Gun placement

[atlantis]

In Placing cannon was there a difference on how you placed the cannon, between smoothbore and rifled, taking into account terrain features.

 

[7thWisconsin]

Both are direct fire weapons, really, with a line of sight based on what the crew can physically see. The rifle has a greater range, but the smoothbore throws canister better. Those are, obviously, employment concerns, but I´m not sure that Civil War commanders had the luxury of selecting between the two. If your brigade is supporting a smoothbore battery, then that battery is the only one you´re going to get.

 

[Dan Kohli]

I would imagine that the only level that there could be a choice would be at the corps and army's artillery reserve, or in its siege train. But like 7thWisconsin said, on the brigade and division level they would had to use what they had.