History 269 The Civil War and Reconstruction
Weapons (continued)

Artillery work in the Civil War was complex and precise, not simply a matter of loading, aiming and firing big guns.  It depended on extensive training, countless hours of practice, controlled execution, and a hard work.  A single mistake might result in a premature explosion that could kill an entire gun crew.  A variety of artillery pieces were used in the war; some were called "pounders" because of their shot (a 24-pounder fired a 24-pound cannonball); others were named for the width of their bore (an eight-inch gun had an opening eight inches in diameter); and there were various lengths (a "mortar" had a short barrel that flung shells high in the sky to drop down on the target).  An artillery battery of several guns of various types required coordination, teamwork and discipline.  Typically each cannon was fired by a five-man team.  The men were numbered 1-5, each with a position and a function according to his number.  Every step was carefully choreographed and practiced, hour after hour, until it became automatic.  One misstep could be disastrous.  Moreover, the team had to perform its precise movements in a cloud of smoke, often dodging enemy fire, while growing increasingly fatigued.

Of the two main types of cannonballs, shot (a solid iron ball), and shells (hollow cans filled with powder or powder and small metal balls), shells were especially dangerous to the gun crew because they were explosive.  Each shell had a fuse that could be set for a certain range, and fuses could be easily damaged or accidentally ignited.  First a cartridge (a cloth bag filled with carefully measured gunpowder) was taken from a wooden box and inserted in the barrel with a long-handled ramming tool; then the shot or shell was inserted and pushed tight against the cartridge; next (once the cannon was properly aimed), the gunner shoved the friction primer (a two-inch copper tube filled with powder) into the vent hole.  When the gunner gave the command "Fire!" one of the crew would jerk the lanyard, sparking the primer and exploding the cartridge, sending the projectile toward the target (and simultaneously recoiling the cannon back against its carriage).    Ordinarily a gun crew was expected to perform these tasks smartly, firing the piece every 8-10 minutes.  Each time the barrel had to be "sponged out" with a long-handled device that was rammed in, given three clockwise turns, and pulled out (to clean and cool the barrel); then the gun had to be repositioned and reloaded.  The gun, carriage and chassis weighed several tons, so moving artillery pieces around was hard work.  To hit the target the crew had to use the correctly weighted cartridge and timed fuse, and the barrel had to be aimed just right.  Hitting a stationary target was difficult enough; moving targets (ships, for example) were naturally much harder.    Course Contents >

© David C. Hanson, Virginia Western Community College