Shiloh artillery page source?

[Red Harvest]

Is there a source for the following page: http://civilwarwiki.net/wiki/Table_...articipating_At_Shiloh,_April_6th_&_7th,_1862

I'm a bit of an arty buff and intrigued by a few of the entries. Visited Shiloh this past weekend and was suprised by the number of Wiard's, Blakely's, and James rifles they had there. (The 24 pounder siege gun on siege carriage replica was really impressive as well.) Non-standard types accumulated in this region of course, but I was unprepared for the numbers involved. The table above is interesting but unsourced.

I don't see how Ruggle's reduction of the hornet's nest really worked based on placement of the guns and the supposed forest location at the time...you don't have line of fire or line of sight with most of Ruggle's line as it is placed. Howitzers could do good work with indirect bombardment... Best I could tell only a few pieces would have been well placed--although these may well have been enough. The "massive bombardment" that is commonly accepted just doesn't ring true after viewing the positions and looking at maps that are supposedly historical. Compare this with Pea Ridge which was a perfect field for artillery reduction, and where the results are indisputable.

 

[johan_steele]

Ruggles battery was firing shell & solid shot into the trees toppling scores of them on the defenders below. Arty doesn't have to make a direct hit to be effective. Indirect action of a shell burst of solid shot can be just as lethal and devestating to morale.

 

[CivilWarTalk]

Is there a source for the following page: http://civilwarwiki.net/wiki/Table_of_Artillery_Pieces_Participating_At_Shiloh,_April_6th_&_7th,_1862

I created that table years ago, I'm not sure off-hand what source I used, but when I get home tonight I will see if I can look it up.

 

[Red Harvest]

Ruggles battery was firing shell & solid shot into the trees toppling scores of them on the defenders below. Arty doesn't have to make a direct hit to be effective. Indirect action of a shell burst of solid shot can be just as lethal and devestating to morale.

Can be, but doesn't appear that this ground or range would have been conducive to that except on exposed ground to the north of the Pittsburg-Corinth road. Indirect fire of the nature you describe is unlikely to have much impact on those forward in the sunken road or leading edge of the woods. The damage from such fire is typically in the rear--regiments in reserve, wounded, and stragglers. The range was so short that case and shell would be difficult to employ against the forward positions (fusing too short for case, and trajectory would put the fall of shell well behind.) That leaves solid shot or canister for some of the closer positions.

The first thing I noticed when walking the ground is that there was a prominent rise in the way of the batteries that weren't completely enclosed in woods. Trajectory is way too flat at such short range to lob anything in on men in the sunken road and woods behind. Larry Daniel doesn't seem to have put much stock in the effectiveness of the barrage, and after being there I can understand why.

There is an excellent contemporary example of this problem from merely a month before: at Pea Ridge at Clemon's field the 4th Iowa took shelter in the woods behind trees the farmer had felled to clear the land. They withstood a heavy barrage by 3 batteries only 200 yards away. By comparison these were veteran Missouri State Guard batteries but the prepatory barrage had little impact other than tearing up the woods behind the men and killing the colonel's mounts one by one. The 4th Iowa then repulsed several ill advised charges on their position. It took another hour of pounding by the arty, plus being flanked on both ends, and the regiment running out of ammunition before they were dislodged.

When artillery is ineffective it can actually increase the morale of the targets, although I don't see that applying to the hornet's nest.

 

[BillO]

The confederates captured a 4 gun battery of 6pdr. Wiard guns at Shiloh and then gave them back at Vicksburg.

 

[ole]

I had read or heard (or both) that the Ruggle's line didn't exactly shell the Yanks out of the Hornets' Nest. Instead, the line was so threatening that a decision was reached to decamp from Dodge before they could get the range.

Anyone else heard that?

 

[CivilWarTalk]

Is there a source for the following page: http://civilwarwiki.net/wiki/Table_of_Artillery_Pieces_Participating_At_Shiloh,_April_6th_&_7th,_1862

Okay, I believe I used Shiloh, Shells and Artillery Units by George F. Witham, Riverside Press, 1980.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0031LQSMO/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

 

[Red Harvest]

Okay, I believe I used Shiloh, Shells and Artillery Units by George F. Witham, Riverside Press, 1980.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0031LQSMO/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

Thanks. I'll have to see if I can get ahold of that via intra-library loan.