Improving Artillery Impressions

[GASharpshooter]

Re: Improving Artillery Impressions

Aren't those 98 Napoleons 6lbrs?

J

Ok, lets get back on track on how we can improve artillery.....

I have a little breakdown of ANV artillery at Gettysburg.

98 Napoleons 40% of ANV Artillery
64 3in Ordnance Rifles 27% " " "
39 10pdr Parrotts 16% " " "
21 12 pdr Howitzers 9% " " "
12 20pdr Parrotts 5% " " "
5 24pdr Howitzers 2% " " "
2 Whitworths 1% " " "
214 Guns Total

228 Caissons (just short of 1 per gun)
8 Battery Wagons (roughly 1 per every 2 battalions)
32 Forges (roughly 1 per every 2 batteries)

It should be remembered that ANV Artillery had recently reorganized into 4gun batteries with a battalion staff, with each battalion assigned to a division and each Corps having 2 battalions of Reserve Artillery.

Just a snapshot showing what was in the field for the ANV in July '63.

Note the complete lack of 6pdr guns at this point in time and also that the Napoleon makes up almost half the field pieces in the ANV.

[OldKingCrow]

Re: Improving Artillery Impressions

duplicate post sorry - Selector on 2 post burst

[OldKingCrow]

Re: Improving Artillery Impressions

Aren't those 98 Napoleons 6lbrs?

J

No 12lb - A number of the CS were Tredegar Napoleons too..much different look..no swell.

I wonder if in fact there were CS Tredegar 3in Rifles (cast) present as well..64 captured 3in Ordnance Rifles ?

At Gettysburg, there was only one 6lb gun on the field, that in Alexander Latham's battery in James Longstreet's I Corps, Army of Northern Virginia.

Thomas, Dean S., CANNONS: An Introduction to Civil War Artillery. Thomas Publications, Gettysburg, PA, 1985.
Coco, Gregory A., A Concise Guide to the Artillery at Gettysburg. Thomas Publications, Gettysburg, PA, 1998.

[cannoneer]

Re: Improving Artillery Impressions

From what I have learned a Napoleon is a 12 pounder, based off a French cannon designed by Napoleon the third.

I am really happy to see this thread grow and evolve in a civil manner. (no pun intended)
Being in an artillery unit that is mainstream I see what is being said first hand.


Don't get me wrong, I am working my impression to the Authentic side. I continue to research my units history.

[hta1970]

Re: Improving Artillery Impressions

At Gettysburg, there was only one 6lb gun on the field, that in Alexander Latham's battery in James Longstreet's I Corps, Army of Northern Virginia.

Thomas, Dean S., CANNONS: An Introduction to Civil War Artillery. Thomas Publications, Gettysburg, PA, 1985.
Coco, Gregory A., A Concise Guide to the Artillery at Gettysburg. Thomas Publications, Gettysburg, PA, 1998.

Christopher, my bad there. I actaullay was quoteing those numbers from the ANV artillery after Gettysburg. You are quite correct, when I went back to the ORs, the Barch Artillery commanded by Latham "Lost 1 6-pounder, said to be turned in, and 1 12-pounder howitzer, abandoned." The 6pdr was not listed in the table of lost or present artillery, only in the remarks which is why I missed it.

I will go back and take a closer look at the remakes and may post a revised table to reflect a more accurate accounting...

As to the Horse Artillery, there was nothing listed for them in the OR, but if anyone has anyinformation, I would be most interested in seeing it...and adding it to what I have from the ORs...

[1stMaine]

Re: Improving Artillery Impressions

Harry,

See here:

http://aotw.org/weapons.php?weapon_id=12

Seems to be quite a few at Sharpsburg, then tapering off.

[ajroscoe]

Re: Improving Artillery Impressions

Gentlemen,
This is from a Gettysburg Order of Battle complied by Carl Smith (Copyright, Osprey Publishing Ltd, 1998):

Beckham's Battalion (Maj. R.F. Beckham) 434
1st Stuart's Horse Arty/Breathed's VA Btty 106 4/3R
Chew's VA Btty (w/Jones, not at Gettysburg) 99 4 guns
2nd Baltimore Griffin's MD Btty 106 4/10P
Hart's SC Btty 107 8/BR
2nd Stuart's Horse Arty/McGregor's VA Btty 106 2/N, 2/3R
Moorman's VA Btty (not at Gettysburg) 112 4 guns

The first number being men present for duty 1 Jul 63 and the second being the number of guns/type of gun. Since Napoleons are represented by an "N," 3 Inch Rifles by "3R," 12lb Howitzers by "12H," 10lb Parrot Rifles by "10P," 20lb Parrot Rifles by "20P," and 6lb guns by "6G" in this report, I assume Mr. Smith did not know the composition of those two batteries. Maybe someone else can guess as to what "BR" is supposed to represent. Some kind of rifled gun, probably.

Tim, thank you for you information about the caissons and battery wagons. I freely admit I don't know much about the administration end of artillery.

Hope this could help.

