Heavy Artillery in the Civil War

[@RiflemanMoore]

An authoritative presentation from a man gripping his lapels, find me a better way to learn about history.

[@theministryforhistory]

Thank you! I’m not sure why, but the way that coat is cut, it feels natural to hold the lapels like that.

[@Clementinewoofwoof]

I agree, a damn fine outfit to show others you know your history!

[@petertaylor6384]

a zey zem gripping zer lapels?

[@sweeeetteeeeth]

a BEARDED man gripping his lapels

[@u.s.militia7682]

Anyone else remember growing up in the early 1970’s in the South and seeing actual Civil War cannons in peoples front yards while riding down the road? You literally never see them anymore unless it’s in a museum.

[@midnitemike]

Due to the value of them you need to hide them to keep them from being stolen

[@dannycalley7777]

U.S.M. ................we have some Spainish war cannons at our old Legion Hall in my town !!!!!

[@u.s.militia7682]

Danny Calley right on. We have a WW1 cannon at ours in Saltville Virginia. 🇺🇸

[@alexthefurry3428]

O usually see artillery peices and tanks on the road with military trucks

[@CypressCrossout]

Go to Vicksburg Mississippi, you will see them.

[@DarthT15]

Fun Fact: These are perfectly legal to own in the US.

[@TheBiggestIron]

As they should be

[@aidenchristensen7724]

I love this country

[@prussia1557]

I need 7

[@nootnoot6404]

Real question, what's the legal limit for artillery pieces that you can own in the US ? Is it the same than firearms (if manufactured before 1900, it's considered an antique, and therefore not regulated). Because if so, it would be perfectly legal to own a french model 1897 rapid-firing 75 mm field gun, in full running order, on your front lawn

[@TheBiggestIron]

@@nootnoot6404 just like it would be legal to have a semi auto bourchardt c93

[@91Redmist]

As one who has experienced the deafening thunder of 12 pounders at re enactments, I can't imagine the racket those coastal pieces made. Ouch.

[@Alpha0727]

Well, if cannons are anything like other guns when firing blanks/powder charges vs live ammunition, the experience pales in comparison.

[@denierdev9723]

3:45 POV: You're a soldier, marching up a slope, and you look up and see that looking down on you

[@adankmeme651]

oh god I'd piss my pants

[@kipsalviv5742]

You would go around like the Jerries did at the maginot line...just goes to show what orchestrated slaughter it all was....Good video thank you Sir.

[@denierdev9723]

@Death before Marxism Saying that they AREN'T religious now? People had more reason to be Atheist back then, since they didn't have half toe evidence and archaeological evidence there is today.

[@sumvs5992]

In the words of Obi Wan Kenobi - "Hello there"

[@thearmoredgeorgian2736]

Battle of Chattanooga

[@Andy-im3kj]

Anyone who has served as a mortarman, artillery man, or with high explosives knows how inherently dangerous this job must've been.

[@mvfc7637]

Logistics, it’s all about logistics, as the saying goes, “amateurs talk about tactics, professionals study logistics”

[@beekeeper7535]

About 15 years ago my son and his friend were playing in a small creek near sharpsburg Maryland we found a bayonet with part of a musket stock laying close by. Along with a metal shoulder pad I'm sure it has a name but I just call it a metal shoulder pad all of these items were started to be exposed from erosion of the creek bank. We also uncovered pieces of clothing material on one of the chunks of clothing was a button from the civil war we found lots of things even a crushed canteen and a small thin metal frying pan along with what looked to be a man's wedding ring. I figured it was a soldier who was killed and layed there and decomposed. Everything we found was things one soldier would have carried. We wasn't looking for artifacts I was just keeping an eye on my young son and his friend playing in the shallow stream ones they found what they thought was a knife I started looking around with them. This stream is only maybe 8 inches deep and 3 feet wide it's a very small stream that runs through farm pastures.

[@AlexanderDunetz]

Well that be a coincidence. I lost all them same exact things near the Antietam Creek Bridge (1862) before I was able to run away from a cloud of gunsmoke and then got bayonet in the ass. That cloud of smoke turned out to be Twilight Zone teleportation. I need them things back so I can apply for back pay at division HQ.

[@daltonroller2998]

I immediately knew where you were within a few seconds of the video: Fort Donelson National Battlefield, Tennessee I went there on a week-long trip to civil war battlefields last year. You can only get a true scale of the guns by standing next to them.

[@chapiit08]

Outstanding presentation! When the Austrians invaded the valley where my family comes from in Northern Italy during WWI there was a great famine due to the vast amount of horses they brought along to pull artillery pieces plus all the baggage that armies carried along. Not a grain of corn was left for the inhabitants of the region. I can't even imagine what must have been like for the non-fighting citizens during the American Civil War, very often during war those who do not bear arms suffer twice as much as those who do the fighting.

