Also known as: Gettysburg cannonade.
| Date | July 1-3, 1863 |
|---|---|
| Location | Gettysburg, Pennsylvania |
| Third day | A massive Confederate bombardment, about 150 guns, before Pickett's Charge |
| Field pieces | Napoleons, 3-inch Ordnance Rifles, and Parrott rifles predominated |
The great cannonade
Gettysburg brought together enormous quantities of field artillery on both sides, the guns fighting from the ridges and hills that shaped the three-day battle. Napoleons, 3-inch Ordnance Rifles, and Parrott rifles made up most of the batteries.
On the afternoon of July 3, a Confederate line of about one hundred and fifty guns opened a prolonged bombardment of the Federal center in preparation for the infantry assault remembered as Pickett's Charge. The Union artillery replied and then, as the infantry advanced, tore the attacking ranks with shell, case, and canister.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- U.S. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Washington: GPO, 1880-1901.
- CivilWarArtillery.com research archive: fort and battlefield references, manuals, and reports.