Artillery During the Civil War

by Kathleen L. Maher

The American Civil War has been a lifelong fascination for me. In The Chaplain's Daughter, my hero Gideon Sharpe is a wounded Confederate artillery captain, and his world brought me to some interesting research. This is by no means an exhaustive report, but I hope to provide a peek into the universe of battle from the perspective of the artillery. 

First, there are different branches of artillery--heavy, light, coastal, field, siege, and navy artillery. I will focus on field artillery, since that is my hero's area of service with General Beauregard's army. I chose to focus on a 3-inch Ordnance Rifle, because I had the privilege of seeing one discharge at a living history event, and to pepper the presenter with questions! He was so gracious, and showed me each position, command, and piece of equipment, with explanation. Three cheers for those who portray living history with such dedication to accuracy. 

The 3-inch Ordnance Rifles manufactured in Pennsylvania had a wrought iron 69 inch long tube which alone weighed over 800 lbs, a 2.9 or 3 inch opening (bore), and fired a 9 pound projectile with a 1-pound charge. The wrought iron pieces were pretty near indestructible, as opposed to the cast iron which were prone to crack. Even the bronze casts made in the south were not quite as durable. They were among the most accurate field pieces in the war with a  range set at 5 degrees that could reach over 1800 yards. (There are 1760 yards in a mile.) The projectile fired would travel at a rate of over 1200 feet per second. That's a pretty powerful mid-range weapon for the times.

The 3-inch ordnance rifles were muzzle loading, which means they had to be packed with their projectiles from the mouth, rather than breech loading, which would be from the rear. This posed some unique challenges. Smoke from the last charge could very well ignite a powder bag inside the bore, so a wet sponge attached to a pole would have to be inserted to extinguish any remaining sparks or smoldering pieces. A "worm" was a pole with a coil or screw on the end which would fish out any remaining pieces of powder bag or canister. 

Carrying the powder bag or charge was possibly the most dangerous position, and often assigned to a small person who made a harder target for long range snipers to hit. Often a child was used as the "Powder monkey." If a bullet struck the powder bag close enough to the gun, it would take the whole battery out of commission. If the wet sponge didn't do a good enough job at extinguishing any remaining sparks, and the powder was loaded, someone would lose an arm or worse. 

Another piece of equipment is the caisson. It is the platform on which the cannon balls, ordnance, or canister were transported. The limber was the wheeled conveyance pulled by either a two, four, or six-horse team to transport the cannon or the caisson. Each horse was expected to pull approximately 700 lbs, so the size of the team depended on the total weight of the load. 

Ordnance is an explosive that would be shot at medium range to take out buildings, fortifications or in some cases, advancing armies. Smoothbore cannons shot cannonballs, but rifled guns discharged a "bolt" which was a shot with no explosive charge, either spherical or cylindrical. Spherical shot could ricochet, increasing its potential impact, but cylindrical shot would more often lodge, so accuracy was important. The rifling carved inside the bore was a spiral which set the projectile spinning in mid air the way a football quarterback spins a football to improve accuracy. 

Canister was the most deadly and used against advancing troops of infantry or cavalry. It was a container filled with sawdust and small projectiles, which upon discharge would break apart and unload like a massive shotgun. Grapeshot was almost obsolete by the Civil War, and had been first used aboard ships to take out rigging or clear the deck. It consisted of balls linked together to create a spinning, whirling effect like an airborne lawnmower blade... you get the idea. 

Here is a brief excerpt from my book to show a battery in action:

Gideon’s horse danced under him, tense as though sensing his anticipation. Fiery ants marched through his veins awaiting the 3” Ordnance Gun explosion. The volley from his artillery battery shook his eardrums until he heard white. Then, sight melded with halting spasms of sound as his hearing recovered. He sorted through the din, scanning nameless shell-jacketed men. His own voice, full of adrenaline, shouted amidst the clamor of supporting infantry gunfire.

Turning to his gunnery sergeant, he shouted. “They’re coming on again. Turn the grape loose on ’em!”

The gunner’s voice boomed over the din. “Post on lim-ber! Load by de-tail.”

Grey-clad boys scampered at the gunner’s command, their darting movements drawing new tension to Gideon’s fist, clenched about his short sword. The four-man battery took turns about the barrel, lacking the rhythmic order of trained men.

Gideon grunted disapproval. He’d seen a man’s arm blown off from loading powder into a smoldering bore. “You boys’ll be the death of me,” he muttered and reined Red forward, snapping his fingers at his artillerymen. “Worm!”

