How many rounds per campaign ?

[John Winn]

I've found two references saying how many rounds per gun were allocated for a campaign. One, which seems to be more of a suggestion, said "no fewer than 400" and the other said with some certainty 250.

Anybody know how many rounds per gun would have been loaded up on the wagons/caissons/limbers collectively for a given campaign ? Have a reference ?

Thanks y'all. These kinds of things keep me up at night so I must have the answer. I know you understand.

 

[redbob]

I have read that different Generals and Ordinance Officers called for different loads for different operations. It all had to do with how long that they anticipated the campaign to last, what type operations they were planning and how far they were going to be from their supply bases. At Gettysburg for example, while the Confederates were running short of ammunition; the Union forces had used less than half of their available supply.

 

[John Winn]

I have read that different Generals and Ordinance Officers called for different loads for different operations. It all had to do with how long that they anticipated the campaign to last, what type operations they were planning and how far they were going to be from their supply bases. At Gettysburg for example, while the Confederates were running short of ammunition; the Union forces had used less than half of their available supply.

Thanks. That makes sense regarding how far away from supply lines.

I wonder how many rounds Sherman took going to Savannah and South Carolina. While he could reasonably not expect to be heavily engaged (at least not in Georgia) he was also completely on his own regarding supplies. Meade had interior lines at Gettysburg and wasn't that far from major supply centers but it sounds like he really loaded up.

Anybody got numbers ?

 

[ErnieMac]

ARTILLERY HEADQUARTERS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
September 27, 1863.

Brig. Gen. S. WILLIAMS,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Army of the Potomac.

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the artillery of this army in the battle of Gettysburg, July 1, 2, and 3:
********
Of these 320 guns, 142 were light 12-pounders, 106 3-inch guns, 6 20-pounders, 60 10-pounder Parrott guns, and a battery of 4 James rifles and 2 12-pounder howitzers, which joined the army on the march to Gettysburg. This table excludes the Horse Artillery, 44 3-inch guns, serving with the cavalry. It will be seen that the Artillery Reserve, every gun of which was brought into requisition, bore, as in all the campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, its full share, and more, of the losses.

The expenditure of ammunition in the three days amounted to 32,781 rounds, averaging over 100 rounds per gun. Many rounds were lost in the caissons and limbers by explosions and otherwise. The supply carried with the army being 270 rounds per gun, left sufficient to fill the ammunition chests and enable the army to fight another battle. There was for a short time during the battle a fear that the ammunition would give out. This fear was caused by the large and unreasonable demands made by corps commanders who had left their own trains or a portion of them behind, contrary to the orders of the commanding general. In this emergency, the train of the Artillery Reserve, as on so many other occasions, supplied all demands, and proved its great usefulness to the army.
********
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
HENRY J. HUNT,
Brigadier-General and Chief of Artillery, Commanding.

Sleep well.

 

[drezac]

Per Regulations, each gun would have a total of 4 ammunition chests ( 1 on the guns limber, 1 on the caisson's limber, and 2 on the caisson. 30 rounds each for a 12-pdr, 32 for a 6-pdr, for a total of 120/128 in the field. The question would be how may rounds would be in the supply train. The battery wagon would not have carried any rounds sine it was used for supplies for the artificers.

 

[Sid J.]

Thanks. That makes sense regarding how far away from supply lines.

I wonder how many rounds Sherman took going to Savannah and South Carolina. While he could reasonably not expect to be heavily engaged (at least not in Georgia) he was also completely on his own regarding supplies. Meade had interior lines at Gettysburg and wasn't that far from major supply centers but it sounds like he really loaded up.

Anybody got numbers ?

From Shermans Memoirs:

"The greatest possible attention had been given to the artillery and wagon trains. The number of guns had been reduced to sixty-five, or about one gun to each thousand men, and these were generally in batteries of four guns each.

Each gun, caisson, and forges was drawn by four teams of horses. We had in all about twenty-five hundred wagons, with teams of six mules to each, and six hundred ambulances, with two horses to each. The loads were made comparatively light, about twenty-five hundred pounds net; each wagon carrying in addition the forage needed by its own team: Each soldier carried on his person forty rounds of ammunition, and in the wagons were enough cartridges to make up about two hundred rounds per man, and in like manner two hundred rounds of assorted ammunition were carried for each gun."

 

[Patrick H]

Interesting question, John and it's one I've pondered, too. I'm glad you asked, and I'm glad to see these responses.

 

[John Winn]

Thanks y'all.