A new Civil War Seriel: Tactics of the CW

I've been teaching a course on the Civil War for years now and in that class I spend a day talking about how battles were fought, or the basic tactics used on the battlefields of Virginia, Tennessee and the lot. My students ( teachers) seemed to have enjoyed the lecture and have said it helped them understand the reasons why battles were fought. I've typed up my notes into something I hope you find interesting. I'll submit a section whenever I get it written. SECTION ONE: INTRO When the boys of ‘61 began to learn the rudiments of drill one of the first things they learned how to do was to stand in two ranks; men shoulder to shoulder two deep was considered the optimal use of manpower. The slow loading of a musket, 20-30 seconds per round, forced military minds to find a way to pack in as many men per foot as possible while still offering the potential for movement. A linear formation of two ranks of men 13” between each rank proved the optimal design. This position allowed for the potential to put a fierce volume of fire downrange. This formation however often proved itself unwieldy, tough to move about quickly, and potentially vulnerable. Whether defending or attacking, the generals who paid head to the strengths and weaknesses of the linear formation tended to be successful while those who could not or did not often keep in mind and action chemistry of the formation met with failure. The rolling fields of Gettysburg or the earthen mounds of Petersburg, the fields of battle throughout the Civil War were fought over by generals who knew the art of war. Some like, Nathan Bedford Forrest, Lawrence Chamberlin or John B. Gordon learned on the job- in the field, while the Robert E. Lee’s and William T. Sherman’s learned their craft in a military academy. Understanding what generals were attempting to do on the battlefield makes a tour of Fort Donelson, Vicksburg or Manassas that much more interesting.