There were over 600 artillery pieces at Gettysburg. The guns were managed and operated by over 14,000 men. In three days over 50,000 rounds were fired. What impact did artillery have on this famous battle? How efficiently were the guns used? What were the strengths and weaknesses on each side? "Civil War Artillery At Gettysburg" answers these questions and many more. Using accessible descriptions, this work details the state of the art of this "long arm" as it existed at the time of the battle. It is an informative overview of field artillery in general while using the battle of Gettysburg to illustrate artillery technology. For it was Gettysburg when the artillery branch of both armies had matured to the point where its organization would stay relatively unchanged for the remainder of the war. Both armies prior to Gettysburg had neither the same mix of guns nor, more importantly, the same structure of organization as it did at this battle. The effects were telling. "This book is an artillery 'buff's' delight...The work meticulously examines the forming of the respective artillery arms of the two armies; the organization; artillery technology; guns; equipment and animals constituting that arm; ammunition; artillery operations; the artillerymen and, finally, actions of the guns on July 2 and 3....The work is perfect for someone seeking more data than found in most general histories of the battle...Nicely illustrated to supplement the text, the succinctly written technical details of ballistics, projectile composition and impact of technology for battlefield lethality will prove similarly useful and exciting for anyone captivated by the guns of Gettysburg." Book review by B. F. Cooling, The Civil War Courier "Rather than being a dull treatise, 'Artillery at Gettysburg'...proves to be an engaging book... Cole explains the benefits and liabilities of each piece of artiillery....His use of photographs, diagrams, and maps are excellent and integrate seamlessly into the text....Not only does it explain why events unfolded the way they did , it helps explain how they unfolded." Book review by Maj. James Gates, USAF, Military Review "No other modern book on Civil War artillery of this size is as detailed...as this book is generally...The author's broad approach to the whole subject of artillery tactics shine when he compares and contrasts several artillery incidents at Gettysburg that better explain what was going on at the time....This book is essential for all those interested in Civil War artillery, 19th century artillery, or just the battle of Gettysburg. Highly recommended." Book review by Peter A. Frandsen, The Artilleryman "I found Civil War Artillery at Gettysburg to be an informative and well written account of the 'long-arm' at Gettysburg. The book is very well-illustrated with maps and photos throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to our readers." Book review by James N. Vogler, Jr., Editor-in-Chief, Confederate Veteran Philip Cole was born and raised in Gettysburg and currently resides near there. He is a U.S. Navy veteran and graduate of Penn State University. Cole is a licensed battlefield guide at Gettysburg National Military Park.

Civil War Artillery at Gettysburg

History

Cole, Philip M.

Americas

Colecraft Industries

Frictions are the mechanisms which complicated warfare. They are the constant streams of obstacles thrown in the way of planning and the governor of progress. Armies encountered any number of unpredictable obstacles in any number of situations. Each friction requires a different solution. Each challenge is a diversion from the planned objective. Each unplanned task saps an army's resources needed elsewhere. Frictions steered the armies into making major decisions and altering or reversing plans. They drew commanders' attention to less important details in operations at the expense of maintaining balance over the big picture. This work focuses on the frictions of two important functions - command and communication. Command frictions in the Army of the Potomac, for example, caused a great deal of confusion in recognizing who was in charge at any one time or place. Communication frictions altered Lee's original plan to move towards Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and diverted the Army of Northern Virginia to Gettysburg; they caused forward elements of the Confederate army to provoke a general engagement against Lee's instructions; they misdirected thousands of troops away from the battle and caused unnecessary casualties. "Command and Communication Frictions in the Gettysburg Campaign" illustrates the effect these two functions had in determining the outcome of the campaign. This work uses a variety of incidents, some familiar, to illustrate their serious impact on the battle - at least as much as troops in combat affected the result. The examples presented deal mainly with the high commands of the armies, especially the Army of the Potomac. The high command level was where the most important decisions were made to influence the progress of the army and the destiny its troops. Even though this study concentrates on frictions in the Gettysburg campaign, the revelations from this one operation, nevertheless, can be applied to any battle of any war. Philip M. Cole's book Command and Communication Frictions in the Gettysburg Campaign brings about an interesting scholarship to the battle and campaign which has been so written about over and over again. But with grace, he has brought a new look into that which has been studied so prominently with fresh air... Cole's study on the command and communication frictions is more than just another Gettysburg study; it is a look into the structure and reason for some of the major problems in the battle when it comes to command... One of the most interesting new points which Cole brings out is that Hooker did not just "make time" as Coddington states in his work; he had many communication frictions between himself and the high command in Washington. Another problem with communication he brings about is the use of time on the battlefield and just how much time it takes to send orders around on the field. Part of the command friction which was most interesting was the friction with senior commanders and wing commanders. Sometimes with complete disregard for orders, there were great issues among the men in the army. One thing which should have been obvious, but seems new in this work, is the personal relationships which are created through experience and can be a problem when the command changes. These studies are some of the reasons that this book should be among the library of any Gettysburg enthusiast... Cole's work is one of the best studies presented on command in quite some time and though it has been in print for about eight years, should be part of any study of Gettysburg by Civil War historians. This book is highly recommended for any interested in command structure or issues during the Gettysburg Campaign. 5 Star Review by Matthew Bartlett posted on goodreads.com December, 2013

