How an Indiana Inventor Changed the Face of War Forever

American military weapons may have looked a lot different had it not been for the invention of one Civil War-era firearm—the Gatling gun.

I have somewhat of an obsession with history, and fortunately, there is a lot to study when it comes to Indiana. The Hoosier State shares ties with several notable historical figures, including George Rogers Clark, known as the "Conqueror of the Old Northwest" for his efforts during the Revolutionary War. However, there is another historical figure who also contributed greatly to the battlefield in America, and his name was Richard Gatling.

Who Was Richard Gatling?

According to Britannica, Richard Gatling was an American inventor best known for his invention of the Gatling gun. He was born Sept. 12, 1818, in Maney’s Neck, N.C., and began his career as an inventor by assisting his father in the construction of machines for cotton farming. Gatling eventually moved to St. Louis, adapting his cotton sewing machine for rice, wheat and other grains. These machines did much to revolutionize the agricultural system in the country.

In 1854, the inventor from North Carolina moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he conceived the idea of the rapid-fire machine gun. The weapon was officially patented on Nov. 4, 1862, during the beginning of the American Civil War. Gatling presented the invention to the Union forces, but the war was practically over before federal authorities actually adopted it into the military. He is credited with several other inventions before dying at the age of 84 on Feb. 26, 1903, in New York.

Get our free mobile app

Creating the Gatling Gun

The Hill Aerospace Museum notes that the first Gatling gun featured eight manually cranked, rotating barrels attached to a wheeled cart. As the operator turned the crank, a round would enter the barrel from a magazine before rotating to the firing position. Once fired, the barrel continued spinning, allowing a high volume of rounds to be discharged in a short time. This was a stark contrast to the muskets still used on the battlefield at the time.

The first version of the Gatling gun had a limited rate of fire until the invention of brass-cartridge ammunition. Later models could fire up to 400 rounds per minute, with configurations ranging from six to ten barrels. By comparison, musketeers could only fire about five rounds per minute. However, by the early 20th century, the multiple-barrel design fell out of favor. After World War II, the Gatling gun was reincarnated as the "minigun."

The Gatling Gun Legacy

Modern iterations of the Gatling gun (miniguns) are powered by an electric motor and can fire up to 6,000 rounds per minute. These weapons are used throughout the U.S. military, on everything from small landing crafts to armored personnel carriers and aircraft. These guns make an iconic “BRRRT” sound when fired, bringing relief to U.S. ground forces and terror to enemies. However, none of that would have been possible without the first version of the Gatling gun—made right here in Indiana.