Ammunition Chests Exploded During the Gettysburg Campaign

[Biggunner72]

I never really thought much about this, but am amazed at the loses shown here. Real eye opener, Thanks Tom. Wonder what losses were like at Sharpsburg?

I'm wondering about Shiloh as there was some serious Artillery fighting there as well.

 

[Brian Downey]

I never really thought much about this, but am amazed at the loses shown here. Real eye opener, Thanks Tom. Wonder what losses were like at Sharpsburg?

Hi @Stone in the wall,

There were other losses among the artillery there, of course, but I have found mention of only one caisson/artillery chest exploded at Sharpsburg.

It's also in this picture from Battles and Leaders (Vol. II, 1884):

Johnson & Anderson in Artillery Hell: the Employment of Artillery at Antietam (1995) credit a 10-pounder Parrott of Captain Durell's Battery D, Pennsylvania Light with the shot that caused it, but don't identify the Confederate unit which suffered the explosion.

It was possibly a battery of D.R. Jones' Division which fought opposite Durell and the Federal 9th Corps between the Lower/Burnside's Bridge and Sharpsburg.

Or it may have been Bondurant's Jeff Davis (Alabama) Artillery, which reported a caisson "lost" - no mention of explosion - and a gun dismounted in action. They were on Piper's Farm near the Sunken Road/Bloody Lane. That correlates well with the illustration but would have been an unlikely target for Durell.

It may have instead been a caisson in the artillery reserve behind the line in or near the town. I'd be glad to hear from anyone who knows for sure

Now, back to Gettysburg.

 

[jack1492]

View attachment 340715
Small sample of the Gettysburg Cyclorama painting, featuring an exploding limber.
​

The purpose of this post is to document the detonation of artillery ammunition chests before and during the battle. Each cannon within a battery was supplied by four chests – one on the limber transporting the cannon, two on the caisson, and a fourth on another limber to which the caisson was attached (also known as the caisson limber). These wooden boxes contained assorted types of ammunition for the cannon, plus fuses and friction primers, etc. The sturdy chests could reliably withstand small-arms fire, but rarely a direct strike from an enemy artillery round. If improperly packed, a chest also posed a slight risk of detonation simply from jostling over roads or difficult terrain. Perhaps roughly 50 ammunition chests were destroyed in the Gettysburg campaign, about 90 percent in battle, and the rest spontaneously.

Before the battle: (4)

(CSA) One limber; Capt. James F. Hart's South Carolina battery; June 21; Upperville, VA.​

Remarks: This incident was drawn by Alfred R. Waud and titled, "Explosion of a rebel limber at the battle near Middleburg June 21st."​

​

(CSA) One limber/caisson; Capt. Benjamin H. Smith's Third Richmond Howitzers; June 27; enroute to Carlisle, PA.​

Remarks: The top of the chest was blown nearly out of sight and the wheel horses were badly burned, but no casualties occurred among the men. Two men who had been riding on the chest had dismounted only a short time before.​

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(USA) One caisson; unidentified battery of the Fifth Corps; morning of June 28; north of Buckeystown, MD near the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.​

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(USA) One caisson limber; Lt. A.C.M. Pennington's Battery M, 2nd U.S. Artillery; June 30; between Hanover and Abbottstown, PA. ​

Remarks: Private James Moran was mortally wounded; two horses were killed and two wounded.​

July 1: (2)

(CSA) Two caissons?; probably Capt. Richard C. M. Page's Morris (Virginia) Artillery; July 1, afternoon; Oak Hill.​

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(USA) One caisson; Lt. James Stewart's Battery B, 4th U.S.; July 1; Seminary Ridge.​

July 2: (8)

(USA) One caisson limber; Capt. Elijah D. Taft's 5th New York Artillery; 10 a.m. on July 2; on the Taneytown Road about three miles south of Gettysburg. ​

Remarks: A spontaneous detonation, Private John C. Begg was mortally wounded and taken to a private residence; he died on July 7.​

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(CSA) One caisson; unidentified – possibly Lt. John M. Cunningham's Powhatan (Virginia) Artillery; July 2; just south of the Lutheran Theological Seminary on Seminary Ridge.​

