Cole, a licensed battlefield guide at Gettysburg National Military Park, usesaccessible descriptions from the battle of Gettysburg to illustrate artillerytechnology.
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Cole, a licensed battlefield guide at Gettysburg National Military Park, usesaccessible descriptions from the battle of Gettysburg to illustrate artillerytechnology.
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Add this copy of Civil War Artillery at Gettysburg to cart. $12.40, like new condition, Sold by Books From California rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Simi Valley, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Colecraft Industries.
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Add this copy of Civil War Artillery at Gettysburg to cart. $26.99, new condition, Sold by GreatBookPrices rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Columbia, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by Colecraft Industries.
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New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 324 p. Contains: Unspecified. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Histories of Civil War battles, such as the Battle of Gettysburg, generally describe the tactics and strategy of the battle, including the use of artillery. But they rarely discuss the nature of the "long arm" itself -- how artillery functioned, how it was organized and used, and the circumstances which controlled its effectiveness. The books seem either to presuppose such knowledge in the reader or to assume that the knowledge will be picked up through the general historical account. When I started reading accounts of Gettysburg and other Civil War engagements in earnest, I was puzzled by many things but especially by discussions of artillery.
Philip Cole is a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg, and his book "Civil War Artillery at Gettysburg" presents an excellent introduction to the use of artillery in both the Union and Confederate armies. The book is something of a hybrid. Most of it focuses on the use of artillery througout the Civil War with no special reference to Gettysburg. But Gettysburg gets its share of attention interlaced with and informed by the author's broader treatment of artillery.
As to the artillery at Gettysburg, Mr. Cole's focus is on the cannonade the proceeded Pickett's charge on July 3, 1863. The cannonade, and the Union response, is discussed well and from varied perspectives at each stage of Mr. Cole's treatment of the nature of artillery. He has insightful things to say about the placement of the Confederate guns, the organization of the Army, the confusing nature of Confederate weaponry, the vagaries of Confederate ammunition, the terrain, the smoke produced by the guns, and a myriad of other details that went into the July 3 cannonande and the Army of the Potomac's response at Gettysburg. I learned a great deal about Pickett's charge and the factors affecting the use of artillery from Mr. Cole's account.
The book has less to say about other uses of artillery at Gettysburg. This is unfortunate because artillery played, as Mr. Cole stresses, a vital role in both the first and second days of the battle, throughout the field. Mr. Cole suggests that artillery was well and properly used by both sides during these earlier engagements; thus he devotes most of his space to Pickett's charge. There is still much to be learned from a study of artillery earlier in the battle. The reader wishing a study of artillery throughout the Battle of Gettysburg (but a book which lacks Mr. Cole's technical discussion) may wish to read Fairfax Downey's "The Guns of Gettysburg" (1958)
As far as the treatment of Civil War artillery in general is concerned, Mr. Cole discusses the organization of the artillery arm of the service in each army. He offers descriptions of the various weapons, smoothbores and rifles, the ranges, and advantages and disadvantages of each. He discusses each type of shot and shell fired by the guns with a great deal of specialized technical detail. The book discusses the organization of artillery units and the training of the soldiers for this difficult branch of the service. He discusses horses, movement of the pieces, offensive and defensive tactics, the effect of weather and perhaps most basically of all -- smoke.
There is a useful glossary and many helpful diagrams and photographs.
Mr. Cole has written a specialized but useful study. The book is for readers who already have a thorough grounding in Civil War military history and a passion to explore it. The book will teach a great deal to readers fascinated by the Civil War and by the battle of Gettysburg.
