Advancements Military Weapons - American Civil War
During the American Civil War, new weaponry revolutionized battle. The repeating rifle with Minié balls that allowed soldiers to fire seven rounds in 30 seconds without reloading replaced the musket.
The repeating rifle increased accuracy, extending the firing range from 80 yards to 1,000. Thus forces were spaced further apart on the battlefield and to protect themselves built extensive fortifications and trenches. Hand grenades and land mines also came into use during the war.
However, the new explosives were finicky—sometimes Confederate soldiers used blankets to catch the incoming explosives and simply tossed them back to Union lines, where they exploded. From the skies, passenger balloons spied on enemy lines and from below, Confederate submarines attacked ironclad ships enforcing the Union blockade.
Unfortunately, technological advancements outpaced medical innovation. The wounds caused by these new weapons were often deadly. In battle, modernized weapons proved harrowing. The sheer scale of fatalities and injuries was unmatched and, today, the Civil War remains the deadliest conflict in American history.
One inventive weapon used by the Confederacy during the war was the Winans Steam Gun, which used steam instead of gunpowder to propel bullets. Only one was ever produced.
On April 9, 1865, the formal surrender ending the war took place at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.
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