Command and Communication Frictions in the Gettysburg Campaign

Appreciation of what Civil War participants experienced cannot be fully realized by studying just the mechanical movements of armies about the battlefield. The influences which create emotional bonds between us, today, and those in the past are human interest stories. Human interest stories allow us to understand their hardships and deprivations. They connect and endear us in ways we can relate to the participants. They instill in us respect by their commitment to duty and they amaze us with tales of lighter, sometimes humorous, moments amidst tragic circumstances. Scott Mingus has woven together an extraordinary collection of human interest stories covering the Gettysburg campaign as witnessed by the soldiers and civilians. Taken from primary sources, including, diaries, pension records, historical collections, official records, as well as newspapers, journals, and books, this work presents a unique blend of stories arranged in chronological order to enhance the reader's experience. Here is just a sampling of such stories: "An unusual group of volunteers responded in Harrisburg to Governor Curtin's plea. Capt. Charles C. Carson and a company of 17 men, the youngest being 68 years old, came forward and presented themselves for military service. Each senior citizen was a veteran of the War of 1812, and they wanted to again serve their state and country in a time of need. A color bearer proudly carried an historic relic, a highly tattered battle flag that had once been borne at the Battle of Trenton by Pennsylvanians serving under George Washington." ** "In one case,some members of the 3rd Michigan found that the most threatening enemy was not the Confederates they were pursuing. The Wolverines, hungry for some honey, raided some beehives in a nearby garden, initially driving off the bees. However, as the men reached the hives, the bees counterattacked en masse, repeatedly stinging the men as they struggled to get away from the prolonged assault. An amused onlooker, Color Sgt. Daniel Crotty, later wrote that the slashing and darting bees made some men 'turn such somersaulting on the ground as to put to shame a lot of Japanese acrobat performers in a circus ring.' The soldiers made an inglorious retreat, their swollen heads and faces now resembling huge mortar shells." ** "A massive thunderstorm on the evening of July 4 drenched the armies, creating untold misery and torture for the thousands of wounded that still dotted the fields and woods surrounding Gettysburg. Creeks and streams, already swollen from days of rain before the Battle of Gettysburg, swiftly overflowed their banks,and flash floods claimed the lives of scores of unfortunate wounded men. The hospital of Clark's Battery was in a field near Rock Creek east of Taneytown Road. The attendants and orderlies frantically worked to move the injured soldiers to higher ground. However, the water rose so quickly that not all could be moved. Artilleryman Dick Price held himself up above the torrent with his elbows draped over the branch of a dogwood tree. The lower extremities of both arms had been amputated, so Price's agony must have been excruciating. Still, he held his composure...Price would soon die from complications resulting from his wounds. He is buried in the National Cemetery.

