Zack
First Sergeant
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2017
- Location
- Los Angeles, California
The lack of smokeless powder I think negated a lot of the perceived deadliness of rifles and rifled muskets. Combine that with bad training, and Paddy Griffith estimates that fighting occurred around 100 yards or less with the decisive range being very close indeed. On page 149 of Battle Tactics of the Civil War he writes, "Nevertheless, it is clear from the record that the real effectiveness of musketry was negligible at all but point-blank range. Even at the noted 'slaughter pens' at Bloody Lane, Marye's Heights, Kenesaw, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor an attacking unit could not only come very close to the defending line, but it could also stay there for hours - and indeed days - at a time. Civil War musketry did not therefore possess the power to kill large numbers of men, even in very dense formations, at long range. At short range it could and did kill large numbers, but not very quickly."
Without smokeless powder, it's very hard to hit what you can't see.
And, speaking of deficient training, when Grant came east in 1864, one of the things he did was try to institute regular target progress and weapons training.
Without smokeless powder, it's very hard to hit what you can't see.
And, speaking of deficient training, when Grant came east in 1864, one of the things he did was try to institute regular target progress and weapons training.