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(CSA) One caisson; Capt. William F. Dement's Maryland Battery; late afternoon of July 2; Benner's Hill. Remarks: Corporal Samuel Thompson was killed; Private Henry A. Roby was thrown into the air and struck a wheel as he descended, but was not seriously injured.​

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(USA) One caisson and caisson limber; Lt. James Stewart's Battery B, 4th U.S.; late afternoon of July 2, about 5 minutes after Dement's caisson had exploded; Cemetery Hill. Remarks: Three chests detonated and the horses began running towards the town, but one horse stumbled and halted the rest of the team, which was recovered; every hair was burnt off the tails and manes of the wheel horses.​

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(USA) One limber; Lt. James Stewart's Battery B, 4th U.S.; late afternoon of July 2; Cemetery Hill.​

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(USA) One caisson limber; Lt. George Breck's Battery L, 1st New York; late afternoon of July 2; Cemetery Hill.​

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(CSA) One caisson; unidentified – possibly Capt. Charles I. Raine's Lee (Virginia) Battery; late afternoon of July 2, about 25 minutes after Dement's caisson had exploded; Benner's Hill.​

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(CSA) Two or three caissons; Lt. Stephen C. Gilbert's Brooks' South Carolina Artillery; late afternoon of July 2; Warfield Ridge.​

July 3, early morning: (3)

(USA) One caisson; unidentified; about 4:45 a.m. on July 3; near the 11th Massachusetts, in front of Cemetery Ridge.​

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(USA) One caisson; unidentified – possibly Lt. Evan Thomas' Battery C, 4th U.S.; early morning of July 3; central Cemetery Ridge. ​

Remarks: The 14th Vermont, lying near the battery, lost several non-commissioned officers and men killed by the explosion.​

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(USA) Three limbers; Lt. Alonzo H. Cushing's Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery; shortly after 5 a.m. on July 3; near the Angle on Cemetery Ridge.​

July 3, afternoon: (11)

Eyewitness accounts report the detonation of up to a dozen Union ammunition chests, and somewhat fewer Confederate chests, all or nearly all occurring during the 90 minute artillery duel (from 1 to 2:30 p.m.) preceding the Confederate infantry charge against Cemetery Ridge. Only a portion are reliably documented.​

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(USA) Three limbers; Lt. Alonzo H. Cushing's Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery; afternoon cannonade on July 3; near the Angle on Cemetery Ridge. ​

Remarks: Credible sources disagree as to when Cushing's battery simultaneously lost three chests: it was either in the early morning or during the afternoon cannonade – perhaps both. Not being able to resolve the issue, I have included both.​

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(USA) One caisson; Capt. James M. Rorty's Battery B, 1st New York Artillery; afternoon cannonade on July 3; south of the copse on Cemetery Ridge.​

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(USA) One caisson/limber; Lt. George A. Woodruff's Battery I, 1st U.S. Artillery; afternoon cannonade on July 3; Ziegler's Grove on Cemetery Ridge. ​

Remarks: Three soldiers were killed and at least one wounded (Private Patrick McDonald) in the 108th New York, which was posted close to the battery.​

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(USA) Four? caissons; Lt. Evan Thomas' Battery C, 4th U.S.; afternoon cannonade on July 3; central Cemetery Ridge.​

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(USA) One caisson or ammunition wagon; unidentified battery; afternoon cannonade on July 3; Taneytown road near the Hummelbaugh buildings. ​

Remarks: The driver was never found.​

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(USA) One caisson; unidentified battery; afternoon cannonade on July 3; probably on or near the Taneytown road. ​

Remarks: A few casualties resulted in the 26th Pennsylvania of the Third Corps.​

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(CSA) One caisson; unidentified – possibly Lt. William E. Zimmerman's Pee Dee (South Carolina) Artillery; afternoon cannonade on July 3; Seminary Ridge.​

Remarks: Occurred moments after a Union caisson had detonated on Cemetery Ridge.​

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(CSA) One caisson; unidentified – probably in Col. E. P. Alexander's battalion; afternoon cannonade on July 3; near Sherfy house/barn on the Emmitsburg road.​