Human Interest Stories of the Gettysburg Campaign

Scott Mingus

Scott Mingus presents another insightful, rich collection of human interest stories, this one surrounding the Maryland campaign of September 1862. Although each mini-story stands by itself as a fascinating anecdote, the author places them in context, chronologically, to give the reader a deeper understanding of what went on during this historic event. It's as if we are placed in the event and able to look around and see what is happening from the perspective and experiences of soldiers and civilians alike. This work, in four chapters, covers the actions leading up to the battle of Antietam and follows through to the aftermath of America's bloodiest day. Sources for each story are included to allow the reader/researcher to explore this subject even further. It also offers an "easy read" for those who might not otherwise be interested studying the details characteristic of historic narratives. Here are just a few samples: As one regiment was preparing for a second assault on an enemy position, the men had to pass through a piece of ground littered with the dead and dying from the unsuccessful prior attack. Although they were not yet under hostile fire, one soldier suddenly staggered amid the dead and dying, for he, to his sudden shock, had noted the body of his father, who belonged to a different regiment. Nearby lay a wounded man who knew both the father and son. He pointed to the still corpse and then upwards to the sky, and solemnly intoned, "It is well with him." Perhaps comforted by the thought that his father was now in Paradise, the young soldier regained his composure, fixed his bayonet, and rejoined the advance. After the battle, he returned and helped bury his father. As the fighting intensified around the Lower Bridge, the raucous racket of battle frightened a large sow and her litter. She raced directly towards the stunned Ninth New Hampshire, leaping over corpses that were in her way. She charged through a gap in a rail fence and then tried to run through the narrow opening between the legs of a soldier. He collapsed onto the back of the frightened hog, which carried him, screaming in terror, to the rear. As a section of the Rockbridge Artillery galloped by General Lee, an artilleryman, black with the grime and powder of a long day's fight, stopped for a moment to salute the commanding general, who returned the greeting without recognizing his admirer. It was eighteen-year-old Robert E. Lee, Jr., the general's youngest son, whose countenance and appearance masked his identity. After a brief personal exchange, young Lee raced ahead to rejoin his battery. The Nineteenth Maine Infantry was camped nearby on Bolivar Heights. This regiment "had the largest men in it that I ever saw," according to artilleryman Tom Aldrich. However, apparently their brains did not match their brawn. The Maine boys marched to the top of the heights and stacked arms near mealtime. During the fall of Harper's Ferry two weeks before, a battery of 20 lb. Parrott Rifles had occupied that position, and several discarded shells were still lying about. Without checking to see if the rounds were still live, several Maine lumberjacks soon used the shells to construct a fireplace to set their frying pans on. Soon they had a nice fire started and began preparing their food. The heat soon set off some of the shells, with fierce explosions ringing the air.

Human Interest Stories from Antietam

This volume provides another series of fascinating behind-the-scenes stories to enrich the readers' understanding of this historic event - beyond the tactics familiar to many students of the battle. The descriptive incidents in this work detail the terror and suffering encountered by civilians and soldiers alike, as well as provide tales of lighter moments. These anecdotes humanize the participants and infuse a greater appreciation of their struggles. This carefully selected collection is presented in chronological order and immerses the reader into the unfolding drama of events. Here are some examples: South of Gettysburg, over 90,000 Federal soldiers marched towards an encounter with Robert E. Lee's oft-victorious Confederate army. However, the Yankees' morale was high, and northern Maryland residents eagerly supported the Union cause. For many soldiers, the road to Gettysburg passed through the small seminary town of Emmitsburg. One infantryman later recalled, "Small flags waved and dipped from the tower of the old Lutheran Church, used as a signal station by the army. Bearers of dispatches and squads of cavalry dashed madly through the town. The long roll of drums and the blood-stirring bugle calls filled the air; the fields were alive with soldiers. To the untrained eye, it looked like a great mob. ** As one Union brigade was marching through a town, the drum corps struck up lively music. The colonel noticed that one drummer boy was not beating his drum. He asked his adjutant to find out why the boy was not playing. Riding up to the musicians, the adjutant, with a deep frown on his face, shouted at the boy, "The colonel wants to know why you are not beating your drum?" In a whisper loud enough to be enjoyed some distance down the line, the culprit replied, "Tell the colonel that I can't beat my drum now. I have two live turkeys in my drum-and one of them is for the colonel!"

This guide is a great source of useful information regarding the actions, weapons, and ammunition of artillery units in the Battle of Gettysburg. The author discusses the organization of artillery in both armies, providing a concise narrative on the role of each corps' artillery force in this famous event. This work also includes detailed maps for each day's action, a chart with the numbers of each type of gun in each army, and an order of battle listing the types of guns, units strengths, and casualties in each battery.

A Concise Guide to the Artillery at Gettysburg

Coco, Gregory A.

This work is a collection of engaging stories surrounding the events and characters involved in one of America's most tragic events - the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. The author describes the planning and implementaion of the conspiracy, the capture, trial, and punishment of those involved, and follows with a series of interesting anecdotes covering the aftermath.

Remarkable Stories of the Lincoln Assassination

Kanazawich, Michael

While the battle of Gettysburg remains the centerpiece of this June/July, 1863 campaign, there is an increasing interest in less-studied peripheral events that were an integral part of the operation. One such event occurred the day before the battle of Gettysburg began ? the cavalry action on June 30, 1863 at and around Hanover, Pa. This important event is worth examining more closely since it played a key role in the campaign?s outcome: it deflected Confederate General Jeb Stuart?s main cavalry units away from the impending battle at Gettysburg and helped prevent it from uniting and participating with General Robert E. Lee?s main battle force until the last day at Gettysburg. Although relatively little information is contained in the official reports on the action at Hanover, especially on the Confederate side, author John Krepps has constructed a fascinating account about the action at Hanover from many previously unpublished sources often overlooked. They include soldiers? diaries a

A Strong and Sudden Onslaught: The Cavalry Action at Hanover, Pennsylvania

Krepps, John T.

