American Civil War Field Battery Guide

 

"Why does the artillery have to take up so much space? I just want to be able to maneuver around!"

There is always a fine line between realism, playability, and price (money we spend in our hobby!). As a retired officer and military historian, I do realize the space field artillery takes up in real life - especially in the horse and musket era. Most rules make a compromise; one of the better I have seen is illustrated in the above photo of 15mm ACW artillery for the game Fire and Fury which has one gun and one limber represent a battery. My favorite set of English Civil War rules is Victory without Quarter which has one gun on a big honking base to represent an artillery battery.

Yep. That's a big honking base. 28mm Figures and saker (the gun) by Warlord Games.

During a family event I had the opportunity to revisit Chickamauga National Battlefield. (Don't you hate it when a family event takes you near a battlefield?) The Battle of Chickamauga was the only significant victory for the Confederacy during the American Civil War and the result was thoroughly wasted. While in the Visitor Center I came across some excellent models of the horses, wagons, teams, etc., that you would see in an artillery battery during the ACW. 

By 1863, most Union batteries consisted of 6 guns, not all of which would be the same; sometimes 4 of one type and 2 of another for tactical flexibility and commanded by a captain. By 1864, it was not unusual for Union Army batteries to be reduced to four guns, due to shortage of available horses. Confederate batteries were usually 4 guns at this time and may or may not follow the Union organization of gun flexibility. 

On with the pictures:

Cannon, limber and team.

Okay, we are a typical Union Battery of artillery at full strength so there are 6 guns. A gun, or “piece”, typically was operated by a gun crew of nine. There were three drivers for each six-horse team, who rode the horses on the left side. Two guns operating under the control of a lieutenant were known as a “section”.

Caisson, limber and team.

Each gun in the section was supported by a caisson which carried two ammunition chests, plus a limber for the caisson, which limber had one additional ammunition chest. Typically, there were available about 1,200 rounds for the battery going into battle, which would be divided into the sections according to the number of guns in the battery. 

Horses were required to pull the enormous weight of the cannon and ammunition (close to two tons for a cannon and its attached limber chest of ammunition). On average, each horse pulled about 700 pounds (317.5 kg).

Each gun in a battery used two six-horse teams: one team pulled a limber that towed the gun, the other team pulled the limber that towed a caisson. The limber was a two-wheeled carriage that carried an ammunition chest. It was connected directly behind the team of six horses and towed either a gun or a caisson. In either case, the combination provided the equivalent of a four-wheeled vehicle, which distributed the load over two axles but was easier to maneuver on rough terrain than a four-wheeled wagon.

Battery wagon, limber and team.

The large number of horses posed a logistical challenge for the artillery, because they had to be fed, maintained, and replaced when worn out or injured. The average horse only lasted eight months before death. The battery captain had command over as many as 170 men and 98 horses in a six gun battery with six horse teams. Above the 70 or so men needed to operate the guns and handle the horses moving the guns, additional men were needed to handle and supply the ammunition during the battle, and also to handle and move guns, horses, and limbers.

Traveling forge, limber and team. 

Batteries were self-sufficient units, so therefore, teamsters for supply wagons, blacksmiths and farriers, and various other support and administrative personal were included in each battery. In addition, batteries retained a number of extra men above the minimum required for the battery to function properly. These men were assigned to the batteries for training and for replacement of hospitalized sick, and furloughed men of the battery, and more importantly for quick replacement of battle casualties.