Books by Drivers

[Lazarus Driver]

I know of numerous books written by artillerymen however I am now looking for ones written by drivers. Can anyone throw out some titles.

Thanks
Bill Thomas

[K Bartsch]

Re: Books by Drivers

I know of numerous books written by artillerymen however I am now looking for ones written by drivers. Can anyone throw out some titles.

Thanks
Bill Thomas

Sorry Bill, I'm afraid the literacy rate among drivers was not very high. :wink_smil

Cordially,

[Cleaveland]

Re: Books by Drivers

and still isn't.

[Ringgold]

Re: Books by Drivers

I'd have to say that such an item has to exist somewhere, but as yet I haven't come across it. I suppose it may be less a result of their literacy and more the fact that the poor suckers never had enough free time to collect their thoughts and experiences on paper. Then again, who'd want to read about endless horse care, harness cleaning, drilling, complaining about the poor quality of replacement horses, etc. ;)


John, you red-headed ne'er-do-well! Glad to see you hauntin' the place. :p

[Tom Ezell]

Re: Books by Drivers

I'd have to say that such an item has to exist somewhere, but as yet I haven't come across it. I suppose it may be less a result of their literacy and more the fact that the poor suckers never had enough free time to collect their thoughts and experiences on paper. Then again, who'd want to read about endless horse care, harness cleaning, drilling, complaining about the poor quality of replacement horses, etc. ;)

It's much the same thing today, where you spend significant chunks of time down in the motor pool breaking track and punching the tubes. PT is probably the high point of the day ;-)

The guys who can write and do math go to the FDC or FIST, the weightlifters and knuckledraggers tote 'joes down on the line of metal.

Tom

[Lazarus Driver]

Re: Books by Drivers

Thanks for the replies, John I am sure that also applies to critters!
Yes they did do a lot of work and had little free time but the life in the army is all about drill drill and more drill. However that being said they also had their share of action. It makes a heck of a target sitting on a horse next to a cannon. We all know if the horses are down the gun wont move.
Please keep your eyes open on this,

Thanks again
Bill Thomas

[Fauxban]

Drivers, WRITE

Perhaps if Captains French, Barry & Hunt had included such a command in Part III, Article VII of Instructions for Field Artillery we might be more blessed in this regard. As it stands I know of but a handful, to whit:

The Personal memoirs of Jonathan Thomas Scharf of the First Maryland Artillery
ed. Tom Kelley ISBN 0-935523-30-8

Four Years in the Confederate Artillery, The Diary of Henry Robinson Berkeley
ed. William Runge ISBN 0-945015-05-4

Reluctant Cannoneer The Diary of Robert T. McMahan of the Twenty-fifth Independent Ohio Light Artillery
Author/Editor Michael E. Banasik ISBN 1-929919-01-8

I’m still trying to locate one more I recall reading recently, I must’ve loaned it out for neither title nor author come immediately to mind or hand. Other artillery memoirs & diaries I’ve perused mention drivers &/or driving, more or less infrequently, just tidbits here & there. Perhaps a compilation is in order here? I know I’d certainly buy one…

Scharf was a teenager when he drove for Andrew’s Battery, and his slim volume is a hoot!!
I only wish it were as long and detailed as his later (some say definitive) history of the Confederate Navy. At one point he falls asleep, and falls off his horse, narrowly missing being run over by the gun he’s pulling!! Another time he describes requiring a 14 horse hitch to extricate the guns from the mud... In deference to this august forum I’ll refrain of describing his ‘uniform’ peccadilloes. Suffice to say he delights in detailing his departure from the de rigueur to dishabille. Would that one soul today had the courage, to say nothing of effrontery, to adopt a Scharf-like impression, PHC of course... After recovering from a wound received at Chancellorsville Scharf received an appointment as Midshipman, CSN, and left land artillery service.

