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Gunpowder Essay

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Since the discovery of gunpowder by the Chinese, the world as we know it has made more efficient and powerful weapons. Throughout the history of warfare from the medieval times to present day, explosives have been used as an Offensive and Defensive weapon. When a castle or army was under siege the attacking army would surround the objective and cut off all supply lines and try to starve the enemy into submission. With the invention of gunpowder it made the siege obsolete. This was empowered by the cannon and other forms of field artillery, which allowed the objective to be overthrown quickly. Military grade explosives are used for benign reasons also. Within the past few years an emphasis has been placed upon demining war torn …show more content…

The Confederate strongpoint in the lines of fortification and trenches was known as Elliott’s Salient. Lieutenant Colonel Henry Pleasants of the 48TH Pennsylvania who was a coal miner by trade before the war had started saw the importance of this salient and proposed the mission of mining under the salient to blow it up in order to end the stalemate. The Union Army Engineers saw the task as impossible to accomplish. Work began on June 25TH 1864 to excavate a 510 foot long shaft from the Union lines and extend under the Confederate stronghold. On July 23RD 1864 the mining was completed. The work included the 510 foot long tunnel and a branch to the left and right for a total of 200 meters wide to cover the width of the salient. Once the work was completed the Union Army loaded 320 25 pound black powder kegs in to the mine. To control and direct the force of the explosion, sand bags were packed in and around the kegs of gunpowder. This is an example of the modern day shape charge. The sandbags would force the energy of the explosion upward in the direction of the salient and weaken the confederate defenses to aid in the ending of the siege. On July 30TH 1864 at 0444 hrs the mine was exploded. The explosion threw bodies and cannons of the Confederate Army in to the air. When the debris, bodies and cannons landed there were cannons buried up to the breach. The crater created by

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