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Why Is Malvern Hill Defense Important

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The civil war, one of the most bloodiest and climacteric battles in the history of the United States. Many battles took place during this pivotal, yet traumatic time in the United States of America. Like any battle, there have moving parts. Within Battles they contain, Scouts, Calvary, Infantry, and Field Artillery. Of all the moving parts on the battle field, the Field Artillery plays an important and triumphant role, within the battlefield infrastructure. The civil war, like other wars, ubiquitous use of artillery was important; artillery was the key to winning battles. One battle in particular, relied densely on the field artillery. Malvern Hill was that important battle. The history of Malvern Hill is one of many puzzle pieces, …show more content…

This battle in particular was the final of a succession of battles known as the Seven Days Battle, or the Peninsula Campaign. Over the course of the first six days General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate forces managed to hold off General George G. McClellan’s offensive on the peninsula in an attempt to take the confederate capitol in Richmond (Gabriel, 2011). On the night of June 30th General McClellan’s Army on the Potomac took its place atop Malvern Hill. After doing a hasty inspection of the area General McClellan left to board a gun ship approximately one mile north on the James River. He left General Fitz-John Porter in charge of the positon on the hill. Given the Advantage in terrain, General Porter Strategically placed his infantry in a U-shape with approximately 36 guns on the western and northern slopes of the hill. The Army had heavy artillery in reserve on the southern of Malvern Hill which consisted of 20 and 30 pound parrot rifles (Gabriel, 2011). This was a battle in which artillery played a very heavy role on both sides. Although the Union and Confederate were somewhat equal in numbers, communication proved to be key in the Unions favor. During Confederate attacks the Union laid down effective artillery gun fire that took many casualties. General’s James Longstreet and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson of the Confederacy constructed an excellent strategy where they would …show more content…

The confederate army under the control of General Lee, was set up in various positions around the crest of the hill, to be able to drop a converging fires on the union batteries (Krick, 2014). The cross fire of the confederate batteries had failed of plan a course of attack. The confederate continued to fire at the union army. The orders issued by the confederate were misunderstood and bungled. The union under control of General Porter had set the main tempo of defense of the battle (Krick, 2014). The union only had room for approximately 30 to 35 cannons on the slender crest of the hill. With the union set up on the slender crest this left the confederates no cover when approaching the exposed hill. Every time the confederate’s infantry approached they were stopped and stalled off in front of the union’s wall of cannon defense (Krick, 2014). When the confederates would retreat after confronting the unions wall of cannon defense they would face a lot of friendly fire from the confederates cannon batteries (Krick, 2014). The confederates would periodically expel all its ammo of a six gun batteries; once depleted a ready team would fill in for replacement. The confederates finally found a new line to approach the hill on the western slope of the hill to be able to protect their route (Krick, 2014). With this new route the confederates would only be able to get

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