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Wilson's Creek The battle that lasted
six hours...
Scientist Page
- Union Artillary-Projectiles and Fuses
- Projectiles
- Projectiles were basically the bullets and cannonballs, of assorted sizes and
shapes. One of the most common was solid shot, your standard cannonball.The rifle
bolt was similar, but a little longer and not as round. The simplest, a shell, was
a hollow projectile filled with black powder. Most shells used time fuses, but some
Rifle shells used percussion fuses. Case shot was a little more elaborate, with small
iron or lead balls. Case shot was designed to explode in the air, so used time fuses.
Canister is an iron can with iron and lead balls packed with sawdust inside. When
the shot is fired, it's like a giant shotgun blast. Grape Shot is like the canister,
but has fewer and larger balls.
- Fuses
- Fuses are what is lit on a cannon, then burn down untill they hit a small cartridge
of gunpowder which explodes, shooting the cannonball at your enemy. The Union had
more resources than the Confederancy, and so were able to have only one factory to
make fuses. They were of uniform length and burning time.
- Fuses were made out of assorted materials. The first time fuses were made out
of tapered wood hollowed almost to the tip. These were packed with powder dampened
by whiskey or alchohol. The packing caused some irregularity in the powder, so those
fuses were unreliable. Paper fuses were better because they could be packed before
they were rolled into the cylindrical shape. Paper fuses were color-coded, with yellow
burning 5 seconds to the inch, green 7 seconds, and blue 10 seconds.
- Percussion fuses were not usually used in the field, because they are too complex
and there is a danger when transporting them, because they might become armed. Percussion
fuses basically throw the ammunition by hitting it from behind. Usually in a percussion
fuse there were springs that set off something to hit the shot. Percussion fuses
had special purposes like destruction of forts.
- Weather
- In 1861
- August of 1861 was hot, and humid. The temperature on August 10, 1861 was 100
degrees by noon, and very humid.
- Now
- The climate of that area in Missouri is slightly cooler now. With highs from
the mid-ninties to the low eighties, and lows from the mid-fifties to the low seventies,
The temperature difference between now and then is quite large.
- Topography
- Map
- Explanation
- The blue arrows represent the confederate army. The red arrows represent the
Union army. General Lyon's first attack was a surprise attack, and drove the rebels
back from the hill. The rebels recovered, and attacked the Union army three times,
but was unable to penetrate the line. General Lyon realized that his troops were
low on supplies, and so retreated to Springfield.
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