Flying Artillery...

5fish

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Here is a thing: @O' Be Joyful mentions flying pigs but in Chicago had the flying horse artillery...

.

The Chicago Board of Trade Battery was mustered into service at Chicago, Illinois, on August 1, 1862. In March 1863, the battery changed from mounted field artillery to flying horse artillery, the only battery of flying artillery in the Union Western armies.

Snip...

Horse artillery was a type of light, fast-moving, and fast-firing artillery which provided highly mobile fire support, especially to cavalry units. Horse artillery units existed in armies in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, from the 17th to the mid 20th century. A precursor of modern self-propelled artillery, it consisted of light cannons or howitzers attached to light but sturdy two-wheeled carriages called caissons or limbers, with the individual crewmen riding on horses. This was in contrast to the rest of the field artillery, which were also horse-drawn but whose gunners were normally transported seated on the gun carriage, wagons or limbers
.[

Snip... Think this is what Old Stonewall was in charge of in this war...

In the Mexican–American War, the U.S. Army horse artillery, or "flying artillery" played a decisive role in several key battles. In the American Civil War, various elements of the horse artillery of the Army of the Potomac were at times grouped together in the U.S. Horse Artillery Brigade. In the U.S., units of horse artillery were generally referred to officially as "light artillery".[8]

Snip... Rebels had one...

The Sumter Flying Artillery: A Civil War History of the Eleventh Battalion Georgia Light Artillery
(Pelican Publishing Co., 2009) is a promising example. Composed of five batteries (A through E), and served mostly by men from Sumter County, the 11th Battalion of Georgia Light Artillery was formally organized in early 1862, fighting as part of the Army of Northern Virginia from the Seven Days battles onward [Battery A (Cutt's/Sumter Flying Artillery battery) fought in the earlier battle at Dranesville in December 1861.

Snip... Sumter(Cutt's) Flying Artillery at Sharpsburg...

On the Sharpsburg Campaign
"The strength and deployment of Cutts Bn. in the battle is something of a mystery. In the confusion of the withdrawl from South Mountain on September 14-15, Cutts was mistakenly left behind at Boonsboro. Realizing that he had suddenly (and inadvertently) become the rear guard of the army, Cutts hurredly started moving towards Sharpsburg on the Williamsport Road with his own 4 batts. (23 guns), as well as Bondurant's Bty. (4 guns) and Lloyd's Bty (3 guns). Skirting the advancing Union Army, Cutts rejoined the army at Sharpsburg, marching in on the Hagerstown Pike. At Sharpsburg, Bondurant rejoined Pierson's Bn., while Lloyd remained with Cutts."
(from Johnson and Anderson
 

O' Be Joyful

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Here is a thing: @O' Be Joyful mentions flying pigs but in Chicago had the flying horse artillery...

.

The Chicago Board of Trade Battery was mustered into service at Chicago, Illinois, on August 1, 1862. In March 1863, the battery changed from mounted field artillery to flying horse artillery, the only battery of flying artillery in the Union Western armies.

Snip...

Horse artillery was a type of light, fast-moving, and fast-firing artillery which provided highly mobile fire support, especially to cavalry units. Horse artillery units existed in armies in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, from the 17th to the mid 20th century. A precursor of modern self-propelled artillery, it consisted of light cannons or howitzers attached to light but sturdy two-wheeled carriages called caissons or limbers, with the individual crewmen riding on horses. This was in contrast to the rest of the field artillery, which were also horse-drawn but whose gunners were normally transported seated on the gun carriage, wagons or limbers.[

Snip... Think this is what Old Stonewall was in charge of in this war...

In the Mexican–American War, the U.S. Army horse artillery, or "flying artillery" played a decisive role in several key battles. In the American Civil War, various elements of the horse artillery of the Army of the Potomac were at times grouped together in the U.S. Horse Artillery Brigade. In the U.S., units of horse artillery were generally referred to officially as "light artillery".[8]

Snip... Rebels had one...

The Sumter Flying Artillery: A Civil War History of the Eleventh Battalion Georgia Light Artillery
(Pelican Publishing Co., 2009) is a promising example. Composed of five batteries (A through E), and served mostly by men from Sumter County, the 11th Battalion of Georgia Light Artillery was formally organized in early 1862, fighting as part of the Army of Northern Virginia from the Seven Days battles onward [Battery A (Cutt's/Sumter Flying Artillery battery) fought in the earlier battle at Dranesville in December 1861.