Remarks: Six horses were either killed or so badly wounded they had to be shot.​

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(USA) One caisson; Lt. John W. Sterling's 2nd Connecticut Battery; afternoon cannonade on July 3; south Cemetery Ridge.​

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(CSA) One to four chests on limbers/caissons; belonging to several guns representing Capt. Merritt B. Miller's Third Company Washington (Louisiana) Artillery, Capt. Charles W. Squires' First Company Washington Artillery, Capt. Joseph Norcom's Fourth Company Washington Artillery battery and Capt. Hugh M. Garden's Palmetto (South Carolina) Artillery; during the afternoon infantry charge on July 3; advanced position just east of the Emmitsburg road.​

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(USA) Caisson; unidentified, near the 14th Connecticut – possibly Lt. Gulian V. Weir's Battery C, 5th U.S.; soon after the charge was repulsed on July 3; Cemetery Ridge.​

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Incidents: Union 18 / Confederate 10 / Total 28​

Do you think the heat of July was a contributing factor?

 

[Tom Elmore]

(CSA) One caisson; unidentified – probably in Col. E. P. Alexander's battalion; afternoon cannonade on July 3; near Sherfy house/barn on the Emmitsburg road.
(Sgt. William K. Haines, Company I, 5th New Jersey, wounded and a prisoner near the Sherfy house) One of our shots dismounted a rebel gun near where I sat, exploded the caisson and killed – or wounded so they had to be killed – all six of its horses.

Do you have the source of Haines' statement?

Diary of Sergeant William K. Haines, Rutgers University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives, New Brunswick, NJ; typewritten version also published by Mary O. E. Switkay, 1966, Library of Congress. On July 3, Haines hobbled over to a brick house with a barn that burned within 50 yards of him, which has to be the Sherfy barn. He wrote, "One shot of ours dismounted a rebel gun, near where I sat behind a cherry tree, exploded the caisson and killed - or wounded so they had to be killed - all 6 of its horses. By jingo said I, that was a royal good shot, and the rebels near me cursed me so that I kept quiet, but it was hard to keep still. Pretty soon plump came a round shot into the tree I was leaning against and stuck fast in it."

By the way, there is another thread with a post-battle image of a solid shot lodged in a tree near the Sherfy house, and I think the odds are very great that it's the exact same shot and tree mentioned by Haines, so one can pinpoint his exact position during the cannonade.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

post-battle image of a solid shot lodged in a tree near the Sherfy house, and I think the odds are very great that it's the exact same shot and tree mentioned by Haines, so one can pinpoint his exact position during the cannonade.

That's exactly what I'd been thinking but it seemed too fantastic THAT photo would be it. Very cool stuff!

Just happen to have it... off thread, sorry!

 

[WMW1861-1865]

An ammunition chest was mounted on the limber. Think of the limber as the truck of a semitrailer. It was used to tow the cannons, caissons, battery wagon & traveling forge in a battery. You can think of the caisson as a utility trailer. Empty ammunition chests were off loaded & replaced quickly. It is used to transport coffins in military funerals today.

View attachment 340661
The limber is a two wheeled vehicle that is used to tow the gun, caisson, traveling forge & battery wagon. The ammunition chest looks like a seat, but it is not. The artillerymen walked. It was only in time of dire emergency that they rode on the limber chest. It is very difficult not to be thrown off of it. The chest itself can be detached & replaced with a fresh supply of ammunition.

View attachment 340663

If you have the Official Atlas of the Civil War plate CLXXIII, the third from the back of the book, has exact drawings of the battery wagon, traveling forge, caisson, harness & various gun carriages. If you don't have that book, you should get one, it is an excellent reference book.

I'm not sure if this has been posted elsewhere, but it is available online: http://cartweb.geography.ua.edu/liz...scription)&style=default/view.xsl&plugin=true

 

[Rhea Cole]

Do you think the heat of July was a contributing factor?

Black powder is remarkably stable. It takes an electrical spark or a flame to ignite it. Ambient temp or hard knocks will not set it off.

