Recently I was watching a movie, "They died with their boots on" with Errol Flynn as George Armstrong Custer. I noticed that one of the first battles that he commanded was either "Bull Run or Manassas" in July 1861. It appeared to be a victory for his unit and it seemed his troops were using bolt action rifles. I thought that only muskets were available during the early part of the Civil War. I know this may seem to be a ridiculous question, but I consider myself somewhat of a trivia buff and would appreciate clarification on this point. Were bolt action rifles available for troops in early parts of the Civil War? At what point were they introduced as weapons for either side? Thank you for your help,

Adm