The American Civil War: Weaponry--Artillery


Figure 1.--This Federal drummer boy was Gilbert A. Marbury. He was in the 22nd New York State Militia. The photograph was taken at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia) during 1862. We are not yet sure how to describe the artillery piece, but it looks to us like a short barreled gun. This would mean that it was brass smooth bore, probably a 4.62-inch caliber, firing a 12-pound round shot and capable of cannister fire. Because the boy was in an infantry unit, we are not sure if he was just posing by the cannon or if his infantry unit had a few canons. Whle many infantry units had canons early in the War, gradually the artillery was primarily deployed in specialized artillery units to concentrate fire. Photo source: National Archives. 111-B-5497.

Major advances in artillery occurred during the American Civil War. We see the same introduction of rifeled artllery barrels as we see with muskets. Most Civil War artillery pieces were smoothbore muzzle-loaders, but as with infantry weapons, we begin to see rifled artillery. And this increased lethality (accuracy, range, and penetrating power). Rifeled artillery was highly effective in counter-battery fire because a rifeled battery could attack a smooth bore battery while remaining out of range to counter fire. Range was particularly important, because it increased the time for which advancing infantry could be engaged and subjected to devestating fire. Highly effective anti-infantry ordinance was developed. The new 3-inch iron rifleled artillery pieces firing a 10-pound conical shot, had a flat trajectory with immense penetrating power. The old smoothbores had brass barrels with a 4.62-inch caliber, firing a 12-pound round shot, however, continuud to used throughout the War. This is because the primary purpose of artillery was to breakup and destroy enemy infantry charges. The Eastern United States is dominated by forested hills. And even the Western theater was mostly fought east of the Mississipi. In ths environment, a range of 1.5 km is all that the artillery needed to desimate an attacking infantry force. And for this purpose the smoothbore was often more effective than rifeled artillery. The artillerist had canisters, meaning a tin can full of iron balls. A propellant at one end and a wooden disk at the other. The canon canister container disintegrated when the round was fired. This unleased deadly iron balls on the attacking eneny infantry line. Taking out whole sections of the attacking units. The smooth bore firing canister rounds was essentially a huge sawed-off shotgun. At a ranges of 250 meters or less it was murderous against massed infantry formations. we see that at Fredericsburg with attscking Federal firces (1862) and at Gettysburgh with attacking Confederate forces (1863). Not only did infantry tactics change, but so did artillery tactics. At first artillery was interspersed among infantry units, effectively dissipating the impact of artillery. Fairly early in the War, independent artillery commands were created. This enabled the mass artillery fire that proved so deadly in Civil War battles. [Tidball] The introduction of rifeled muskets was bad news for the artillery men. It brought them within range of enemy infantry.

Types

Several different types of artillery were used in the Civil War. The artillery pieces most associated with the War was the wheele field artillery deployed on the battlefields. The Parrott Rifle, an experimental gun developed by the Federals was somewhat unreliable due to the cast iron used to make it. It was, however, widely used because it was so inxpensive to mnufacture. Other types were the much heavier seige guns and naval rtillery.

Advances

Major advances in artillery occurred during the American Civil War. Most Civil War artillery pieces were smoothbore muzzle-loaders. As with infantry weapons, we begin to see rifled artillery. We see the same introduction of rifeled artllery barrels as we see with muskets. Rifiling was groves which caused the projectile to rapidly spin as it was fired. Just as a football quarterback puts a spin on the ball when passing. The rifiling put a spin on a fiored porojectile. The spin stabilized the projectile. This increased lethality (accuracy, range, and penetrating power). Rifeled artillery was highly effective in counter-battery fire because a rifeled battery could attack a smooth bore battery while remaining out of range to counter fire.

Northern Industry

The Union held a subsantial distinct advantage in artillery. Here the Confederacy could not compete with the North's industrial infrastructure. Union factories produced huge numbers of artillery pieces. The most important factory was the Phoenix Iron Works in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. The Richmond Arsenl was the Confederacy's principal supplier of artillery pieces.

Gun Crews

The standard practice for both Federal and Confederate artillery units was gun crews of at least 9 men. This varied somewhat depending on the artillery piece. Only 2 men could work the guns in the heat of bttle. This of course would affect the firing rate. The large gun crews were needed to carry out the firing operations. Someone had to sponge the barrel to prevent unplanned explosions. This cleaned and cooled down the barrel. Other men were needed to carry projectiles and powder from the caisons to the gun, ram the powder and shell to the back of the tube, and at least one, the gunner, for each piece was needed to judge the distance and position of the target and aim the weapon. Other men were needed to bring up ordinance in sustained engagements.