[@vickycosgrove6767]

amazing that only one civilian was killed by accident in the bloody battle of Gettysburg.The Civil War had some codes about killing civilians. This ended in later wars where cities full of civilians were bombed as in the World wars.

[@billd.iniowa2263]

This episode was a blast!

[@scottkoerner4622]

Too soon

[@davidkerner1394]

Keep coming back to see these Big Boys!!!!

[@sillygoose941]

0:03 thats Chattanooga, TN :) one of the most important battles in the civil war

[@midnitemike]

Excellent presentation. Would like to see demonstration on loading the heavy shells into those monsters.

[@MatthewMoore1]

Very interesting. My 3X Grandfather and his brother fought with the NC 10th Heavy Artillery Regiment in Averasboro and Bentonville. Gives me an idea of what they worked with at the time.

[@SpaceAtomz]

I remember going on field trips to the Fort almost every year for 4-5 years. Such a great place, but I also just love history

[@panzerwolf494]

I remember watching a History Channel episode on the heavy artillery at Cold Harbor. They got up to fighting at point blank range, the men crouching and laying on the ground to keep themselves better protected as any man that stood up was almost instantly shot down. In front of the men walked their colonel, back and forth staring down the confederates while shouting orders and encouraging his men till he was shot down. The confederates that watched on were amazed as he showed nothing but determination

[@EthanPDobbins]

Stories from troops say british officers did the same thing in both world wars. They would be out for a leisurely stroll checking on their men's positions with bullets kickin' up dust around them. The top brass had to issue orders asking officers NOT to have tea out in the open well within range and line of sight of enemy snipers and troops because they kept getting shot. Dudes were crazy.

[@Thebreadster89299]

I think a huge misunderstanding is that the late part of the civil war is more like ww1 than nepolianic wars, repeating rifiles, trench lines, artillery and motar strikes and the gatling gun changed the battle feild a lot

[@msspi764]

Cool presentation with a lot of good info. Way too short, but I’ve spent a lot of my life in Civil War heavy artillery. The tech is fascinating, cooling processes, compressed shaped powder charges, and moving and assembling guns as heavy as 25 tons. All a historical blink in time as the tech left those guns behind.

[@davidrivero7943]

I turned a 1/2 smooth bore Dalgren in High School Metal Shop, which my Dade Co School teacher sugested it would be best to attach trunions outside of Schools property. Heavy Hitters always been my faves. Great peek @ History. TY 👍

[@asmith1074]

Loved learning about these at Fort Macon NC.

[@Rebel9668]

I can remember when that Columbiad and most of the other guns were all sitting in a row on a couple of railroad ties on the hillside by the bend in the river. Went back a few years ago and was so proud to see that they all had carriages now and were in their emplacements. I try to stop there on my way home to Paris, TN every couple of years just to see what they've done next. I believe I had 2 ancestors who served in that fort.

[@calvinf9218]

Very nice collection of civil war photographs, enhanced the already excellent presentation. Good stuff!

[@thelastjohnwayne]

I did not know that there were that many different types of cannons and mortars used during the Civil War

[@GeorgeFloyd2023]

There was a 10" Rodman at my Pioneer Park in Walla Walla, WA that we used to play on.

[@jacobmasters438]

Can only imagine the looks men in the army of the Potomac gave the Heavies as they were sent to the front in 64'.

[@colvinator1611]

Another great account of American history. Thanks a lot, Colin UK

[@theministryforhistory]

Thank you for watching! 🇬🇧🇺🇸

[@Ftanftangfnarrr]

Excellent summary and introduction. Thanks

[@samparkerSAM]

Glad we have a Colombia Cannon in New Orleans, at the Museum next to the Circle. My Great Great Grandfather was Union Navy 💙

[@nyc10021]

Great content and photos. I am surprised I didn’t find this channel sooner. Subscribed. 👍🏻

[@leadshark9461]

Another interesting video. Enjoyed it a lot. Are there plans to make a video about Sharpshooters in the Civil War? Or maybe about the trenches that appeared during the Civil War? Keep up the good work!

