Shot to the Heart (or Abdomen in Alonzo’s case)

This week, while doing my research I learned the position of a cadet’s battery at the Battle of Gettysburg. Not just any cadet but James Dearing, West Point Southern hotshot who would’ve graduated first in the class if he didn’t drop out when Virginia seceded. Also, one of Alonzo Cushing’s best friends. The full tragic and heroic story of Alonzo will be posted at a later date, but for this micro-blog’s purpose, Alonzo was basically disemboweled by an artillery shell or shrapnel that came before the charge from near the Peach Orchard. Kent M. Brown’s biography of Alonzo Cushing, Cushing of Gettysburg: The Story of a Union Artillery Commander said the fire started from Eshleman’s guns from Washington Artillery, right before the main bombardment.

Eshleman’s Battalion had 8 Napoleons and 2 12 lb. Howitzers at the time of the assault.

A Napoleons’ range is 1480 yards.
A 12 lb. Howitzers’ range is 1072 yards.

Alonzo’s position was over a mile away which is 1760 yards.  I do not think that it is very plausible that Eschleman’s Battalion wounded Alonzo. However, there was a battalion beside Eschelman’s. The batteries commanded by James Dearing, Alonzo’s former comrade and classmate.

Dearing’s Battalion had

2 20 lb. Parrotts
3 10 lb. Parrotts1 3 in. Rifle
12 Napoleons

A 20 lb. Parrotts’ range is 2100 yards
A 10 lb. Parrotts’ range is 1900 yards
A 3 in. Rifle’s range is 1830 yards
Again the Napoleons’ range is 1480 yards.

3 out of 4 of Dearing’s guns were able to hit over a mile. I created a map through Google maps with the position of their monuments in the approximate positions of their receptive guns.

In conclusion, my heart now hurts knowing that James Dearing probably inadvertently caused the eventual death of Alonzo Cushing, his friend and classmate. And that’s what I learned this week.