NC Squadron
Private
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2015
- Location
- Elizabeth City, NC
I read that the 9th New York Zouaves charged the 3rd Georgian position at the Battle of South Mills in column by divisions, which would be a column two companies wide by five deep. Looking at the casualties from the battle, certain companies sustained significantly more casualties than others and I want to know if they were the companies on the left side of the formation. They would have been closest to the two cannons firing canister. Two or three rounds of canister were fired.
I've seen a column by division laid out like this:
F-A
I-D
H-C
K-E
B-G
I don't know if this was a standard arrangement or not, but companies F and H had 14 casualties each and B had the third highest at 8. Co. I had 5 and Co. K had 0, but much of that company was handling the two boat howitzers at another location on the battlefield. The two cannons firing canister at them were to their left in front of them, about 100 yards away.
The companies on the right side of the formation (A, D, C, E, and G using this diagram) had 6, 2, 6, 4,and 7 casualties, respectively. If the lineup of the companies is correct, the left side companies suffered 41 casualties compared to 25 for the right side. Six of the 8 men killed during the charge would have been on the left. Of the severest wounded, 13 of the worst would have been on the left compared to 6 on the right. Company F, the front left column, had the most severe wounds (6), tied for the most casualties (14), and had the second most killed (2)
More information is available at Sawyer's Lane: the battle of South Mills .
I've seen a column by division laid out like this:
F-A
I-D
H-C
K-E
B-G
I don't know if this was a standard arrangement or not, but companies F and H had 14 casualties each and B had the third highest at 8. Co. I had 5 and Co. K had 0, but much of that company was handling the two boat howitzers at another location on the battlefield. The two cannons firing canister at them were to their left in front of them, about 100 yards away.
The companies on the right side of the formation (A, D, C, E, and G using this diagram) had 6, 2, 6, 4,and 7 casualties, respectively. If the lineup of the companies is correct, the left side companies suffered 41 casualties compared to 25 for the right side. Six of the 8 men killed during the charge would have been on the left. Of the severest wounded, 13 of the worst would have been on the left compared to 6 on the right. Company F, the front left column, had the most severe wounds (6), tied for the most casualties (14), and had the second most killed (2)
More information is available at Sawyer's Lane: the battle of South Mills .
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