Hazlett's guns

[MikeyB]

Did Hazlett's guns do any real damage to the attacking Confederates on July 2nd? Or was it more a psychological benefit, "the men will benefit from hearing the guns" (paraphrasing, i forget whose quote that was).

Can you even depress the guns enough to hit attacking the infantry? Or, was it the reverse - they were firing double cannister and supremely effective at supporting Vincent and Weed?

I understand they were effective on day 3 against PPT..

 

[Tom Elmore]

My sense from the sources is that they were not very effective against the Confederates at the base of the hill, but they must have provided a huge morale boost to the Union defenders and corresponding irritant to the attackers. However, for targets at farther ranges they appear to have been quite effective. For example, it seems they accurately battered Fraser's battery on Warfield Ridge, and they may even have been responsible for firing the single most destructive round in the battle, if not the entire war, against one of Wofford's regiments per research by @lelliott19 . They are also credited with damaging Pickett's division on July 3. Most of the time they only had four guns at the summit, the other two being taken away for lack of good firing positions, and one piece had its face blown off by a faulty discharge on July 3.

 

[lelliott19]

they may even have been responsible for firing the single most destructive round in the battle, if not the entire war, against one of Wofford's regiments

Whether that shell was fired by Gibbs, Seeley, Hazlett's or another battery, it certainly executed extraordinary carnage upon that company and regiment.

 

[redbob]

I think that Dale Gallon's painting of Hazlett's Battery sums it up very well-they were firing for long range and psychological effect.

 

[MikeyB]

My sense from the sources is that they were not very effective against the Confederates at the base of the hill, but they must have provided a huge morale boost to the Union defenders and corresponding irritant to the attackers. However, for targets at farther ranges they appear to have been quite effective. For example, it seems they accurately battered Fraser's battery on Warfield Ridge, and they may even have been responsible for firing the single most destructive round in the battle, if not the entire war, against one of Wofford's regiments per research by @lelliott19 . They are also credited with damaging Pickett's division on July 3. Most of the time they only had four guns at the summit, the other two being taken away for lack of good firing positions, and one piece had its face blown off by a faulty discharge on July 3.

Great post, thank you.
Is it because you couldn't depress the guns enough to get off a shot to support the infantry? Or was it because LRT was too densely wooded? Or both?

 

[redbob]

Great post, thank you.
Is it because you couldn't depress the guns enough to get off a shot to support the infantry? Or was it because LRT was too densely wooded? Or both?

The barrels of the guns can't be depressed much below horizonal as the reaction of the guns being fired will be upward and not backwards making firing them in this manner a rather risky action.

 

[MikeyB]

The barrels of the guns can't be depressed much below horizonal as the reaction of the guns being fired will be upward and not backwards making firing them in this manner a rather risky action.

I assume this wasn't physically possible in the time constraints. But what if you moved the guns right on the firing line and had them fire double cannister? Would this have worked?

 

[redbob]

Due to the elevation, even with gravity acting upon the canister; it would have still probably still passed over the heads of the massed attacking troops. In this case, Hazlett was right on the money with explosive shells and long range fire.

 

[infomanpa]

Great post, thank you.
Is it because you couldn't depress the guns enough to get off a shot to support the infantry? Or was it because LRT was too densely wooded? Or both?

There were no woods on LRT in front of the guns, only behind them.

 

[Tom Elmore]

I should also mention that Hazlett's guns focused attention on the Confederates as they approached or overran Devil's Den:

Colonel William F. Perry of the 44th Alabama wrote: The men sprang forward over the rocks … The enemy put a battery [D, 5th U.S.] in position on a terrace of the mountain to our right [Little Round Top], which opened upon us an enfilading fire of grape and spherical case shot.

Unfortunately, friendly forces were sometimes put at risk. A soldier (possibly of the 91st Pennsylvania) was killed in front of the battery when one of the guns had its face blown off on July 3. Towards sunset on July 2, a battery "on the crest" (which would mean Battery D, 5th U.S.) evidently mistook the Pennsylvania Regulars in front for the enemy and put a round in their midst, which killed two and wounded six or eight others.

 

[Belfoured]

I should also mention that Hazlett's guns focused attention on the Confederates as they approached or overran Devil's Den:

Colonel William F. Perry of the 44th Alabama wrote: The men sprang forward over the rocks … The enemy put a battery [D, 5th U.S.] in position on a terrace of the mountain to our right [Little Round Top], which opened upon us an enfilading fire of grape and spherical case shot.

Unfortunately, friendly forces were sometimes put at risk. A soldier (possibly of the 91st Pennsylvania) was killed in front of the battery when one of the guns had its face blown off on July 3. Towards sunset on July 2, a battery "on the crest" (which would mean Battery D, 5th U.S.) evidently mistook the Pennsylvania Regulars in front for the enemy and put a round in their midst, which killed two and wounded six or eight others.

These are great illustrations of why Hunt was adamant that gunners were not to fire over friendlies unless it could not be "avoided" and then almost always limited to solid shot. One thing that often gets missed when the subject is Battery D 5th US on LRT is the work those guys had to go through just to get the guns to the top. IIRC, one may have been brought up by limber but the others were manhandled to the top.