 

[jack1492]

Black powder is remarkably stable. It takes an electrical spark or a flame to ignite it. Ambient temp or hard knocks will not set it off.

I researched once where a caisson just exploded with no apparent reason and found one exploded while a NY artillery company was rolling in a parade. I know of one exploding while a battery was heading off to drill in camp and they had inspected the ammunition box, as they did several times a day, shortly before. That one blew a rider sitting on the box 30 feet in the air, he came down on fire and dislocated a shoulder. He recovered. I never knew of that many exploding during the Battle of Gettysburg.

 

[Peace Society]

Elkhorn Tavern 3-7-62 opened with artillery. From Pea Ridge: Civil War Campaign in the West by W L Shea and E J Hess 1992 (p.163-171)

Guibor.. ordered his men to aim lower. The result of this rudimentary adjustment was spectacular. The ammunition chests on a Federal caisson exploded with a tremendous roar, creating an enormous cloud of smoke and dust and pelting the stunned Federals with debris. Moments later there was a second explosion as Guibor's gunners claimed the ammunition chest on a limber. Terrified horses bolted and dragged away another caisson, which tumbled into Tanyard Ravine. Everyone in blue was knocked flat by the blasts, but, miraculously, no one was killed.

The ammunition chests on the overturned caisson were ordered destroyed. The rebels, thinking it was their doing,

cheered mightily as the new pillar of flame and smoke rose through the trees.

1 IA pulled out and 3 IA faced off with a similar result:

This second artillery duel had barely begun when the "unearthful howl" of Confederate projectiles was punctuated by a terrific blast as an ammunition chest on a limber blew up. Correspondents Fayel and Knox rode up to the tavern at that moment. They felt the "tremendous concussion" and dramatically informed (or misinformed) their readers that "amid the cloud of smoke we imagined we saw the bodies of horses and men dropping down from the air." In fact, no one was killed or seriously injured in the explosion...

 

[Peace Society]

At 1 P.M., a signal gun was fired and one hundred and fifteen guns opened against Hancock's command...

General Hunt, Chief of Artillery, promptly posted eighty guns along the crest - as many as it would hold - to answer the fire, and the batteries on both sides suffered severely in the two hours' cannonade.
Not less than eleven caissons were blown up and destroyed; one quite near me.
When the smoke went up from these explosions, rebel yells of exultation could be heard along a line of several miles.

General Abner Doubleday
Chancellorsville and Gettysburg
1882

 

[Tom Elmore]

At 1 P.M., a signal gun was fired and one hundred and fifteen guns opened against Hancock's command...

General Hunt, Chief of Artillery, promptly posted eighty guns along the crest - as many as it would hold - to answer the fire, and the batteries on both sides suffered severely in the two hours' cannonade.
Not less than eleven caissons were blown up and destroyed; one quite near me.
When the smoke went up from these explosions, rebel yells of exultation could be heard along a line of several miles.

General Abner Doubleday
Chancellorsville and Gettysburg
1882

Others also attempted a count on the afternoon of July 3:

Capt. Alanson H. Nelson, 57th Pennsylvania, wrote: "Fully 12 ammunition chests blown up on the Union side and about as many more on the Confederate" [side].

Lt. Alfred P. Carpenter, 1st Minnesota, recalled an even dozen.

Artillery chief Henry J. Hunt officially recorded the loss of 11 caissons, and George A. Bruce of the 20th Massachusetts agreed with him.

 

[jack1492]

Others also attempted a count on the afternoon of July 3:

Capt. Alanson H. Nelson, 57th Pennsylvania, wrote: "Fully 12 ammunition chests blown up on the Union side and about as many more on the Confederate" [side].

Lt. Alfred P. Carpenter, 1st Minnesota, recalled an even dozen.

Artillery chief Henry J. Hunt officially recorded the loss of 11 caissons, and George A. Bruce of the 20th Massachusetts agreed with him.

That's just Union artillery, right?

 

[Rhea Cole]

That's just Union artillery, right?

 

[jack1492]

Of the 11 or 12, what percentage of these do you suppose took a direct hit or did the heat, handling and maybe even ground shaking cause some to expose?