First Modern War

Why Was It So Deadly? Time of military transition –Officers still thought that the idea of forming large masses and using a lot of firepower was the best way to fight. Weapons were becoming more accurate Neither side was fully prepared for war Spies gathered information on both sides

Weapons Used Small Arms Artillery Ironclad Ships Edged Weapons Hand Grenades

Small Arms Many different types of guns were used in the war. Muskets –Old muskets were not accurate so having long lines of soldiers was not a problem –New muskets were much more accurate. Rifles – shoulder guns with grooves –Example: Whitworth Rifle Very Accurate Telescopic lens Handguns –Example – Colt Revolver Often used by cavalry

Artillery Howitzers – lower muzzle velocity and arc their shots in the air Mortars – have a very pronounced arc of flight and were not very accurate /~ProlificPains/arty.htm

Artillery Ammunition Fuses –Shell wrapped around a fuse –Paper fuse - The paper fuse could be cut to burn for the desired time. Paper fuses were common but often unreliable and easily damaged by moisture Solid shot –Used against long range fixed targets such as forts Grape shot –Consisted of two or more balls connected by a chain Looked like grapes –Used mostly in naval battles to knock down masts and rigging

Ironclad Ships Ironclad ships were used to fight and more importantly for a naval blockade –Blockade - Set up of ships used to block off ports and cut off supplies Examples: –USS Monitor Usually consisted of a crew around 7 –CSS Virginia Slightly bigger, consisted of a crew around 8

Edged Weapons Included weapons such as bayonets, sabers, swords, cutlasses, Bowie knives, pikes, and lances. –Bayonet – sharp tip at the end of a rifle –Saber – cavalry swords These weapons were used only when hand- to-hand combat was engaged in.

Other Weapons Hand Grenades –Lit by hand and thrown at the opposing side Airships –Similar looking to blimps –Filled with air and dropped bombs Charvaux-de-frise –10 to 12 foot logs attached to wooden stakes –Used to slow down the enemy Minie Ball –Created by Captain Claude Minie (a Frenchman) –Expanded with rifled grooves and spun from the muzzle of the gun –Allowed the ball to be 5 times more accurate than any other weapon

New Technology Railroad –Used to move men and ammunition to the front line Telegraph –Sent cryptic messages about locations of troops Land Mines Early Trenches Balloons –Used to locate other troops

Union Spies Pauline Cushman –Actress who entertained Confederate troops and gathered information for the Union Lafayette Curry Baker –Caught several times but lied his way out of trouble Allan Pinkerton –His detective agency interrogated slaves and others for information –His information was often misinterpreted and he told McClellan several times that the Confederate army was much larger than it actually was.

Confederate Spies Nancy Hart –Excellent rider and carried messages Henry Thomas Harrison –Scout on the Potomac River Sam Davis –Part of a group called “Coleman’s Scouts” –Caught by the Union and hung –Called the Confederate’s Nathan Hale

African American Spies The Dabney’s –Mrs. Dabney served as a laundress for the Confederates –Signaled to her husband using the clothesline John Scobell –Best known black Pinkerton agent W.H. Ringgold –Riverboat worker who provided information for the Union