Artillery barrage

[David Ireland]

How many Union cannons were going off at Pickett's Charge? Were they mostly grapeshot? How many per minute? How does this barrage compare to the other artillery barrages in the war? Is it really true that people reported being able to hear it in DC? That seems far fetched, or maybe I'm thinking of Antietam or another battle.

 

[redbob]

Of the 630 guns at Gettysburg, (360 Union and 270 Confederate) There were approximately 120 Union guns lined up along Cemetery Ridge from Culp's Hill to Little Round Top and about 150 Confederate ones along a 2 mile line on Seminary Ridge with the Confederate fire being largely ineffectual due to overshooting. The Union would have started with solid shot, switched to explosive shell/case shot at about 1/2 way across the field and then to canister (single and then double) at about 500 feet from the Union lines. Half of the guns present (both sides) were rifled and half were smoothbore. Usually 2 to 3 rounds could be expected to be fired in a minute and as far as number of guns engaged, it was by far the largest artillery engagement of the War. With he right weather conditions, no doubt that the sounds of the barrage could be heard for a long distance, though I'm not sure about DC, but I have heard accounts of it being held in Philadelphia however.

 

[bayonet]

How many Union cannons were going off at Pickett's Charge? Were they mostly grapeshot? How many per minute? How does this barrage compare to the other artillery barrages in the war? Is it really true that people reported being able to hear it in DC? That seems far fetched, or maybe I'm thinking of Antietam or another battle.

Have you been to Gettysburg? If you or have not, I remember the first time I stood at the Angle and looked out across the field they crossed. Madness I thought, what was Lee thinking! You had to have had a big pair to cross that field under that murderous cannon fire

 

[121st PA Vols]

Have you been to Gettysburg? If you or have not, I remember the first time I stood at the Angle and looked out across the field they crossed. Madness I thought, what was Lee thinking! You had to have had a big pair to cross that field under that murderous cannon fire

A thought you might consider is the faith the men had, many with deep convictions in that and their commanders. And, many of the men were from the same towns, enlisting at the same time. All my southern relatives at the battle were from Ware County Georgia, growing up together. Peer pressure is a powerful emotion. Who wants to let your friends down. That was one of the real sad points of the war that if a unit got in a particularly hard fight, many of the men of a specific place were often wiped out.

 

[JOHN42768]

Of the 630 guns at Gettysburg, (360 Union and 270 Confederate) There were approximately 120 Union guns lined up along Cemetery Ridge and about 150 Confederate ones along a 2 mile line on Seminary Ridge with the Confederate fire being largely ineffectual due to overshooting. The Union would have started with solid shot, switched to explosive shell/case shot at about 1/2 way across the field and then to canister (single and then double) at about 500 feet from the Union lines. Half of the guns present (both sides) were rifled and half were smoothbore. Usually 2 to 3 rounds could be expected to be fired in a minute and as far as number of guns engaged, it was by far the largest artillery engagement of the War. With he right weather conditions, no doubt that the sounds of the barrage could be heard for a long distance, though I'm not sure about DC, but I have heard accounts of it being held in Philadelphia however.

Very nice description of the battle. Thanks

 

[redbob]

Very nice description of the battle. Thanks

Thank you.

 

[bayonet]

A thought you might consider is the faith the men had, many with deep convictions in that and their commanders. And, many of the men were from the same towns, enlisting at the same time. All my southern relatives at the battle were from Ware County Georgia, growing up together. Peer pressure is a powerful emotion. Who wants to let your friends down. That was one of the real sad points of the war that if a unit got in a particularly hard fight, many of the men of a specific place were often wiped out.

I have thought of that and knew that. Sad it took about 80 years later (The Sullivan Brothers) to prevent that from happening. Of course it still didn't help the Regiment from I think Bedford, VA area was it if I'm correct losing over 29 on D-Day from that small town.

