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The Yankee artillerists utilized three types of ammunition in this long-range fire. The smoothbore Napoleons fired solid shot with a deliberately low trajectory that, skipping and bounding into the flank of a column of marching men, was as demoralizing as it was destructive; in its random, very visible course one of these 12-pound iron balls might knock down an entire file of men. The rifled pieces fired primarily either percussion shells, exploding on contact, or fuzed case shot, exploding overhead and raining down shrapnel on the marchers. In enfilading fire all that was required was aim; ...more
Gettysburg
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