Confused looks exchanged between the two stationed in front of the gun’s axle.

Getting no response, Gideon directed the near soldier to take the corkscrewed pole to fish out the spent powder bag from the cannon’s mouth. Then he pointed at the other. “Wet sponge!”

The young man swabbed the cannon with his damp-clothed pole and hastened back to position.

“Advance the round.”

The powder monkey delivered a one-pound powder sack from the caisson to the first soldier waiting at the mouth of the gun, walking backwards to protect the charge from enemy fire, looking over his shoulder with a glint of terror in his eyes. The powder went in, and next, the canister containing lead shot. The ram-rod drove the round deep into the gun as the cresting wave of rifle fire rose from the field below.

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"Where every underdog has his day."

Kathleen L. Maher’s first crush was Peter Rabbit, and she’s loved conflicted heroes ever since. She has two novellas in BARBOUR BOOKS' collections: Victorian Christmas Brides and Lessons on Love. Winner ACFW Genesis Award. Author of Sons of the Shenandoah Series: The Abolitionist's Daughter and The Chaplain's Daughter.
Kathleen and her husband live in an old farmhouse in upstate NY with their children and a small zoo.

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Fort Sill: An Enduring Legacy Pt 2

 

Fort Sill, Restored Building, Photo Courtesy of the OHS Photo Archives

 
By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez

Thank you for joining us for our final fort in “The Forts of Oklahoma Series.” The exploration of the history of this great state has been, at the very least, eye-opening. When we started this series, it was, a matter of minor interest to the both of us, truth be told. With both of us coming from military families, doing these articles really opened our eyes to the greater significance of the military presence in our home state. In last month’s article, we wrote about Fort Sill, its earlier history and waning legacy up to Oklahoma Statehood in 1907.

To recap, Fort Sill was set up as a cavalry outpost on the edge of the Indian Territory to help keep the indigenous tribes from being too fractious. Initially, it didn’t work out very well and required the intervention of the US Army. Although in 1907, the role of the fort changed drastically when the last troop of cavalry moved out and left only the artillery.

In 1911, “The School of Fire for the Field” was founded for artillery soldiers and continues until this day. In 1917, the Henry Post Army Airfield, shortened to Post Field, was constructed for artillery observation and training. During the 1930’s, the WPA (Works Progress Administration), in conjunction with the Army, built more permanent buildings and training facilities. The oldest currently standing building is Building 4908 Aircraft Maintenance hanger built in 1932.

By the end of World War II, the Field Artillery School had permission to train its own fixed wing pilots as field artillery spotters. In 1942, Fort Sill held approximately 700 Japanese, interned by the Department of Justice, most of whom were non-citizens who had been arrested as spies or “fifth columnists,” despite the lack of charges against them. Three Hundred and Fifty of these inmates were transfers from Fort Missoula, Montana. In addition to the Japanese, Fort Sill also hosted German prisoners of war.

The Army Ground Forces Air Training School (later known as the Army Aviation School) was established at Post field on December 7th 1945. In October 1948, pilot training for helicopters began, and the first warrant officer class started in 1951. Post Field is the oldest continually-operating airfield in the US Army to date.

Fort Sill serves as a training base for not only artillery and aviation, but it also serves as one of only four basic training bases in use by the US Army. The harsh climate and rugged terrain allows for the hardening of the soldiers to serve overseas.

Fort Sill operates and maintains the Fort Sill National Cemetery, also referred to as the “Post Cemetery.” This graveyard has several notable facts tied to it, the biggest of which, is that it was never segregated. Buffalo soldiers are interred next to Apache and their families, who were buried next to white cavalry troopers. Three of the most notable names found among the graves are Satanta, Geronimo, and Quanah Parker.

Parts of Fort Sill are open to the public and well worth the time, mileage, and effort it will take to get to the Wichita Mountains, as we discovered on our honeymoon three years ago (Happy Anniversary, beloved!). This diversely rich historic fort has given us an enduring legacy of honor and history.

Please join us next month as we discuss the Red River War (and we’re not talking about football), in our continuing discussions about the rich military history of our home state, Oklahoma.

Oklahoma History: Fort Sill: An Enduring Legacy Pt 1

 

Fort Sill, Wikipedia Photo

 

By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez


Thank you for coming in and joining us for our final fort in “The Forts of Oklahoma Series.” This fort tends to hit a little closer to home, as it is the only fort that is still an active military installation to this day.