 

[121st PA Vols]

Of the 630 guns at Gettysburg, (360 Union and 270 Confederate) There were approximately 120 Union guns lined up along Cemetery Ridge from Culp's Hill to Little Round Top and about 150 Confederate ones along a 2 mile line on Seminary Ridge with the Confederate fire being largely ineffectual due to overshooting. The Union would have started with solid shot, switched to explosive shell/case shot at about 1/2 way across the field and then to canister (single and then double) at about 500 feet from the Union lines. Half of the guns present (both sides) were rifled and half were smoothbore. Usually 2 to 3 rounds could be expected to be fired in a minute and as far as number of guns engaged, it was by far the largest artillery engagement of the War. With he right weather conditions, no doubt that the sounds of the barrage could be heard for a long distance, though I'm not sure about DC, but I have heard accounts of it being held in Philadelphia however.

Ok redbob, nice. The overshoot puzzled me for years despite it being my hometown and having a relationship with the Park until I got a understanding the artillery duel between East Cemetery Hill guns and CSA's cannon on Benner's Hill, Day 2.
CSA pieces were silhouetted against the sky and severely damaged (withdrawn) in a relatively short duel with severe casualties at similar or greater range. That wasn't the case with Union guns Day 3 along the ridge except in a few cases. And once the action developed you couldn't see anything. Another point is many Union pieces were out of sight. CSA couldn't see McGilvery's gun line from Day 2 (PA monument to Father Corby monument) that would enfilade the infantry line along with Little Round Top guns.
Side note: my nephew was recently discharged from the Corps having served as a MSG. Spent some time at grad ceremonies from training (Little Hall?) at Quantico 1 1/2 years ago. Semper Fi redbob, a way of life as he reminds.

 

[David Ireland]

Have you been to Gettysburg? If you or have not, I remember the first time I stood at the Angle and looked out across the field they crossed. Madness I thought, what was Lee thinking! You had to have had a big pair to cross that field under that murderous cannon fire

I've been three times and it's amazing every time.

 

[Scott K]

So to spitball a perspective of what it could have been like while using Redbobs figures, and figuring only 2/3 of the 270 pieces of artillery (due to changing of batteries) firing just 1.5 rounds a minute, the crescendo (guessing 10ish minutes when the confederate line was roughly half way across) might have been along these lines:

270 cannon discharges per minute
540 reports per minute if all were firing shell
9 reports per second if all were firing shell
4.5+ projectiles in the air per second
My guess is that this is a realistic rate

If instead 3/4 of the guns were engaged during the crescendo, firing 2 rounds a minute:
405 cannon discharges per minute
810 reports per minute if all were firing shell
14 reports per second if all were firing shell
7+ projectiles in the air per second

Throttle full open, 270 guns firing 3/minute, during crescendo:
810 cannon discharges per minute
1620 reports per minute if all were firing shell
27 reports per second if all were firing shell
14+ projectiles in the air per second

 

[potter.]

A thought you might consider is the faith the men had, many with deep convictions in that and their commanders. And, many of the men were from the same towns, enlisting at the same time. All my southern relatives at the battle were from Ware County Georgia, growing up together. Peer pressure is a powerful emotion. Who wants to let your friends down. That was one of the real sad points of the war that if a unit got in a particularly hard fight, many of the men of a specific place were often wiped out.

this also happened in the British army during the first war, "pals battalions", men/boys from villages/towns, also tradesmen, sportsmen, all went together... bless them. My own area North Staffs suffered badly at the Somme in 1916, in the 50-60's when i was growing up i remember the local paper on 1st July had 2-3 pages of remembrances, and it was a broadsheet at that. But it was the "thing to do" back then, and the army went along with it because it provided the troops.
this if the link works will show the numbers involved-
military-history.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_pals_battalions

 

[rpkennedy]

I have thought of that and knew that. Sad it took about 80 years later (The Sullivan Brothers) to prevent that from happening. Of course it still didn't help the Regiment from I think Bedford, VA area was it if I'm correct losing over 29 on D-Day from that small town.

Company A, 116th Infantry, 29th Division. There were also a handful of Bedford men in other companies in the regiment.

Ryan

 

[redbob]

This may give you some idea how the Union artillery at Gettysburg was arrayed on the third day and why it was so devastating to the advancing troops during the main assault: