4-Legged Victims of the July 3rd Artillery Barrage

I don't know that artillery horses were secondary targets. If you could take out the artillery horses then the crew could not move the piece. It made it much easier to capture a gun. Without horses, the crew would have to abandon the gun if the fight turned against them.
 
I don't know that artillery horses were secondary targets. If you could take out the artillery horses then the crew could not move the piece. It made it much easier to capture a gun. Without horses, the crew would have to abandon the gun if the fight turned against them.



This happened at Chickamauga. So many artillery horses were lost that batteries had to abandon their guns when retreating due to lack of horses and many times the possession of the guns changed hands multiple times.

Capt. Goodspeed of 1st Ohio Battery A still had some horses left. He went out to retrieve some captured Confederate guns. One of the captured batteries he realized were Union Guns, and he was able to determine what battery had lost them. He then returned the guns to that batteries camp. Not sure what was worse, the humiliation of losing your guns in battle or having someone bring them back to you.

Pvt. James Walker of 1st Ohio Battery A stated: "any amount of horses starved to death at the picket rope from want of food"

Capt. Goodspeed of Battery A wrote: "Horses Wounded 15, and in consequence of not unharnessing for six days and the hardship they have undergone, I will loose 25 more horses"

With a battery normally having about 120 horses, this represents 1/3 of his horses lost in this battle alone
 
I don't know that artillery horses were secondary targets. If you could take out the artillery horses then the crew could not move the piece. It made it much easier to capture a gun. Without horses, the crew would have to abandon the gun if the fight turned against them.

they are prime targets when You aim at them

they are secondary target when You aim at something else, miss it and hit the horses by chance
(same with supply convoy hit instead of front troops)
 
This happened at Chickamauga. So many artillery horses were lost that batteries had to abandon their guns when retreating due to lack of horses and many times the possession of the guns changed hands multiple times.

Capt. Goodspeed of 1st Ohio Battery A still had some horses left. He went out to retrieve some captured Confederate guns. One of the captured batteries he realized were Union Guns, and he was able to determine what battery had lost them. He then returned the guns to that batteries camp. Not sure what was worse, the humiliation of losing your guns in battle or having someone bring them back to you.

Pvt. James Walker of 1st Ohio Battery A stated: "any amount of horses starved to death at the picket rope from want of food"

Capt. Goodspeed of Battery A wrote: "Horses Wounded 15, and in consequence of not unharnessing for six days and the hardship they have undergone, I will loose 25 more horses"

With a battery normally having about 120 horses, this represents 1/3 of his horses lost in this battle alone

thks for the info
 
regarding my post on the horses at chicamauga - the horses were not the targets. The battles were at such close quarters due to the terrain that the horses were secondary casulties. It was not uncommon for batteries to be close enough to exchange canister fire.
 
regarding my post on the horses at chicamauga - the horses were not the targets. The battles were at such close quarters due to the terrain that the horses were secondary casulties. It was not uncommon for batteries to be close enough to exchange canister fire.

if the horses could be prime targets (due to superiorty) it would be more likly that You try to

1) take the horses with cavalry
2) Your slightly wounded on horseback bring them away
3) the rest of the cavalry take and secure the guns from behind
4) reunite horses and guns under Your flag
 
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