▁in ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War ▁( 1 8 6 1 - 6 5 ) ▁were ▁caused ▁by ▁M ini é ▁balls ▁fired ▁from ▁rif led ▁mus k ets . ▁ ▁A ▁similar ▁bullet ▁called ▁the ▁N ess ler ▁ball ▁was ▁also ▁developed ▁for ▁smooth b ore ▁mus k ets . ▁ ▁Between ▁ 1 8 5 4 ▁and ▁ 1 8 5 7 , ▁Sir ▁Joseph ▁Whit worth ▁conducted ▁a ▁long ▁series ▁of ▁rif le ▁experiments , ▁and ▁proved , ▁among ▁other ▁points , ▁the ▁advantages ▁of ▁a ▁smaller ▁bore ▁and , ▁in ▁particular , ▁of ▁an ▁el ong ated ▁bullet . ▁The ▁Whit worth ▁bullet ▁was ▁made ▁to ▁fit ▁the ▁gro ov es ▁of ▁the ▁rif le ▁mechan ically . ▁The ▁Whit worth ▁rif le ▁was ▁never ▁adopted ▁by ▁the ▁government , ▁although ▁it ▁was ▁used ▁extens ively ▁for ▁match ▁purposes ▁and ▁target ▁practice ▁between ▁ 1 8 5 7 ▁and ▁ 1 8 6 6 , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁gradually ▁su pers eded ▁by ▁Met ford ' s . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁W . B . ▁Ch ace ▁approached ▁President ▁Abraham ▁Lincoln ▁with ▁an ▁improved ▁ball ▁design ▁for ▁mus k ets . ▁In ▁firing ▁over ▁the ▁Pot om ac ▁river ▁where ▁the ▁Ch ace ▁ball ▁and ▁the ▁round ▁ball ▁were ▁altern ated ▁Lincoln ▁observed ▁that ▁the ▁Ch ace ▁design ▁carried ▁a ▁third ▁or ▁more ▁farther ▁fired ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁elev ation . ▁Although ▁Lincoln ▁recommended ▁testing ▁it ▁never ▁took ▁place . ▁ ▁About ▁ 1 8 6