GDG- 2nd NH using "Poison and Explosive Bullets" at Gettysburg?

[TangoGee at aol.com]

In a message dated 08/11/2007 19:13:03 GMT Standard Time,  
cameron2 at optonline.net writes:

I think  the rational for banning such ammunition was that just being shot 
with an  ordinary bullet put a man out of action effectively enough as it was, 
so why  (assuming he wasn't killed outright) use something which would cause a  
needlessly severe wound?   

My thoughts are there is no such thing as a needlessly severe wound. The  
worse the wound the longer the recipient is out of action.


Ordinary CW minie balls tended to expand so much anyway, that the  miniscule 
explosive charge in the explosive bullets probably didn't make most  wounds 
all that much worse than they would have been in the first  place.


That makes some sense knowing the damage caused by a standard bullet but  
surely the explosive charge no matter how small would shatter the ball  making  
extraction of the ball from the wound more difficult, time  consuming and 
causing extra complications. Added bonus in causing an extra  drain on the enemies 
medical resources.