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"The Century War Book" is a collection of articles written for the "The Century Magazine" for it's "War Papers" serial, published from 19 to 22 years after the war "by the people that actually fought it."
In that book there is considerable Artillery content, well illustrated with engravings. As we know, engravings were the only way actual combat scenes were recorded, because the exposure times for photography at that time could not capture action except as a blur. Some engravings were copies of still, non-combat photos, some were cpies or enhancements of field sketches, and others just created from memory.
In any case, there was no reason at the time these engravings would depict deployment and gear other than what was the common case. Even though they did often depict a heroic act, or person, or horse in an exaggerated way, there was no 'agenda' or reason to alter the views of deployment or gear.
I explain all that just so I can mention the several pictures of deployed horse artillery that show horses hitched to the limber pole during combat action (pole facing the piece) with one rider holding rein on the front team. It's just something I should have assumed was the case (maybe the last in my battery to get it) but reenactments are a poor second compared to the actual experience so I hadn't really been visualizing correctly.
Another thing, the body position of no. 1, at the "ready" or during actual fire, is facing forward with the rammer held loosely at an angle - none of this awkward " lean back and twist forward hand-over- ear stance" we are required to do in reenactment today.
Lastly, in every case depicted in this book, no. 4 also faces forward at the "ready" and holds the lanyard full-extended arm, mostly upright except leaning slightly left in preparation to fall away in pulling the lanyard. No twisting round or facing backward, no snap of the arm, wrist, elbow or knee as is often the reenactment practice today.
I will chalk up those differences to lack of horse and modern safety considerations today, but we should be well aware of actual practice, as depicted in reliable source engravings, equal to the study of period drill manuals, if we are going to represent the act before the public and their questions.
Thoughts?
Dan Wykes
Batt G, 2nd Ill.
BTW there is one engraving of a soldier clearly holding what appears to be a cigarette - at least it's not anywhere near as dark or as big as a cigar.
In that book there is considerable Artillery content, well illustrated with engravings. As we know, engravings were the only way actual combat scenes were recorded, because the exposure times for photography at that time could not capture action except as a blur. Some engravings were copies of still, non-combat photos, some were cpies or enhancements of field sketches, and others just created from memory.
In any case, there was no reason at the time these engravings would depict deployment and gear other than what was the common case. Even though they did often depict a heroic act, or person, or horse in an exaggerated way, there was no 'agenda' or reason to alter the views of deployment or gear.
I explain all that just so I can mention the several pictures of deployed horse artillery that show horses hitched to the limber pole during combat action (pole facing the piece) with one rider holding rein on the front team. It's just something I should have assumed was the case (maybe the last in my battery to get it) but reenactments are a poor second compared to the actual experience so I hadn't really been visualizing correctly.
Another thing, the body position of no. 1, at the "ready" or during actual fire, is facing forward with the rammer held loosely at an angle - none of this awkward " lean back and twist forward hand-over- ear stance" we are required to do in reenactment today.
Lastly, in every case depicted in this book, no. 4 also faces forward at the "ready" and holds the lanyard full-extended arm, mostly upright except leaning slightly left in preparation to fall away in pulling the lanyard. No twisting round or facing backward, no snap of the arm, wrist, elbow or knee as is often the reenactment practice today.
I will chalk up those differences to lack of horse and modern safety considerations today, but we should be well aware of actual practice, as depicted in reliable source engravings, equal to the study of period drill manuals, if we are going to represent the act before the public and their questions.
Thoughts?
Dan Wykes
Batt G, 2nd Ill.
BTW there is one engraving of a soldier clearly holding what appears to be a cigarette - at least it's not anywhere near as dark or as big as a cigar.
Besides that they are probably already drawing enemy artillery fire so the last thing they really care about is a dramatic pose. There is iron in the air.
Getting inside the gun's wheel is the only real protection in case the drivers miss the mark a tad. I wonder how many men were injured or killed by the limbers and horses coming around and catching a cannoneer?
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