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New Weapons In The Civil War Essay

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“It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it.” These words were spoken by Robert E. Lee, a Confederate general in the Civil War. While the battles during the war were indeed terrible, there was also several aspects General Lee missed in his description. The need to constantly improve during the war allowed for several technological, pharmaceutical, and strategic advances nationwide. However, these changes did not happen overnight. The earliest battles during the war proved to both armies that normal military strategies would not be acceptable. The Union and Confederacy needed not only needed to enhance old battle plans, but to create new methods guaranteed to outdo the enemy. Eager to win the war, the Union devised a strategy named the Anaconda plan. This plan was created by General Winfield Scott, and used Union ships to block all Confederate …show more content…

These tools included swords, knives, and bayonets. Swords were mainly used as a symbol of the wearer’s rank, not as a common weapon. A big hunting knife could be used as a close range weapon if their were no alternatives. Finally, bayonets stuck to the muzzles of guns as a potential weapon, but were not often used in combat. Small arms were only one aspect of battle in the Civil War. Artillery in the Civil War also came in the form of a smooth-bore cannon. Compared to older versions, this new cannon could fire at higher paths, but had a shorter range. Weapons were not the only machinery that were improved during the war. New technology also came in the form of transportation, such as hot air balloons. The idea was to create a mechanism that could elevate soldiers over the battlefield, allowing them to get a “bird’s-eye-view” of the enemy. This technology did not only help with more definitive collection of enemy information, but also provided more accurate battlefield

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