Robin Berkeley served in two different Virginia batteries “…four years, one month, and seven days…” concluding his duty in the Bull Pen of Fort Delaware. Robin was both a driver and a cannoneer detailed as necessary for whichever duty. This doesn’t seem to have been as uncommon as we tend to think. Certainly the vaunted Washington Artillery kept their social stratification in this manner, but I’m not sure how well such a system would work amongst neighbors… Berkeley had no trouble sliding from one to the other on demand, and I suspect such would be the practice in volunteer batteries. Robin seems to have spent an awful lotta time having fun, especially in pursuit of and in company with, the tender gender. When was the last diary you read detailing an afternoon’s Ice Cream Social?? I’d never have the temerity to call such a veteran a shirker, yet his diligence in easing the burden of duty is, to say the least, remarkable… Berkeley’s comments on the leadership of his first battery are worth the price of the volume by themselves:

“…My mess occupies itself during its leisure time in abusing Wash and his lieutenants for their laziness and want of energy…”

All in all Four Years in the Confederate Artillery is my favourite artillery memoir, and one of the better CS ones I know. It offers us a startlingly clear look at young men fighting a war at home in their own neighborhood. Talk about war on the homefront…. Don’t confuse this title with Neese’s Four Years in the Confederate Horse Artillery, another crackin’ good redleg read…

Robert McMahan was forcibly transferred to the 25th Independent Ohio from cavalry service. He and his comrades were less than thrilled with the new duty… Later another unwelcome transfer to the 2nd Missouri battery inflicted further artillery service upon him. His memoir abounds with juicy equipment & armament details, and is quite a good read. Though assigned as No 6 in the 1st detachment McMahan describes a lot of work with carriages, harness & horses. Sounds much like our own experiences in mounted artillery service, doesn’t it? Nowhere in it does he specify ‘Today I are a driver’ but his entries concerning cannoneers & “marches” leads me to conclude he did some, probably in rotation. Certainly his remarks on equipment & maintenance are more prolific than either Scharf or Berkeley, and well worthy of study in your pursuit of that driver impression…

Perhaps this is a good time to ask if there’s any interest in building an Artillery Reading List that we could append to this board?? I’d be willing to comb my library for such data, and/or commentary as should such be deemed valuable by our readers...

And now a question for the Great Dutchman… When can we count on seeing your history, replete with stunning photographs, of Ringgold’s Battery?


Dum Spiro Spero

Bruce G. Rollin
usmr@nctv.com
Palmetto Light Artillery
Lazarus Battery
Lumsden’s (Alabama)/18th Indiana

[Ringgold]

Re: Books by Drivers

Bruce! You magnificent son of a (fill in applicable affront here)! :kiss:

I do believe such a list would be horribly beneficial to the wanton souls that find their way to this wellspring of knowledge! It should, without doubt, have its own special "sticky" location that would be easily found by those intrepid few who drag themselves a few staggers farther than the rest in their quest to understand the mysteries of what it is to be an artillerist.

I suppose we could break it down into Federal /Confederate, and then rank them in regards to certain criteria. i.e.;
Written by officers, non-coms, privates, drivers, trumpeters, et al.,
Theatres of operation,
Volunteer / Regular,
State,
Manual / Memoir,
or even Battles described.

The possible categories are endless!

I can think of about 20 volumes right off that could be put on the list!

When do we start?

[Ringgold]

Drivers? Rrriiiiight . . .

And now a question for the Great Dutchman… When can we count on seeing your history, replete with stunning photographs, of Ringgold’s Battery?


Dum Spiro Spero

Bruce G. Rollin
usmr@nctv.com
Palmetto Light Artillery
Lazarus Battery
Lumsden’s (Alabama)/18th Indiana

Bruce, Bruce, Bruce!

It's The Ringgold Battery, not Ringgold's Battery! Everyone knows that Light Company "C" of the 3rd United States Artillery was Major Samuel Ringgold's battery, you Silly!

The book remains a large pile of notes, a collection of original images (54 at last count) and documents (about 26), binders full of photocopies, discs full of files, and a lack of time and money. :embaresse :cry_smile

Hope springs eternal!

As for an Artillery Resource List, I'm thinking of putting it on some of my webspace and then posting the link here. That way I can add new sources and change content more easily in order to keep it accessible and up to date. Sound like a plan? Anyone have a better solution? I'll start a new post to begin asking for information to put on the list.