & "dash" alone.
Grapeshot (about the size of a ping-pong ball) 1 would take a horses head off. About 18 came out of the standard Union 8lb er cannon.
The gun that shoots twice (as Indians used to call it)(the cannon with exploding rounds) was the future, alone with the Gattling gun (machine gun), of slaughter in wars to come.
Good choices for your boys though!