War Tactics of the Civil War
During the American Civil War, both the Union and Confederate armies used tactics similar to that of the old European style tactics. Before a battle began both sides would line up facing each other. In the center would be the infantry brigades of musketeers and pike-men. On each side of the infantry were the cavalry. The right-wing would be led by the lieutenant-general, the left-wing by the commissary general. The artillery would then be positioned behind the troops in the rear so they could fire over their heads. This was a horrible way of fighting honestly, due to the development of the minie ball and other advancements and this contributed to the high casualties seen in the war.
Some other tactics and strategies did also emerge from the Civil War such as the Anaconda Plan. The plan was to block the coast of the south to prevent export of cash crops such as cotton, tobacco and others from the south, hold back imports of crucial war supplies needed by the Confederate troops, and gain control of Mississippi river which would therefore divide the South by cutting the south off the west. The South was to be divided further by capturing the Tennessee River Valley and marching through Georgia to the coast. Over time, this plan did succeed as the South slowly started to starve from valuable resources which in turn, led to the surrender.
Another tactic developed during the Civil War was sharp shooting. Sniping, or sharp shooting, was a recognized psychological weapon at the outset of the Civil War. Champion marksman Hiram C. Berdan of New York, was authorized to raise a regiment of sharpshooters for Federal service, and by the fall of 1861, men were drawn from New Hampshire, Maine, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, and Vermont. A Confederate sharpshooter unit similar to Berdan was authorized by act of Confederate Congress in 1862. Armed with Sharp's rifles, Whitworth rifles, sporting arms, and custom-made, privately owned target weapons (some weighing over 30 lbs) Northern and Southern marksmen performed efficient service at Yorktown, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Spotsylvania, the Wilderness, and Petersburg, and were valued in any protracted battle or small combat. The unpleasant results of this service and the moral climate of the day make finding specific records of sharp shooting duty a rarity, but the efficiency of Confederate sharpshooters in the Devil's Den at Gettysburg and the demoralizing effects of the sniping deaths of such prominent soldiers as Union Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick demonstrate the sharpshooters worth.
Some other tactics and strategies did also emerge from the Civil War such as the Anaconda Plan. The plan was to block the coast of the south to prevent export of cash crops such as cotton, tobacco and others from the south, hold back imports of crucial war supplies needed by the Confederate troops, and gain control of Mississippi river which would therefore divide the South by cutting the south off the west. The South was to be divided further by capturing the Tennessee River Valley and marching through Georgia to the coast. Over time, this plan did succeed as the South slowly started to starve from valuable resources which in turn, led to the surrender.
Another tactic developed during the Civil War was sharp shooting. Sniping, or sharp shooting, was a recognized psychological weapon at the outset of the Civil War. Champion marksman Hiram C. Berdan of New York, was authorized to raise a regiment of sharpshooters for Federal service, and by the fall of 1861, men were drawn from New Hampshire, Maine, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, and Vermont. A Confederate sharpshooter unit similar to Berdan was authorized by act of Confederate Congress in 1862. Armed with Sharp's rifles, Whitworth rifles, sporting arms, and custom-made, privately owned target weapons (some weighing over 30 lbs) Northern and Southern marksmen performed efficient service at Yorktown, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Spotsylvania, the Wilderness, and Petersburg, and were valued in any protracted battle or small combat. The unpleasant results of this service and the moral climate of the day make finding specific records of sharp shooting duty a rarity, but the efficiency of Confederate sharpshooters in the Devil's Den at Gettysburg and the demoralizing effects of the sniping deaths of such prominent soldiers as Union Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick demonstrate the sharpshooters worth.