Snip... Sumter(Cutt's) Flying Artillery at Sharpsburg...

On the Sharpsburg Campaign
"The strength and deployment of Cutts Bn. in the battle is something of a mystery. In the confusion of the withdrawl from South Mountain on September 14-15, Cutts was mistakenly left behind at Boonsboro. Realizing that he had suddenly (and inadvertently) become the rear guard of the army, Cutts hurredly started moving towards Sharpsburg on the Williamsport Road with his own 4 batts. (23 guns), as well as Bondurant's Bty. (4 guns) and Lloyd's Bty (3 guns). Skirting the advancing Union Army, Cutts rejoined the army at Sharpsburg, marching in on the Hagerstown Pike. At Sharpsburg, Bondurant rejoined Pierson's Bn., while Lloyd remained with Cutts."
(from Johnson and Anderson

One would likely survive the airborne "shells" of a flying pig...




after taking a thorough bath/shower, but canister and solid shot is a whole different sorta animal.
 

byron ed

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The Chicago Board of Trade Battery was mustered into service at Chicago, Illinois, on August 1, 1862. In March 1863, the battery changed from mounted field artillery to flying horse artillery, the only battery of flying artillery in the Union Western armies....

...Snip...A precursor of modern self-propelled artillery, it consisted of light cannons or howitzers attached to light but sturdy two-wheeled carriages called caissons or limbers, with the individual crewmen riding on horses. This was in contrast to the rest of the field artillery, which were also horse-drawn but whose gunners were normally transported seated on the gun carriage, wagons or limbers.
Minor things to clarify:

That the Chicago Board of Trade Battery was the only battery of flying artillery in the Union Western armies is an overstatement. To note as claimed that they did not in fact muster in as flying artillery. Fact is, any light Artillery unit that could so equip could on occasion be assigned as flying artillery ...another example in Illinois being Battery G, 2nd Illinois on at least one campaign.

The light cannon or howitzers (btw some types had both designations) were attached to a light but sturdy two-wheeled gun carriage. For transport the gun carriage (with its gun mounted) was attached to a sturdy two-wheeled limber, in effect then the whole vehicle was a four-wheeled articulated wagon. The limber also had an ammunition box on it, and a folded canvas tarp on top upon which two Artillerists could sit when moving into position at the front lines. But no one sat on the limber for general travel over many miles -- it's far too hard a ride for that. In other words gunners were NOT normally transported seated on limbers.

In a light artillery unit most all of the soldiers marched for general travel over many miles, though the artillery drivers and officers rode horses, and there were battery (supply) wagons driven by wagon drivers.

If a limber was instead attached to a caisson and not a gun carriage (also in effect then a four-wheeled articulated wagon) but this time carrying three ammunition chests (one on the limber, two more on the caisson and a spare wheel (on the caisson). So, caissons were not intended to attach to a gun carriage at the front lines because that made the gun less mobile in that configuration (too heavy, and the spare wheel would have to be removed to get at the ammunition). At the front the caissons were held somewhat to the rear of the guns and limbers, so an emtied ammo case on the limber could quickly be swapped out with a filled case taken from a caisson (the ammo cases had handles for handling by two sturdy men). In any event, there were times when only an ammo case was set on the ground behind the gun -- with neither limber or caisson on the front line.
 
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5fish

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WE got a a whole U. . Horse Artillery brigade... They forgot the flying...

The Horse Artillery Brigade of the Army of the Potomac was a brigade of various batteries of horse artillery during the American Civil War.

SNip...

Made up almost entirely of individual, company-strength batteries from the Regular Army's five artillery regiments, the Horse Artillery operated under the command umbrella of the Cavalry Corps. The Horse Artillery differed from other light artillery (also known as "mounted" artillery) in that each member of the unit traveled on his own horse, rather than the traditional light artillery practice of "drivers" riding horses pulling the guns, while the cannoneers rode on the limbers and caissons. Ordinarily, though, the cannoneers traveled on foot behind their respective gun. But,with each man on his own horse, the unit could travel faster and more efficiently. It was the brainchild of former artillery captain and Brig. Gen. William Farquhar Barry, Chief of Artillery for the Army of the Potomac, in 1861. With such a large percentage of the U.S. Horse Artillery being artillery batteries from the regular U.S. Army, it developed a superb reputation for military efficiency, accuracy of fire, and command presence in the field and in battle.
Originally under the direct command of Lt. Col. (and future Brigadier General) William Hays, and later under the two-brigade command of captains James Madison Robertson and John C. Tidball, the Horse Artillery served with distinction during most of the major engagements in the Eastern Theater. Tidball's brigade later was commanded by Capt Dunbar R. Ransom.


