At once we were in motion. Have you ever seen a battery move into action? It is a spirited

sight. Canonyers swing to their seats on the limber chest. Horses are spurred and

lashed into a gallop. Officers draw their sabers and shout their orders in ringing tones.

Up a lane, then to the right in the open field, a little below the crest, and we dismounted

an unlimbert. And there was a battlefield before us. Lines of blue with volleys and reeds

of smoke. Batteries belching flames. Right and left of us were our own people of the

first brigade. Back of us rode Beauregard and his staff. Two in throw passed Jackson holding

up a bandaged hand. Our guns were shot and fired, and it seemed the greatest noise we'd

ever heard. Private James P. Smith, rock bridge artillery,

Jackson's Brigade, at the first Battle of Manassas.

Hey everyone, welcome to the 49th episode of our Civil War podcast. My name is Rich.

And I'm Tracy. Hello y'all. Thanks for tuning into the podcast. After covering two

of the Civil War combat arms already, Infantry and Cavalry, this week we get to the third

combat arm, the artillery. Probably the first thing to know about the guns used during

the war is that it's generally accepted that the effect of artillery fire was psychological

as much as physical. Probably more so psychological since the percentage of casualties caused

by gunfire seldom exceeded 10% and was often less.

And just a note on terminology, but on the podcast, when we speak of guns and gunfire or

to cannons and cannon fire, we're referring to artillery. And then when we're talking

about the infantry's shoulder arms, we'll refer to them as rifles or muskets and to rifle

or musket fire. Exception to this may occur when we quote a first person account and then

of course that person may call a musket again. So that may be a bit confusing, but hopefully

...