[@denierdev9723]

I'd love to hear about the 7 mile-assault across the trenches at Cold Harbor, or the 150 miles of trenches at Petersburg, so yes

[@Wideoval73]

Really good video. Thanks

[@figbat6363]

Thanks for the knowledge brother

[@1stminnsharpshooters341]

Enjoyed this bit of artillery's history. *LIKED* -LT

[@user-dd1bb4tw4r]

There's a guy around Somerset, KY where I grew up that had a civil war cannon. He would fire it off on July 4th and it doesn't matter where you were in the city you could hear him pop that thing off for miles lol

[@theministryforhistory]

Living the dream 💣

[@vickycosgrove6767]

My Great grandfather, Lawrence Cosgrove, was an Irish Immigrant who moved to Connecticut with his family from Ireland. He was a volunteer with the 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery. Luckily he did not become an infantryman as the 2nd Connecticut was made to do. He stayed with the heavy artillery defending the Capitol in the Peninsula campaign. He later invented a milling machine as he always had an interest in machinery.

[@theministryforhistory]

That’s brilliant! Thank you for sharing and thanks for watching! ☘️

[@Allan-m9u]

Dad took me and my brother to see Vicksburg in the 60s. Above the river on a bluff was a huge mortar,to drop shells on ships.

[@matthewkelly2399]

More brilliant work... thanks chaps

[@LouisianaAstroRambler]

I visited Shiloh just last weekend, I loved the gun on the limber, It was still sitting near the entrance of the park when i visited.. I'm just wondering how far the sound from these guns traveled.. It had to be pretty crazy hearing just one being fired, but it had to be absolutely epic hearing several going off at once..

[@richardlew3667]

Nice. I wish we could have used the coastal defense guns in the Total War franchise.

[@carolinaculp3927]

I recommend going to fort Zachary Taylor in Key West Florida if you can and see some of the civil war era guns that have been saved and are on display, one of the best historical places I’ve been to in my life, I had the opportunity to spend one summer in key West, and made a day of visiting the fort, I believe it’s free-of- charge,nice site to visit if your in Key West, one of the highlights of my visit, for a history buff like me.

[@AtomicPeacenik]

Excellent.

[@jonnyrebel7790]

I served in the USMC I had the pleasure of being a field artillery cannoneer shot the m777 155mm!

[@DW-gh1ov]

King of Battle

[@peterthurman9384]

I shot a 155mm with the marines.

[@JimDarr-hx8ld]

Very informative n well done.

[@jackiereynolds2888]

Great look at civil war armament. I have witnessed these guns discharged; these things are louder than you probably imagine - unbelievably loud. Thanks for the look back. 👍

[@mickeyholding7970]

Great video my lord

[@MrCaptainNObeard]

Excellent video! Glad I found your channel.

[@SteveBrownRocks2023]

Very good video! 👏🏼😊

[@usarmy500]

What happens if you load up a cannon and it doesn’t fire how do you get the cannon ball out

[@jasonz7788]

Great work Sir thank you

[@theministryforhistory]

Thanks for watching, sir!

[@headsnap2710]

wow thats wild all that energy going into killing crazy

[@Dr.Madd138]

2 of my ancestors died at Fort Donelson, both infantry that had to be on the artillery.

[@gerald1495]

0:20 hey it's the /k/ sticky

[@ErokLobotomist]

Man you look like you fell out of an old Civil War photo. Excellent presentation, fantastic video. Cheers from Canada!

[@mattcleveland5513]

I know the Union painted the wooden parts of mobile artillery pieces Olive green. Do you know if this was this the same for the large siege guns?

[@kennethpaquin8574]

I have trouble imagining how they handled these heavy pieces and their ammunition. I suspect that they used block and tackle gear hitched to the horses. Also, struggle to understand for mobile pieces how they could get a quantity of rounds to the piece in numbers adequate to make the effort effective. Not to mention the volume of black powder. Amazing.

[@theministryforhistory]

That’s exactly what I marvel at! The volume of ordnance and logistics required is always confounding.

[@meh7713]

I know that in the early war federal artillery was considered some of the best trained in the world (at least from what I can find). Was that reputation maintained throughout the war?

[@randallbelstra7098]

Actually it was. Union Artillery was always respected by the Confederate Army

[@theministryforhistory]

Because of the intensive mathematics involved, the artillery and engineer branches always produce some of the most capable and experienced officers in every army across the centuries

[@peterthurman9384]

Blake, give it a rest. US patriots chased lee and his army of traitors all across the south, until they holed up at appottomax, at which time we gave them the choice of life or death. Unfortunately, they chose life. Jefferson Davis was caught in drag.

[@erwin669]

@@theministryforhistory that is very true. For example the Royal Artillery was the one of the first military organizations outside naval services to grant commissions based on how well you preformed academically and not based on who your family was. It is still very math intensive in the artillery. My roommate as a Maths Degree and she was surprised at how much stuff I learned at Fort Sill that was in her 300 and 400 level courses at university. It was the practical use of 3 semesters of trig and advanced calculus crammed into about 6 months.

