1. Combat and Medical Technology in the Civil War
Mr. White’s US History 1

2. Big Questions
How did new weapons technologies affect how people fought and what they experienced on the battlefield?
How did Civil War doctors care for the wounded?

3. Tactics Before the Civil War - Weapons
Weapon used before the Civil War was the smoothbore musket
Barrel (the part the bullet travels through) was smooth on the inside
Ball was a sphere (not a bullet shape)
Bullet would leave the barrel with a spin on it – changed direction
Was accurate to about 50 yards

4. Tactics Before the Civil War - Formations
Men were placed in line two or three deep to maximize firepower
Men would fire in volleys – everyone shoots at once
Battle
Close to within range
Fire one or two volleys
Charge with the bayonet – pointed weapon on the end of the rifle

5. Linear Tactics

6. New Weapons – Rifled Musket
Minie ball was used – typical bullet shape
Barrel of the weapon was rifled – spiral grooves to give the bullet spin
Ball left barrel spinning on axis – much more accurate

7. Changes in Combat Weapons are now accurate over 200 yards
Firing rate is increased – three aimed shots per minute
Bayonet charge became obsolete – why?
Advantage shifted in favor of the defender
Higher casualty rates

8. Effects of the Minie Ball
Slow muzzle velocity – would change direction on impact (tumble, ricochet)
Soft lead – tended to flatten and distort on impact
Would pull pieces of clothing and dirt into the wound
Would shatter bones

9. Artillery – The Big Guns
Solid shot – typical cannon ball, used against infantry
Case shot – explosive, filled with small balls, fired high to explode overhead of troops
Grape shot – cluster of metal balls held together by twine, balls would spray out as they left the cannon
Canister shot – canister filled with shrapnel, sawdust, pieces of metal; short-range shotgun effect

10. Edged Weapons
Bayonets – fixed onto the end of muskets for hand-to-hand combat
Swords – carried by officers or cavalry, rarely used
Casualties from edged weapons were rare in the Civil War – more often happened by accident

11. Hospitals in the Civil War - Wounds
Those wounded in the chest, head, or abdomen were usually left to die on the battlefield as their survival was unlikely.
Those wounded in the extremities had a chance of survival

12. Extremity Wounds
Amputation of the wound was usually the only course of action, especially if the wound had hit bone, or the bullet (or parts of it) stayed in the wound
The closer the amputation was to the trunk of the body, the more likely amputation would result in death
Infection was usually quite likely, and the person would have to be able to fight it off

13. Medical Technology - Amputations
Painkillers and anesthetics were available, but were usually addictive drugs – morphine, opium, or when those weren’t available, hard liquor
Often done outside, during the day – why?
Tourniquet would be used to stop the blood flow.
Stiff, serrated bone-saw would be used to saw through flesh and bone
Amputated limbs simply thrown in a pile

15. New Technology
Even though the Civil War seems backwards when it comes to medical technology, they did have some advances
Hypodermic syringe – first used in the Civil War
Advanced ideas of field hospitals, mobile surgery unites, advancement of the roles of nurses
No concept of blood- or fluid-based germs – idea was that a clean surgical space had fewer problems
No concept of antiseptic practices