[OldKingCrow]

Re: Improving Artillery Impressions

BR = Brooke Rifle

[hta1970]

Re: Improving Artillery Impressions

I suspect the BR means Blakely Rifle aka Blakely Gun. It was a 12pdr rifled gun imported from England.

In fact the Washington Artillery (aka Hart's Battery) was armed with 4 Blakely Guns.

Brooke Rifles were used as far as I know, exclusively for fixed defensive works and aboard Confederate Naval vessels and the smallest size Brooke Rifle was 6.4 inches weighing over 9,000 lbs.

[OldKingCrow]

Re: Improving Artillery Impressions

Absolutely correct Blakely...I do not know why I typed Brooke..just realized it.

I am going to crew and fire the 7 inch Brooke @ Columbus Naval Museum end of this month at the school of the sailor..so I had Brooke on the brain.

[GASharpshooter]

Re: Improving Artillery Impressions

Chris whats the date this year?

Absolutely correct Blakely...I do not know why I typed Brooke..just realized it.

I am going to crew and fire the 7 inch Brooke @ Columbus Naval Museum end of this month at the school of the sailor..so I had Brooke on the brain.

[hta1970]

Re: Improving Artillery Impressions

Gentlemen,
This is from a Gettysburg Order of Battle complied by Carl Smith (Copyright, Osprey Publishing Ltd, 1998):

Beckham's Battalion (Maj. R.F. Beckham) 434
1st Stuart's Horse Arty/Breathed's VA Btty 106 4/3R
Chew's VA Btty (w/Jones, not at Gettysburg) 99 4 guns
2nd Baltimore Griffin's MD Btty 106 4/10P
Hart's SC Btty 107 8/BR
2nd Stuart's Horse Arty/McGregor's VA Btty 106 2/N, 2/3R
Moorman's VA Btty (not at Gettysburg) 112 4 guns

The first number being men present for duty 1 Jul 63 and the second being the number of guns/type of gun. Since Napoleons are represented by an "N," 3 Inch Rifles by "3R," 12lb Howitzers by "12H," 10lb Parrot Rifles by "10P," 20lb Parrot Rifles by "20P," and 6lb guns by "6G" in this report, I assume Mr. Smith did not know the composition of those two batteries. Maybe someone else can guess as to what "BR" is supposed to represent. Some kind of rifled gun, probably.

Tim, thank you for you information about the caissons and battery wagons. I freely admit I don't know much about the administration end of artillery.

Hope this could help.

Andrew,

Thanks for this information. Osprey puts out some good picture books but some of that data there is a little worrisome. They have Hart's Battery with 8 guns and only 107 men. Thats a lots of tubes for such a small number of men...
I wonder if that was an error on their part?

[Mbond057]

Re: Improving Artillery Impressions

There is credible evidence that 12 Pdr. Mountain Howitzers was used at Gettysburg. In 2009 the Gettysburg Anniversary Committee will allow a limited number of MH to work with the cavalry in support of the following documentation presented to them this past fall.

“I'm sure most of us are familiar with the variety of artillery present during the Battle of Gettysburg, but how many know that the 12 Pdr Mountain Howitzer were used to defend the base of Little Round Top during the fighting on July 2, 1863?”

"The rebels came from all directions for the guns, and lost all formation. They waved their
battle flags, a dozen being just in front of me. They came to where a number were shot down; then they recoiled, and retreated through the wheat field and woods. To my' right and rear; among the rocks, I could see a twelve pounder mountain howitzer at work. A soldier asked me what kind of a gun it was: he said it kicked over at every' discharge.” 1st Lt. Page, 3rd U.S. Infantry. (Quoted in Powell's The Fifth Army Corps, p.535-36.)

[vamick]

Re: Improving Artillery Impressions

Captain Lloyd that was a great post!

Now, as far as the red kepi, I was a Union artillerist at the time, and it was gently pointed out to me, with a reference that I can't remember, but 'ol Dudley the first shirt pretty much knew the score on uniform items, that Union artillerists did not wear red kepis.

Now, Confederate, otoh, you could have a solid red kepi or a gray one with red branch trim. Although it seems like the sutlers only sell the red ones with the dark blue trim on them, which I think goes with red trousers in some Union infantry regiments. Someone tune me up again (it keeps happening...) if I have it wrong ;)

Those red kepis with the dark blue trim are authenic to ANV and some even survived the war,( infantry especially loved to call the arty boys 'woodpeckers' because of em, wonder if thats were the term 'peckerhead' comes from?:D) however, for my self at least and many of the boys of the 1860's " those little french caps" are next to worthless when yer out there in the elements, give me any ole hat anytime over those 'sexy' kepis!

[vamick]

Re: Improving Artillery Impressions

a great read on ANV horse artillery is Galloping Thunder by Robert Trout,

a great many details are found in the diary's and letters! and even a few 'zingers' that I believe challenge a few of our modern day 'reenactorisms'


and another full of facinating details even weather!, is "Three Years in Confederate Horse Artillery by Neese,a gunner in Chews Battery ( incendently the first Confederate horse artillery, formed out of co D Ashby's 7th Va cav.) its out of print but can still be had