Camerone, Mexico

[David Kennard 12146]

All,
I was watching the Military channel last night (Thurs, 7/10) and there was a program on the French Foriegn Legion, specifically around 1863 when they were operating in Camerone, Mexico. The presentation made reference to a percussion rifle being used by the Legionares. Included was a short piece about its excellent useability, accuracy and that it shot the 58 minnie'. I have been trying to google the name to get more information, but apparently I do not have the correct spelling. The moderator of the program said the gun was an 1859 Amelee', Emelee' (these are my phonetic attempts at spelling), or some such name ????
I realize this is somewhat sketchy but would anyone know anything about this gun? Would it go by another name :?:

[Richard Hill]

If it was a French gun, it wasn't .58 caliber. The M1859 rifle was 17.8mm, or about .70 caliber, and was popularly called the "Vincennes rifle". I don't know if the French Foreign Legion in Mexico used this name or not. The Belgians made a .58 caliber version of this gun, examples of which were sold in the New York market in 1860-61. This, or a similar gun, could be the one, but the name needs to be clarified to attempt a positive ID.

[William H. Shuey]

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Bill Shuey
1st Maine Heavy Artillery

[Mike McDaniel]

The French abbreviation for "Model" is "Mle"...which is what I think the narrator was trying to pronounce.

[David Kennard 12146]

Mike,
I suspect you are correct. If I recall the the narrator probably did say that the gun was a "Mle 1859" which seems to point to the Belgian version Richard Hill mentioned. I realize there were many percussion weapons during this time and my description was pretty slim. You guys amaze me with your knowledge of thes guns.
Anyway guys thanks for the help.

[Richard Hill]

I look at the "mle" and think "model". Never occured to me that someone would think it was a word in itself! Sounds like the narrator was trying to describe a .70 caliber French Model 1859 rifle.

[Bron Wolff, 1492V]

Steve Wilson in article (book) titled "We Die but Never Surrender, the Battle of Camerone, lists the French weapons at Camerone as a .70 caliber smoothbore. He does not specify make model of weapon but did state the .70 caliber equipped with the Legions favorite weapon the bayonet.

Bron Wolff