Movie Shenandoah

Watching that film, I noticed that the protagonist family were all armed better than either the Federal or the Confederate armies, most having repeating cartridge carbines. The days of the regular Americans being able to match government firepower are sadly long-gone.

It’s a pretty good movie, though full of anachronisms as common with the old films. Springfield trapdoor carbine conversions in Confederate hands was just the most glaringly obvious one.

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6 Responses to Movie Shenandoah

  1. LarryArnold says:

    OTOH, considering what some state governments and county sheriffs are saying, the Feds may one day regret passing out so much of that firepower.

    It would be interesting to see far enough in the future to know who the state national guard units will end up saluting.

    • Mr. Arnold, Et Alii:

      Your true state militia is the State Guard or State Defense Force, and NOT the National Guard, which is merely another component of the regular United States Army, subject to military discipline and/or foreign deployment at the President’s whim.

      Regarding this subject, here is what I posted in, “MILITIA”, at my own personal web site, “OUR ETERNAL STRUGGLE”:

      http://writesong.blogspot.com/2013/01/militia.html

      Note the differences that I describe in comparing the National Guard and the State Guard.

      Thank you.

      John Robert Mallernee
      Armed Forces Retirement Home
      Gulfport, Mississippi 39507

      • LarryArnold says:

        Thanks, but I understand the difference.

        National Guard units serve both a governor and the president. If the two are in conflict and the president’s orders possibly unconstitutional, officers will end up between a rock and a hard place.

  2. BLADE says:

    In “Big Jake” with John Wayne he gives “Betsy”, his Derringer, to his young grandson and says “Use it if you have to.” The young boy does fire it twice at the BG, but unless you are watching the original uncut version, you never see it, they didn’t want to show a boy firing a gun in self defence.

  3. staghounds says:

    What a strong and sweet movie that is.

  4. Y. says:


    Watching that film, I noticed that the protagonist family were all armed better than either the Federal or the Confederate armies, most having repeating cartridge carbines.

    They must’ve been pretty rich. I imagine industrial products and especially precision made ones such as guns were far more expensive back then, relative to incomes.

    Average (family) income back then was $400 a year ($7000 in ’08 $)..
    .. one Spencer repeating carbine cost $40. Savings rate was around 15%…

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