| Only about six percent of the soldiers in the
American Civil War were enrolled in the artillery branch of the service,
yet the artillery played a pivotal role in almost every major engagement
of the War. Artillery's role in battle had become increasingly important
since the early days of the Civil War. With new weaponry, amunition and
tactics, artillery would become the driving force that inflicted the majority
of casualties in future wars. And in the final years of the nineteen century,
many of those forgotten Confederate and Union gun barrels, blessed by the
touch of those brave men who served them, that once belched flame and smoke
across the land, were being prepared for a peaceful return to grace the
fields of battle sites for future generations to appreciate and ponder over.
The citizen officers and soldiers who fought for the Confederacy and Union
personified the best qualities of America. The preservation of liberty and
freedom was the motivating factor in the decision to fight the Second American
Revolution. The tenacity with which Confederate and Union officers and soldiers
fought underscored their belief in the rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
We are preserving the history and legacy of these heroes, so future generations
can understand the motives that animate the Cause. We honor those men before
us: |
