Nor really the case. Alexander had ammunation to support Pickets advance. The problem was not enough ammunition, it was the quality of the ammunition. The Confederate artillery was overshooting the Union artillery positions by 300-400 yards. The heavy casualties during Pickett’s Charge were because the Union Artillery had not been heavily damaged by the pre assault bombardment. The overshoot was because the Selma Arsenal case fuses performed differently than the Richmond Arsenal case fuses. The ANV was using Selma fuses because the Richmond fuse factory blew up in April 1863. A couple months after Gettysburg, the Confederate Ordnance Dept
did side by side tests of the two fuses, found out they performed differently, and ordered production standardized.
For the rest of the war the Selma and Richmond case fuses performed pretty much the same.
At exactly 2:25 PM, Confederate Colonel Edward Porter Alexander scribbled this note and rushed it off to General George Pickett: ”If you are coming at all you must come at once, or I cannot give you proper support, but the enemy’s fire has not slackened at all. At least 18 guns are still firing from the cemetery itself.” But those 18 Federal guns began to fall silent. So, Alexander watched intently, waiting to see if the Confederate artillery barrage had done its job.
It was July 3, 1863, moments before what remains the most well-known, controversial, and roundly debated infantry assault in American military history, forever known as Pickett’s Charge. Smoke was still swirling from the greatest cannonade the North American Continent had ever witnessed as Alexander peered through his glasses, trying to fathom if the Rebel bombardment had created the necessary conditions for their infantry to advance.
He watched closely as Federal batteries limbered-up and departed the critical area (which he incorrectly thought was a cemetery), while none replaced them. After five minutes of meticulous observation, he scribbled another note, sending it off at 2:35: “For God’s sake come quick. The 18 guns are gone. Come quick or I can’t support you.”
https://www.jimstempel.com/jimstempel/general-longstreet/
“The problem was not enough ammunition, it was the quality of the ammunition. The Confederate artillery was overshooting the Union artillery positions by 300-400 yards. The heavy casualties during Pickett’s Charge were because the Union Artillery had not been heavily damaged by the pre assault bombardment. The overshoot was because the Selma Arsenal case fuses performed differently than the Richmond Arsenal case fuses. The ANV was using Selma fuses because the Richmond fuse factory blew up in April 1863. A couple months after Gettysburg, the Confederate Ordnance Dept did side by side tests of the two fuses, found out they performed differently, and ordered production standardized.”
I knew about the overshooting by the rebel artillery but didn’t know the reason. Very cool. Thanks for posting that.