[@meh7713]

@@peterthurman9384 what are you even on about? lol. I just asked if Union artillery training maintained the same level of proficiency throughout the war as it did before.

[@giraffeman326]

Your content is underrated

[@painterforbeginners9613]

You just gained another subscriber!

[@hindugoat2302]

how did their explosive shells work back then?

[@GeistView]

One thing missing from the uniform for an Artillery video, the red piping.

[@ThePerfectRed]

What I never understood - why did these guns have no sights? Particularly with the long ranges these new guns supported, would a dedicated sighting system not have been essential?

[@theministryforhistory]

Most guns actually had a pendulum sight that would be placed on the gun. If you Google ‘Hausse Sight’ you can see one of the more popular ones. There were also charts for the appropriate angle and powder charge for various ranges, and in most fixed defences, artillery crews would have ranges predetermined.

[@denierdev9723]

A normal, let's say, 12-pounder ordinance howitzer would have a range of 1.5-2 miles. So as you can imagine, a "small" siege gun, like a 30-pounder, or a 100-pounder, 200-pounder, etc. would have a far further range. So you wouldn't be aiming straight at people, but in the air, as seen in the pictures. Also, "pound" in the name refers to the weight of the shell, not the gun itself, just a fun fact.

[@lindanorris2455]

GREAT VIDEO.

[@danielkohli1542]

The Rodman guns were officially called the 1861 columbiad.

[@mh73020]

Awesome history!

[@molonlabe9785]

The whole video I’m thinkin “so you gonna fire that bad boy or what???” 😂😍

[@theministryforhistory]

I wish! 😂

[@molonlabe9785]

@@theministryforhistory let’s make it happen Cap’n come on!!! 💥💥

[@Melvorgazh]

For those learning French and interested in the US Civil war read Les Tuniques Bleues :) It’s fun too

[@CraigLYoung]

Did each gun have any replacement draft animals? Drawing that much weight, I think a team would get exhausted fairly quickly. Did they change out teams regularly?

[@theministryforhistory]

Yes, absolutely. The goal also was to place the least burden on any one animal so when you find the charts about gun weight vs mule team, it is determined by the burden placed on each individual animal and the goal is to keep that quite small.

[@danielkohli1542]

The general siege artillery train would contain 106 pieces and have 1,900 horses a tenth of those horses were spares.

[@xzqzq]

I sometimes envision smooth-bore Napoleons, placed on the flanks of advancing infantry formations ( think Picket's charge ) firing canister loads . Carnage to the max.

[@bigbob1699]

How many men per gun and how many horses, mules and oxen?

[@dfgiuy22]

I now look at and pat my model 1819, because i have not seen my own cannon since almost that same year.... Good day Sir....

[@theministryforhistory]

Time to dust it off!

[@juslangley]

Amazing how similar 1860s US and Danish uniforms were.

[@theministryforhistory]

Virkelig! 🇩🇰🇺🇸

[@AlexanderDunetz]

This soldier/scholar/narrator GOT IT DOWN !! Where can I enlist ?

[@ml50486965]

About the battle of Cold Harbor: I read on wikipedia, that 1. Maine Heavy Artillery Regiment lost about one third of the men in a charge. But I could find NOT ONE WORD about their heavy artillery, or why they had to charge like infantry! I find that close to CRIMINAL NEGLECT!

[@luislaplume8261]

I wonder if Clydesdale stallions were used in the Civil War for transporting heavy artillery.

[@forestunger8649]

Look man I don’t know how or why you showed up on my recommended but I’m seeing heavy ordinance and I am alright with that

[@johnaugsburger6192]

Thanks so much

[@theministryforhistory]

Thanks for watching!

[@wildwickedandweirdpodcast1323]

1:49 it’s like me tapping my fingers on he karaoke machine while I look for the biggest and drunkest girl in the bar-this man is doing it on a civil war cannon in military uniform. Love it.

[@theministryforhistory]

A privilege to do so! Thanks for watching!

[@ERR_1]

Why am I watching this at 5 in the morning, whatever it was worth it

[@theministryforhistory]

Brilliant! Thanks for watching!

[@tomh.6124]

Minute 0:57 the War Germany VS Dänemark in the Baltic See

[@corndogrequiem1728]

Considering troop sizes at the time compared to Europe, these things must have been pretty goddamn effective against lines. Pretty sure the Americans spread their troops a lot more than Europeans at the time, but I'm sure the production rate of these guns made up for the thin number of troops.

[@alexsacco776]

How did a soldier get into the artillery?

