"rolling artillery"

[Tom A Hawk]

My GG Granddaddy Pvt Wm. Thomas Carlisle was at Round Top with the 44th Alabama Infantry Regiment (consisting of 363 men), under the command of General Law. The 44th captured an artillery battery along with 40 to 50 prisoners. The 44th and 48th also assisted in capturing Devil's Den and 3 guns of the 4th New York Battery.

From Colonel Perry’s report:

“General Law informed me that he expected my men to take a battery. Such was their extreme exhaustion, having marched without interruption twenty-four miles to reach the battlefield, and advanced at a double-quick step fully a mile to engage the enemy, that I hesitated for an instant to order them immediately forward …. However, I rushed forward, shouting to them to advance. It was with the greatest difficulty that I could make myself heard or understood above the din of battle. The order was, however, extended along the line, and was promptly obeyed. The men sprang forward, over the rocks, swept the position and took possession of the heights, capturing 40 or 50 prisoners around the battery and among the cliffs.. The conflict continued to rage with great fury until dark. Again and again the enemy with great force attempted to dislodge us from our position and retake the battery, in each case with signal failure and great loss. Lieut.-Col. John A. Jones, Maj. Geo. W. Cary and Lieut. W. P. Becker, acting adjutant, behaved with great coolness and courage. I abstain from mentioning by name others who deserve special commendation, because the list would be so long as to confer little distinction on any single individual, and because injustice might be done to others whose good conduct escaped my observation. The regiment lost 24 killed and 66 wounded.”

He wasn't wounded until shortly after the Siege of Petersburg, at the Battle of Chaffin's Bluff. On 6 Sept 1864, he received a leg wound and was captured.

Here's the view of Devil's Den from Little Round top. I was surprised to discover the canon on Little Round Top were rifled.

 

[JeffG]

3 pounder Verbruggen mounted on grasshopper carriages were ver mobile during the Revolutionary War. Men moved them without horses, but it bordered on chaos I’m sure.

 

[windini]

While I can't speak specifically to the moving of cannon, it's worth mentioning the sheer physicality of life in the ML era. Working a farm with perhaps a mule or ox, carving out a life in the wilderness, building houses, roads, canals and entire cities with hand tools, and frequently having to fight for one's life hand-to-hand or hand-to-clawed paw left the survivors very hardy indeed!

Lewis & Clarke's crew pushed (poled) & rowed a 55-foot long, 8-foot beamed wooden keel boat up the river when the wind was unfavorable, and probably did some rowing when it was.

I suspect things we would think are utterly impossible without mechanical help were relatively routine in those days. Thus I believe artillery could be moved in and by ways that would astonish us today.

 

[fireman1]

Napoleon had foot and horse artillery. Foot arty-gunners marched. Horse arty they rode and used a 4-6 pound gun.

There were also 4-6 pound guns assigned to Infantry divisions depending on the time frame.

The horse arty could move quicker but took longer get into action...gunners had to dismount, secure their horses etc. Still fairly mobile.

 

[beyu]

Here is an article about the US Army's "Flying Artillery" at Palo Alto:

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/history/palo-alto-mexican-american-war.html

 

[GREENSWLDE]

Seems to be a difference in National terminology. Rolling fire.When guns in line fire 1,2,3----6 or in reverse. As seen at our Queens Jubilee Salute in Hyde Park for an 81 gun Salute.
Rolling or creeping barrage. Gunners lay guns to stay a safe distance in front of advancing troops whether cavalary or P.B.I.
Light rifled M/L cannon of Mounted artillery where after all, pretty acurare out to 1000/1500 yds. O.D.

 

[Fitzhugh Williams]

Just a note about the Thirty Years War (1618-1648):

"Under the Swedish warrior Gustavus Adolphus, artillery began to take its true position on the field of battle. Gustavus saw the need for mobility, so he divorced anything heavier than a 12-pounder from his field artillery. His famous "leatheren" gun was so light that it could be drawn and served by two men."

 

[Troll]

This is the view from the Union lines arrayed on the top of Cemetery Ridge at Gettysburg - the advancing troops are part of General George Pickett's brigade - the so-named Pickett's Charge. It was a fantastically brave but in the end fruitless attempt to remove the Union forces off the high ground. To the left of this location is the tree'd knoll known as Little Round Top, where Col. Chamberlain and his regiment earned everlasting fame by carrying out a headlong bayonet charge to save the left end of the line.

What also is amazing to me is the effort of the Alabama Brigades, who marched at least 20 miles, just to get to walk up the Round Tops and face Soldiers behind short rock walls and shooting down hill. If you read Chamberlain's and Oates' account of the fight, it sounds like two different engagements.

 

[Red Owl]

I'm pretty sure what I read was not "rolling fire" that is, stationary guns firing in sequence or at different ranges, it sounded like the cannons were being moved forward during the attack. As Fireman above said, there were foot and horse artillery and once again I'm confused about the difference. Off hand, it would seem extremely difficult to move an artillery piece without horses and across a field with soft ground or rocky ground.

 

[fireman1]

The foot arty guys marched while horses dragged the cannon.

The Horse arty guys rode and dragged the cannon with horses.

I believe that the idea was that the Horse arty could move with the troops easier but it was not as quick as it seems.

 

[tenngun]

The foot arty guys marched while horses dragged the cannon.

The Horse arty guys rode and dragged the cannon with horses.

I believe that the idea was that the Horse arty could move with the troops easier but it was not as quick as it seems.

Horse artillery was generally attached to cavalry units. The main batteries attached to infantry. Guns were generally lighter, along with caissons and support equipment were likewise light. Main batteries were heavier outfitted and well up to Napoleonic time could be moved by oxen.
During the WBTS horse artillery could often be napoleons and the same rifles as main batteries. Before that horse was often much lighter then main batteries

 

[fireman1]

Horse artillery was generally attached to cavalry units. The main batteries attached to infantry. Guns were generally lighter, along with caissons and support equipment were likewise light. Main batteries were heavier outfitted and well up to Napoleonic time could be moved by oxen.
During the WBTS horse artillery could often be napoleons and the same rifles as main batteries. Before that horse was often much lighter then main batteries

Generally it was but it was also used tactically to rapidly move them around the battle field. They were generally 4-6 pound guns. 6 pound in the later era.

I do not recall any use of them advancing with troops. For those that don't know, during the Napoleonic era there was no defense in depth. Armies lined up and fought eachother. Once the main line was smashed/flanked etc. an army withdrew. If the withdrawal was disorganized, that is when the Cavalry really did some work.

 

[tenngun]

Generally it was but it was also used tactically to rapidly move them around the battle field. They were generally 4-6 pound guns. 6 pound in the later era.

I do not recall any use of them advancing with troops. For those that don't know, during the Napoleonic era there was no defense in depth. Armies lined up and fought eachother. Once the main line was smashed/flanked etc. an army withdrew. If the withdrawal was disorganized, that is when the Cavalry really did some work.

Going back in time to the Galic war, Caesar made some of his artillery mobile so it could advance of the flanks of his assault. These were cross bows. And the idea seemed to have died on the ides of march.
Moving forward, cannon were expensive and heavy between invention and the thirty years war they generally were brought out and fired then stated in the back. Gustavus Adolphus designed light mobile guns to advance with his lines. They would load, rush forward fire one or two rounds and then their line would advance past them.
With Napoleon attacks were in column aimed at a point in the line. And again his artillery only had one chance to move.
Being able to quickly redeploy his guns led to the fire storm at Austerlitz on Satschan pond that drown so many of the Russian-Austrian forces
Although throughout history much of the redeployment was fire and fall back.