"Fear is contagious, but so is courage." Fear-it's merely a warning to the senses of potential injury or threat. It directs actions away from danger and increases the chances of survival. It grips every soldier's heart as he draws near the enemy. But before that happens, this emotion has been altered by a concoction of physical and mental stresses that affect the reaction to danger and the ability to manage fear. Stressors such as physical fatigue, lack of sleep, hunger, conflict of values, the clash between self-preservation and the obligations to duty and fellow soldiers all shape responses to actions. How did they struggle through combat yet still manage to perform? Proper motivation, morale, discipline, and training all helped. Diversions aided soldiers by directing their attention away from fear. Some managed fear through denial, others by acclimation, or some simply accepted their destiny as fate. This work explores how fear and stress challenged soldiers in the Civil War and the means used to cope through their desperate situations. It includes many eyewitness accounts and observations of what soldiers experienced as they approached battlefields, engaged in combat, and the impressions stamped into their minds that lasted a lifetime.
 …This work, likely to become quite popular, provides descriptions of every facet of fear soldiers involved in any major conflict might experience. Philip Cole dissects fear with an expertise that is hard to match. He takes an intangible emotion and breathes life into it. Fear influences our thoughts and actions frequently without our knowledge. Using this premise, he explores factors influencing fear. Additionally he describes the cause-and-effect relationship between fear and stress. Understanding these factors is extremely important in order for commanders to be effective. Weather, fatigue and lack of food, sleep and clothing all play an important part in how a soldier reacts during battle. Reactions during conflict are almost as different as the individuals fighting. Preparations made prior to battle may or may not alleviate certain fears. Actual combat almost always causes different fears. These not only include the fear of dying but also of being surrounded by death, isolation and loneliness… Many historians struggle to understand why Civil War soldiers were willing to make frontal assaults like Longstreet’s Gettysburg attack, better known as “Pickett’s Charge,” where certain death appeared imminent. Cole provides a very good answer: the close-knit community among soldiers and good communication between leaders and subordinates… Another interesting observation is that Civil War soldiers suffered many of the same emotional and mental traumas that soldiers face in modern combat zones. This book appeals to a wide audience. It is reasonably priced, well written and extensively researched. The author makes learning how soldiers in combat overcome their fears a more enjoyable experience… Reviewer for the Civil War News, Richard J. Blumberg, gives this book a “strong recommendation.”

You'll Be Scared. Sure-You'll Be Scared - Fear, Stress, and Coping in the Civil War

The Pennsylvania border county of York and its people stood smack in the middle of things - where South met North - in the American Civil War. That war roiled York County from its tip near the capital of Harrisburg to its 40-mile base at the Mason-Dixon Line. Union soldiers moved to the South after seasoning and staging on county soil. Train cars dripping with blood carried many wounded and diseased soldiers back to a mammoth U.S. military hospital on York parkland. Thousands of York County residents donned blue uniforms, and untold scores died. The war marched onto county soil in those terrible days before the Battle of Gettysburg. The four-day Confederate visit drained money, food, supplies, and horseflesh. Soldiers in blue and gray died in fighting at Hanover and Wrightsville. Gettysburg came next, and county residents gathered food and supplies to treat the wounds of battle, a short 30 miles away. In "Civil War Voices from York County, Pa.", Scott L. Mingus Sr. and James McClure us

Civil Warvoices from York County, Pa.: Remembering the Rebellion and the Gettysburg Campaign

James McClure

Scott L. Mingus Sr.

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Books by Colecraft Industries

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Colecraft Industries publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Civil War Artillery at Gettysburg

Command and Communication Frictions in the Gettysburg Campaign

Human Interest Stories of the Gettysburg Campaign

Human Interest Stories from Antietam

Human Interest Stories of the Gettysburg Campaign

A Concise Guide to the Artillery at Gettysburg

Remarkable Stories of the Lincoln Assassination

A Strong and Sudden Onslaught: The Cavalry Action at Hanover, Pennsylvania

You'll Be Scared. Sure-You'll Be Scared - Fear, Stress, and Coping in the Civil War

Civil Warvoices from York County, Pa.: Remembering the Rebellion and the Gettysburg Campaign