ARTILLERY

Artillery is a support weapon, providing more muscle to a defensive front and disruptive fire for an offensive movement. Defensively artillery can slow the impetus of an advance before it gets to the works. On July 3rd, at Gettysburg, Confederate infantry suffered nearly 500 artillery inflicted casualties before they even stepped off for their attack to the Codori Farm. Union batteries had the luxury of converging fire- fire converging on a central point. Their guns spread across over a long front were able to concentrate on one small area thus causing traumatic casualties on the assaulting confederate formations. Meanwhile the confederate artillery fire was forced to diverge, spread out its fire; counter battery fire against union guns on Little Round Top and other locations as well as trying to clear out the union forces at the copse of trees. At Chancellorsville on May 3rd Robert E. Lee, once he occupied Hazel Grove, he was able to have his guns all fire on a small space around the Chancellor House thus forcing Hooker to retire. At Malvern Hill union guns poured such a destructive, converging, fire that the confederate advance failed before it really started. When using artillery the general of the Civil War wanted to use his guns to support his attack or defense. Converging fire helped, diverging fire did not. S.D Lee’s battalion on the rise near the Dunker Church or cannon on Little Round Top, the location of a battery helps explain their role in the battle.