Artillery and Teamwork: Student Program: Pre-Visit Lesson

Library of Congress

Program Overview:
Do you have what it takes to remain cool and calm under pressure? Can you work together well as a team?

Train in teams on the loading and firing procedure of Civil War artillery before being put into the position of the 9th Massachusetts battery near the Peach Orchard; retreat by prolonge to the Trostle Farm and to their battery monument. Use the pre-visit activities below to prepare your students for their Artillery and Teamwork student education program at Gettysburg National Military Park.

 

Pre-Visit Activity 1:
10 New Words/Terms

Have your students become acquainted with the following list of words and/or terms:

Artillery – branch of the armies trained and in charge of operating the cannon. Artillerymen typically operated with the infantry, working to support their movements before and during battle.

Battery – organizational unit of the artillery, consisting in the Union army of six cannon and around 100 men who operated them. Each battery also had about 100 horses that moved the cannon, and its ammunition, on the battlefield.

Bugler – soldier who sounded the bugle, a musical instrument that alerted men to the next activity in camp, or to the next movement in the midst of battle.

Casualty – soldier who has been killed, wounded or captured by the enemy.

Infantry – branch of the armies trained to travel on foot and fight with a musket-rifle; most soldiers were in the infantry.

Limber - a two-wheeled wagon, pulled by six horses, that contained an ammunition chest for the cannon. The cannon was attached to the limber for movement.

Prolonge – a strong rope connecting the cannon to the limber, which allowed the cannon to be fired and then moved, backward, during a retreat.

Recoil – the backward movement of an artillery piece (cannon), caused by the force of the explosion that hoists the shell forward.

Retreat – to move the army or part of the army away from the enemy and the field of battle.

Sponge Rammer- the long, wooden implement used to push the artillery shell down into the gun and swab it out after each shot.

 

Pre-Visit Activity 2:
Become An Artillerist

 

NPS

First, designate a large object, such as a piece of playground equipment or even a large desk of several desks pushed together, to serve as your cannon; then, assign a Gunner and Numbers 1 – 7, and line up per the diagram below.

Have students act out the loading and firing drill of an artillery gun crew as you read the process aloud:

At the command “Commence firing,” the Gunner ordered “Load.” Number 1 sponged the tube. Number 2 took a round from Number 5 and placed it in the muzzle. Number 1 rammed the round home, while Number 3 held their thumb on the vent. The gunner sighted the cannon. When the gun was loaded, 3 moved to the trail and moved it left or right with the trailspike as directed by the gunner. Number 5 got another round from Number 6 or 7 at the limber where 6 cut fuses (if needed) for shell and/or case. The gunner stepped clear to the side of the piece to observe the effect of the fire, and gave the command “Ready.” Numbers 1 and 2 stepped clear. Number 3 punctured the cartridge box with the vent pick. Number 4 attached the lanyard to a friction primer and inserted the primer in the vent. Number 3 covered the vent with their left hand while 4 moved to the rear. At the gunner’s command “Fire,” 3 stepped clear of the wheel. Number 4 yanked the lanyard. The gunner ordered the cannon run back up and the process was repeated until the command “Cease firing.”