Bruce,

You are correct on the disposability of pistols of the Rebels! With reloading so difficult, it was easier to drop a piece and recover it or replace it later. Boy, did the Yanks ever fool themselves into thinking they had really accomplished something by picking up a guerilla pistol! I guess dropping a pistol was the guerilla's version of dropping a magazine of today, in the heat of battle. Besides, if they won, they could pick them up. If they lost, they could get more later from the Yankees!

Len