Did more accurate weapons lead to more of less casualties in the US Civil War?

Answer 1

Many people might come to the conclusion that the casualties suffered in the US Civil War were due to more accurate weapons. Based on that premise, each major war in human history would have weapons that were more accurate than the preceding war. Following that idea it is easy to predict more and more casualties would be the result of more accurate weapons.

This is an appropriate point in which to point out that numerically more less accurate weapons and more soldiers also would have also created more casualties.

The problem of predicting or later, looking back on any war's casualties is contingent upon a wide variety of factors relating to the nature of any given war, the number of troops involved, the location of the war, and the training of the war's soldiers. For a more accurate understanding of warfare casualties, war historians would have to confine themselves to wars prior to the introduction of air warfare, which of course inflicted immense numbers of casualties by the very nature of air force bombers and fighter planes.

With those factors stated, a review of battle actions and the weapons of the US Civil War can more accurately analyzed.

In the 1850's war analysts and warfare tactical instructors predicted that the rifle musket would revolutionize military operations. The longer range of the weapon, 500 yards compared to the one hundred yard accuracy of the smoothbore musket, could create what can be termed as a deeper killing zone. Following this logic, there would be an increase in casualties making frontal attacks far too costly, neutralize the effect of artillery and cavalry in attacking infantry, and thus usher in a new era of weaponry. Keeping in mind that in most wars including the US Civil War, the infantry had the most soldiers and therefore the most casualties.

In this scenario, the accuracy of rifled muskets would be negated because the targets of the new accurate rifles would change the tactics of the infantry in order to reduce casualties. The first tactic to be changed would the the offensive assault by the infantry.

This did not happen in the US Civil War.

The best example of this was near the end of the war when Lieutenant General US Grant continued to use frontal assaults during most of his Overland campaign of 1864. If more accurate weapons were a major factor, than Grant would have avoided giving the enemy the opportunity to inflict heavy damage on the Army of the Potomac.

The predictions of heavier casualties caused by the more accurate rifled musket failed to materialize in the US Civil War.

The best example of this is based on the battle tactics of that war and the terrain in which that war was fought.

The 500 yard effective range of the rifled musket was effective if two elements were present.

1. Trained riflemen who could gauge the curvature that the projectile would follow to hit the intended target; and

2. With rough terrain being common in US Civil War battles, trained marksmen sitting at ground level would rarely have a clear shot of the enemy.

The other main reason that more accurate rifles did not cause more casualties was the fact that before the war, during the war and in later wars of the 19th century, battlefield tactics resulted in fighting the enemy at 100 yards or less. In these all too numerous examples, the accuracy of rifled muskets were negated due to the fact that the 500 yard range was a rare occurrence.

Close scrutiny of battlefield reports created by generals after a major battle will find no mention of "high casualties" due to more accurate weaponry.

Without going into great detail, the primary reason for the high casualty rates suffered in the US Civil War was due to disease not caused by battlefield wounds. Disease was the major killer of US Civil War soldiers.

More accurate weapons did not cause the high casualty rates in the US Civil war.

One final yet important note. Assaults during the US Civil War were made by either linear of column attacks. At the normal 100 or less yard killing zone, simply firing one's smooth bore or rifled musket would result in hitting enemy soldiers almost without aiming.

The most deadly battle of the US Civil War and of all US wars was the Battle of Antietam. 23,000 plus casualties and the accuracy of the soldiers' weapons had nothing to do with the horrific results of this one day battle.

Answer 2

More casualties. They were more accurate and deadly.