[@jeremiahpayne4364]

Imagine how loud that shit was

[@danielkohli1542]

I'm sorry for nitpicking, but it looks like the third piece of the three siege pieces is a 8 inch siege howitzer.

[@theministryforhistory]

Indeed! It’s an M1841 8in Siege Howitzer - I might have just said siege gun because that’s how it’s listed in a lot of places.

[@KeiPyn24]

I'm a former U.S Army Redleg 13-Bravo 3rd ID. While most of my ancestors fought for The South, I enjoyed your video. I often see such photos of only Union Soldiers with artillery, are there Confederate ones as well?

[@copperfish543]

The Confererates never existed according to the WOKE culture

[@conspiracyscholor7866]

The south did have heavy artillery, although seen in much lesser numbers. It was sourced primarily from pre-war existing armories and possibly some captured after battle. The south had plenty of field guns however, especially early war.

[@str8ballinSA]

@@copperfish543 Oh, CSA clearly existed, as venerated by losers, cultists and historical revisionists (Neoconfederates). Fortunatley, like their ancestors - they got beat.

[@theministryforhistory]

There were indeed many Confederate heavy artillery units - some of the photos in this video were of the Confederate gun emplacements. Far fewer photos were taken on the Confederate side, however.

[@erwin669]

A lot of the Confederate heavy artillery units were infantry doing extra duty. The forts defending Mobile Bay, for example, was garrisoned by the 21st Alabama Infantry and they manned the guns in the forts. At Vicksburg one of the Confederate batteries overlooking the Mississippi River at Fort Hill was manned by a heavy artillery unit from Tennessee. There was also a mixed battery of artillery from Alabama at Vicksburg which had a 12lb field gun and a 20lb Parrot Rifle, a siege gun. Also I was a 13A for a bit of time. I did a little time as a FDO and then later went to a cav squadron's Fire Support Section as a FSO.

[@fingerfeller]

excellent history and learning , thank you, my dad served in the navy for 20 years from korea to end of vietnam, tours on a swift boat as well, but i was born in Va beach , dont remember anything from there, but when he was stationed in charelston, charelston SC was riddled with cannons from top to bottom, even the fort sumpter, , tybee island Ga, savannah has cannons, New orleans, a lot of used relics out there, they were not put there for looks and were used and fired frequently, being cast iron i am curious about the strength of the barrels , i have been aboard the USS constitution and they were very close in size, but wow what a horse population chore that would have had to be , in the mud, and we all know it was the mud and cold that beat napolean in russia, yes the russian burned earth policy assisted, but the southern burned earth policy tactic did not,

[@m.j.9318]

How did they lift and how did they move these ton heavy pieces EXACTLY????? (WITHOUT horses, or cranes with chains etc like in a foundry? How, when this machinery is not available? Some basic levers of some wood and pure musclestrength? Seriously, how did they for example lift a 3 ton barrel up the ground when its disassembled and you want to assemble, or transport like in this picture on 4.53 ? Was there a manual for that in which steps this is done? Why is this not explained here? This leaves more new questions than answers.

[@theministryforhistory]

All batteries would have large tripod with blocks and tackle, winches, etc. With the right equipment even a small crew could lift and manoeuvre large guns. www.loc.gov/item/2018666996/

[@m.j.9318]

@@theministryforhistory Thanks alot for clearing that up for me.

[@franzivan4567]

Man if only i live in the U.S. i wanna have an entire museum of civil war weapons

[@keiththomas3141]

I bet that big gun was made in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

[@chrisneudorf7303]

Great stuff. I would respectfully disagree that rifled artillery was superior to smoothbore in the Civil War, at least as field guns. Though for the purpose of siege I would agree heavy rifled rifled offered substantial benefits that made them superior in that context.

[@emintey]

I own a 10” Columbiad, on the 4th of July I always load it with fireworks and fire it at my neighbours house, that’ll fix him for complaining about my lawn.

[@theministryforhistory]

Maximum firepower for maximum patriotism!

[@martinlee7064]

Wait…. How many horses for a 12 pounder? 😮

[@thegrillmaster2259]

3:00 A.M. content

[@katzzattack1102]

Outterly disappointed. They didn’t even fire that huge cannon lol

[@lindanorris2455]

I ALWAYS THINK OF PARROT RIFLES!

[@philgamer_309]

These are all interiestin knowledge

[@xpitifulnickelx9359]

Legal to own without registration. Hell yeah for black powder anything.

[@andrewwestman2407]

Fun fact: Since the invention of gunpowder, over 60% of the casualties in battle are from artillery.

[@mikeohagan2206]

I feel sorry for mules and horse who suffered horribly in almost all wars in History.

[@yeetin_yeti69]

Gray or blue