Civil War History - Secession and PoliticsWas it Slavery, or was it States Rights? Perhaps it was the election of Lincoln? What were the real reasons for Southern Secession and what were the political issues in this time of war? Find your answers here in the Secession and Politics Disussion.
Surely Sherman had some mortars with him that could be accurate enough, no? Besides the vast majority of the military fortifications/targets were on the outskirts of the city, there was no reason, other than the rail depot serving all three RR'ds that would be remotely legit as a target. Atlanta was a transport hub, not an industrial site such as Rome or Augusta.
Respectfully,
Matt
Good point. "Surely" doesn't make it so. I'd think it unlikely that Sherman had mortars as they weren't particularly mobile. However, my ignorance of the situation requires that I bow out of such specifics. I fail to understand the contention that has developed. Whatever Atlanta's strategic value, it was held by enemy forces that had to be subdued before moving on. A "transport hub" would make as prime a target as an "industrial site." Both were fair game and subject to reduction. Unfortunately, as ever, there was collateral damage. Is the morality of Sherman's taking of Atlanta the issue? If so, I must fall back to the solid line that necessary "taking" often involves collateral damage.
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
Sherman's artillery corps had mortars. The city of Atlanta was under seige. Mortars are used primarily for seige operations or lobbing shells into enemy trenches due to the parabolic arc of the shell's travel. Sherman didn't really care what it took to capture Atlanta, gain the praise of Grant, help re-elect Lincoln and end the war. Making war on civilians didn't apparently matter to this man. He went on the 'end justifies the means' principle. His shelling of Atlanta killed innocent women & children and even a famous black freedman hair barber.
Union artillery was accurate for the most part. Southern artillery also. How could it be otherwise? When a crew mans a gun on a daily basis, they are going to get accurate, or their commander will replace them. Sometimes you are going to 'shoot out', because of powder quality, windage and elevation, or carelessness. Mortars are less accurate, now as well as then.
The first civilian casualty was at Manassas, some 300 yards from the place where Stonewall was first called stonewall. The Union commander ordered a house fired on whose occupants were a civilian family, and the 80 year old bedridden woman was killed.
I cannot condemn Bill Anderson for doing what his opponents were doing.
Quantrill! Who was Quantrill? William Clarke Quantrill was a name coined by the underground. Has anyone looked up dates and times on attacks blamed on Quantrill? Many hours of study will be required before this puzzle will come together.
Sherman, in the end, was more generous than most. In spite of the atrocities he allowed committed, when the fight was over, Sherman considered it ended. I have no love for Sherman, I lost a grandfather to him, but I feel that his surrender terms redeemed him in part.
olerebel
Does anyone actually know what the Union artillery was aiming at at Atlanta?
Was Sherman trying to destroy the railroads, the fortifications, or shooting at random into the city?
If a forward observer wasn't permitted, a high hill, such as Bald Hill which overlooked Atlanta, served as an excellent artillery forward observatory; especially when firing at a target as prominent as a steepled church inhabited on a Sunday morning?
We're talking about aiming at military targets, not churches. Storehouses and warehouses holding military supplies weren't readily visible from outside the city, so the artillery at the time, without GPS guidance, wasn't accurate enough to just hit the military target.
What is hogwash to some is simple truth to others.
Every war this country has been engaged in since 1865, has been under the combined efforts of the blue and the gray. Before Saddam's statue fell in Bagdad it was draped with a Confederate Battle Flag. I have pictures of the flag in Vietnam, Korea, WWII. During the recent hurricane aftermath, the CBF flew at several locations in MS, LA, and AL.
Hogwash is quickly forgotten. Facts tend to hang around, whether you want them to or not.
Are you denying that union artillerymen practiced on "peculiar appearing structures" in the city of Atlanta? Or that "target practice" was not engaged in by union artlillerymen upon civilian structures such as the Potter home, churches with steeples, and other prominent non-military targets?
Perhaps you need to read some union accounts and/or confederate accounts of the Union bombardment of Atlanta. You've never read "Company Aytch" by Pvt. Sam Watkins?? Watkin's clearly states the Union sending Yankee iron over their heads and beyond into Atlanta, while his regiment returned the favor with a volley of Confederate lead?
Matthew,
Cash is balking on this one. The Union gunners threw shot and shell into the inhabited city of Atlanta nearly 'on the hour.'These rounds fell over the entire city proper killing citizens. A freedman black who was a famus Atlanta barber was killed by Union artillery as was a father and his little girl. These same gunners hit Gen. Leonidas Polk in the left shoulder (and it exited his right shoulder) from 1/4-1/2 mile distance. And this happened at Pine Mt., a month previous to Atlanta. The accuracy was there, but the Union guns weren't focussed upon Atlanta military targets only.
Note: I've personally loaded, aimed and shot a full size 12 lb. Napoleon fieldpiece with live rounds; cannister and solid shot. 200 yard 'dead on accuracy' was a piece of cake with solid shot, and this was ONLY my first time firing artilley. Cannister rounds hit every target (water filled milk jugs) and an 8x10" photo of Sherman ;-) at 200 yrds, with ease! With a little practice (like three years worth!) I could have hit the preferred latch on a barn door at 1,000 yrds. easily. Union artillerymen had the guns and the accuracy; what they lacked was a good conscience, and strict orders, IMO.
Are you denying that union artillerymen practiced on "peculiar appearing structures" in the city of Atlanta? Or that "target practice" was not engaged in by union artlillerymen upon civilian structures such as the Potter home, churches with steeples, and other prominent non-military targets?
I specifically answered a question that dealt specifically with military targets. Nothing more, nothing less.
tatatadahh..? :-) Please give me your thoughts:
Do you think Union artillery willfully shelled nonmilitary targets in Atlanta or were all those private dwellings, churches and etc.hit, poor marksmanship? Albeit with proven acuuracy and high (atop hills with great views) forward observatory postions, by the veteran artillerist of Gen. Sherman's army?
Added: I forgot...congrats on being tapped a 1st Sgt!!
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