The original military occupation of the site is listed as being in 1834, when the 1st US Dragoons established “Camp Comanche” to begin negotiations with local indigenous tribes. In 1852, Captain Marcy arrived to explore the Indian Territory and made the recommendation that the site be considered for a permanent fort. In 1858, Colonel Douglas Cooper also made the same recommendation.

The fort was initially staked out by Major General Philip Sheridan and Colonel George Custer on January 8th 1869. First named Camp Wichita, it was known among the indigenous tribesmen as “The soldier house at Medicine Bluffs.” The installation was later renamed by General Sheridan in honor of his friend Brigadier General Joshua Sill, who was killed during the battle of Stones River, Tennessee, in 1862. The site was staked out as support for the tribal pacification policies enacted by President U.S. Grant in response to increasing raids and massacres just after the War Between the States.

The Indian Territory was quite lawless, particularly after the War Between The States. The only law in the territory was enforced by the U.S. Army including soldiers from the other forts in the Oklahoma/Indian Territory. The policy of pacification was carried out by numerous Indian Agencies that were assigned to different forts throughout the territory, indeed throughout the entirety of the Great Plains.

Some of the more notable visitors to the location were Jefferson Davis, General Henry Leavenworth, Nathan Boone, Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, Ben Clark, and Jack Stilwell.

After several months in operation, President U.S. Grant approved agents from the Quaker Indian Agency to be assigned to the Kiowa and Comanche tribes on their reservations just outside of Fort Sill. The army was prevented from taking punitive actions against the indigenous tribesmen who used Fort Sill as a sanctuary. This resulted in the Warren Wagon Train Raid.

General William Tecumseh Sherman arrived from Fort Richardson shortly after the raid and ordered several of the Kiowa chiefs be brought in for questioning. They were delivered to him at the commanding officer’s quarters, known as “Grierson’s Porch”. During the questioning, he ordered the three chiefs arrested, and they attempted to assassinate him. In memory of the event, the Commanding Officer’s quarters were dubbed “The Sherman House.”

The chiefs: Satank, Satanta, and Addo-Etta (Big Tree) were arrested and ordered to be transported to Texas for trial. A mile from the fort, Satank grabbed the carbine of one of the troopers guarding him, and before he could fire it, was hit by several bullets from the other guards. Satank’s body was left leaning against a tree, and the column continued on its mission to deliver the other two chiefs to Fort Richardson, Texas. A marker commemorates the site where Satank fell. He was buried in “Chiefs Knoll” in the Fort Sill Post Cemetery.

Satanta and Addo-Etta were tried and convicted for instigating the raid and sentenced to death by hanging. Their sentences were commuted to life in prison by Texas Governor Edmund Davis. In October, 1873, they were paroled.

In 1874, the Comanche, Kiowa, and Southern Cheyenne engaged in the “Red River War,” which lasted almost a full year. The last chief to surrender was Quanah Parker. His surrender signaled an end to the indigenous tribesmen involvement in the warfare in the southern plains.

At one point during the 1880s, the fort was nearly deserted when a rumor had been spread that gold was found in the Wichita Mountains nearby, as both the enlisted men and the officers left to stake their claims.

During the 1880’s and 1890’s, one of the units that was stationed at the fort was Troop L of the 7th Cavalry. This troop, consisting entirely of indigenous tribesman, was considered to be one of the best in The West. Several of their members are credited with helping the tribes avert the bloody “Ghost Dance Uprising” in which many tribesmen were brutally killed by the Army.

In 1894, the fort received the Chiricahua Apache chiefs as prisoners of war. The most notable name among them was Geronimo. After having been at the fort for some time, the government allowed him to travel with Pawnee Bill’s Wild West show. Geronimo, with a contingent of Apache, was allowed to attend several annual World Expos and Indian Expos during the 1890’s. They were even able to ride in Theodore Roosevelt’s inaugural parade. Geronimo died of pneumonia, as a prisoner of war in 1909.




Being on the fringes of the Indian Territory, Fort Sill had started to lose significance during the later 1880’s throughout the 1890’s, even into the earlier part of the 20th century. In 1901, the last of the indigenous tribes’ lands to be opened to white settlement was located around Fort Sill. The town of Lawton quickly sprang up, becoming one of the larger cities in the new State of Oklahoma.

The first artillery battery arrived in 1902, and the last cavalry regiment departed in 1907, the year Oklahoma became a state. This marked the historic change in roles from being a little-known frontier cavalry fort to an enduring role as a major artillery fort in the US Army.

Join us next month as we share the more recent chronicles of historic Fort Sill: An Enduring Legacy Pt. 2