re: #129 silverdolphin

Hope to do that some day. My father and brother walked the battlefield a few years ago.

One of the things I found out recently answers one of my big questions I had for so long. known that Lee ordered the largest cannonade in N. American history before the charge. But it did little damage, because so many of the shells overshot (although it did almost hit Meade). How could they have been so wrong?

Turns out they were using a lot of fused shells because they were shooting at an elevated position. The fuses were timed to explode the shell above the Union soldiers, raining deadly sharpnel down unto them.

But, the main production foundry for the fuses had been shut down due to a fire so the Rebels were using new fuses from another plant. Turns out that those fuses burnt long, not exploding the shells until well past the hill.

Then all the smoke (windless day) prevented them from really seeing how badly the cannonade failed. Coupled with the brilliant strategy of the Union Artillery chief to slowly stop returning fire, making it seem the Union was running out of functional cannons, Lee, Longstreet and all those in the charge really thought they had destroyed the Union position. They likely would have. If they had the proper fuses.

They were decimated. Not only from the cannons on the ridge, and the crossfire from the side, but, something else my father told me after visiting, also from Parott rifled cannons from Little Round Top. These cannons fired a shell a mile and a half that did not really slow down and could bounce a long way through the lines. The shells could not be seen before they destroyed tens of men from their right side. The 2 guns from Little Round top did so much damage that Longstreet thought there were several cannon brigades firing from the hill instead of only 2 cannons.

This is why I think that Little Round Top was so important (even though some disagree). If the South had been able to put artillery up those spots they would have been able to run shells right up the Union line. Even overshooting would have done a lot of damage.

Such an amzing battle.

It may be corny in parts and a little too lost causey, but I still get goosebumps watching Gettysburg