A link for more details... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Horse_Artillery_Brigade
 

5fish

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The Devil Forrest had Horse Flying Artillery....

McRae Artillery, Company "A", 2nd Light Artillery Battalion

This company, with officers and men from Mobile, was organized and mustered in on 17 October 1861 for artillery service. The battery remained in the defences of the city of Mobile until June 1863 when it was sent to Mississippi and placed in Featherston's Brigade. It fought at Jackson with small loss and was then ordered to Dalton, GA, where it joined the army's retreat. It was at Resaca and lost some horses. It proceeded to Selma to re-equip and then joined Gen'l Nathan Bedford Forrest as "flying artillery." It fought at Rome, returned to Selma to aid in the defence of that city, but was there captured.
Officers:
Capts. Stephen Charpentier (resigned); John M. Jenks; Lts. John M. Jenks (promoted); L. H. Goodman; William Lee; Samuel Miller.
Armaments: Four 6-lb. Smoothbores (between 28 November 1863 and 5 January 1864), and four 12-lb. Napoleons (between 1 May 1864 and 21 February 1865).
 

diane

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Forrest LOVED artillery! Especially adding to it and tweaking it until he had something just about nobody else did. His techinques began at Parker's Crossroads, where he first encountered the Badgers.

The 7th Wisconsin Light Artillery - "Badger State Flying Artillery" - under Capt Richard Griffiths was a remarkably efficient unit at Island No 10. It again showed up at Parker's Crossroads, which was Griffiths first encounter with Capt Samuel Freeman of Forrest's artillery. The battery was only two guns compared to Forrest's eight, and he learned a lot from this already famed artillery unit. What he did was combine his 'mounted infantry' with the flying artillery and came up with tremendous capabilities for speed, flexibility and devastating assault. How Forrest got out of the 'tight spot' as Union commander Sullivan gleefully reported, was to 'charge 'em both ways' and withdraw sideways!

Freeman and Forrest went together like salt and tomatoes - both aggressive and fighting to win. However, this redoubtable artilleryman was killed at first Franklin when his battery was overrun by the 4th US Cavalry and he was captured - Starnes' brigade had been driven back leaving the artillery exposed. Capt Freeman had a right thrilling fight but ended with his guns taken and being captured, as well as wounded. Because Forrest had regrouped and was making another attack to recover lost ground and guns, the 4th made their prisoners run but Capt Freeman could not run as he had been wounded in the knee. He was shot - Forrest was the one who found him and was much grieved, muttering, "None braver, none braver." This unnecessary killing had very bad consequences at the end of the war - Forrest's frustrated and miserable forces were routed from Selma and, fleeing headlong down the pike, encountered a garrison held by...the 4th US Cavalry. They killed all of them and were accused of a massacre, but Union authorities did not conduct a further investigation - they were simply told the soldiers would not surrender.

Freeman's death made an opening for another artilleryman, and Bragg sent Forrest a teenager named John Morton. "Who is this tallow-faced boy Bragg has sent me?" growled Forrest, totally unimpressed with the kid. The kid explained he'd requested the transfer - he'd been captured at Ft Donelson and was eager to serve with Forrest once he was exchanged. It didn't take the boy long to thoroughly win the general over and the two became very close - Willie had him a brother!

Forrest always expanded his learning, and demonstrated he had done so with his artillery at Brice's Crossroads. Flying artillery was exactly what Morton's Battery was. Forrest knew how devastating canister shot was, and, while he engaged the Union flank, Morton was to charge down the road, unlimber and let them have it point blank in the face. The crew Morton had was astonished at this order - "Whoever heard of artillery charging?" "Did the general really mean for us to go down there unsupported?" Morton was confused himself but finally he snapped, "You heard him!" The combination of the cannon fire and the ferocious flank attack finished the battle - Sturgis' men broke and headed for whatever hills didn't have rebels in them!

This combination use of flying artillery at close range with forward troops, who advanced behind the guns, was an innovation of Forrest's that proved to be very effective. He first used it at Parker's Crossroads, and each time perfected it a little more. The favorite ammo was canister - flash, crash and you're down! If not, you're scared witless. Forrest was the original 'shock and awe' guy!
 
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