Anthony

When the 1st Arkansas left Virginia they would have turned in their .58 Springfield rifles. Quality weapons in the early spring of 1862 were in such short supply that they most certainly would not have been allowed to take those weapons with them to Tennessee.

Most likely they would have been issued weapons commonly available to the Tennessee theater which as Frederick has said would probably have been the Mississippi rifles which had been in service for many years and were near the end of their useful service live especially being the oddball 54 caliber in a .58 caliber world.

The fact that Fagan was issued 54 cal ammunition would seem to have confirmed this. Incidently 29,500 rounds would have only been 40 rounds and another 40 rounds for reload the cartridge boxes. About what you would expect for a combat load for a regiment of 368 men.