Transport

Field artillery to be effctive on the battlefield had to be mobile. Fiekd pieces were smaller than siege or naval guns, but even so they were heavy. The standard field piece firing 10-pound projectiles would weigh over half a ton. Gun crews needed about six animals per gun to move it into position on the battlefield. And about six or eight horses to move the caissons (the carriages that carried powder and ammunition). Long distance movement was different. Here the railroads ere important and the Federals had an advntage with their much larger rail network.

Importance of Range

Range was particularly important, because it increased the time for which advancing infantry could be engaged and subjected to devestating fire.

Ordinance

Cannonballs were solid, round objects that would ricochet off the ground and often used to target fortifications and enemy artillery. Highly effective anti-infantry ordinance was developed. The new 3-inch iron rifleled artillery pieces firing a 10-pound conical shot, had a flat trajectory with immense penetrating power. The old smoothbores had brass barrels with a 4.62-inch caliber, firing a 12-pound round shot, however, continuud to used throughout the War. This is because the primary purpose of artillery was to breakup and destroy enemy infantry charges. The Eastern United States is dominated by forested hills. And even the Western theater was mostly fought east of the Mississipi. In ths environment, a range of 1.5 km is all that the artillery needed to desimate an attacking infantry force. And for this purpose the smoothbore was often more effective than rifeled artillery. Case shot was an anti-personnel projectile. It looked like a cannon ball, but was hollow, filled with shrapnel. Once fired at an aattacking units, the shell would explode in mid-air, spreading the shrapnel across a large radius. As the enemy got closer, gunners would switch to canister or grapeshot. This was a tin can full of iron balls. A propellant at one end and a wooden disk at the other. The canon canister container disintegrated when the round was fired. This unleased deadly iron balls on the attacking eneny infantry line. Taking out whole sections of the attacking units. The smooth bore firing canister rounds was essentially a huge sawed-off shotgun. At a ranges of 250 meters or less it was murderous against massed infantry formations. We see that at Fredericksburg with attacking Federal firces (1862) and at Gettysburgh with attacking Confederate forces (1863).

Tactics

Not only did infantry tactics change, but so did artillery tactics. At first artillery was interspersed among infantry units, effectively dissipating the impact of the guns. Fairly early in the War, independent artillery commands were created. This enabled the mass artillery fire that proved so deadly in Civil War battles. [Tidball]

Rifeled Muskets

The introduction of rifeled muskets was bad news for the artillery men. It brought them within range of enemy infantry.

Artillery Engagements

The largest Civil War engagement of field artillery was the bombardment preceeding Pickett's Charge on the third day of the battle (July 1-3, 1863). Geneeral Lee havng struck at the Federal left and right, dcided that Gen. Meede had strengrened both wings by weakebing the center defended by the Federal II Corps commbded by Gen. Hancock. Lee ordered artillery commnder, Col. Edward P. Alexander, to disable Federal artillery and clear the infantry from the point h hoped to break the Federal line. The Confederate barage triggered a Federal response. The cannonade continued for over 90 minutes. The Confederate failed to dislodge the Federal infntry or to severely damage the Federal artillery. The Federals began to hit the Cnfederate artillery wjich was rinning out of amunition. Alexanfder exhausted most of his ordinnce bd unlike the Federals had no wau=y of obtining new supplies. The Federal artillery was prepared and had plenty of ordinance ton oen up when Pickett's men began their famed advance. Federal guns opened up all long the Union cnter. Gen Pickett led his division supported by other units across an open field toward the Union center on Cemetary Hill. Some 12,500 men in nine infantry brigades advanced over open fields. There was over three-quarters of a mile to civer. As soon as they emerged from tree coiver they were within range of the largely undamaged Federal artillery. The division was shreaded before reaaching the Federal lines. About half of the Confederate force was lost.

Sources

Tidball, Hohn C. Lawrence M. Kaplan, ed. The Artillery Service in tge War of the Rebellion, 1861-65 (2011), 432p. This is a modern reprint of a series of articles that Tidball published in a U.S. Army professional journal during the 1890s. The book focuses on the Army of the Potomac, the most important Federal formation of the War.






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Created: 7:11 AM 7/2/2014
Last upodated: 5:52 PM 7/2/2014