Cannon Blasts: Civil War Artillery in the Eastern Armies

Field artillery has had a great tradition in American military history. Arming and manning the field batteries on both sides rose from this tradition, although the Union army gained an advantage using the regular army units as a basis to build upon. Based on the records, artillery did not inflict the casualties that one might expect; however, all serious Civil War buffs can recall instances when the field guns played a major role in the action.

Cannon Blasts is not an attempt to narrate in detail the various battles these two opponents fought, but rather to portray the assets and shortcomings of each, how each side’s army evolved, and the impact artillery had on the battle’s outcome.