GDG- Re: artillery shots

[Biggsk at aol.com]

Dave Schultz asks:


>>>How great the range at Pine Mountain? By that time  those boyz were very 
expert indeed.>>> 



Dave,
 
Castel's book has the battery about 1/3 of a mile away.  Bill Scaife's  book, 
with the best maps ever for the Atlanta Campaign, has them further way -  
about 3/4 of a mile (the text states "less than a mile way.").  Probably in  
between the two.  
 
By this time, Simonson was corps artillery commander for David Stanley and  
his old battery commanded by another officer.  Sherman gave the fire orders  to 
Oliver Howard who then gave them to Simonson, who gave them to his old  
battery of six guns.
 
On top of Pine Mountain with Polk were CS Gens. Joe Johnston, William J.  
Hardee and at least one brigade commander.  One can only imagine if these  
officers had all been taken out by the fire of the 5th Indiana Light  Artillery.  
The day before, their fire just missed killing Gen. Pat  Cleburne on the same 
spot.
 
The Pine Mountain position was in advance of the First Kennesaw Line and  
subject to fairly easy flanking on both sides, which indeed Sherman had  ordered. 
 Gen. William Bates' infantry division was the garrison as was  Slocumb's 
Louisiana Battery and Renee Beauregards' SC Battery.  The  Confederates held the 
position for it gave them such a tremendous view of  everything they needed to 
see in terms of Sherman's dispositions.  The hill  was abandoned the night of 
June 14th, after Polk was killed, due to Federal  maneuver pressure.
 
Greg Biggs 



************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.