In May 1864, Sherman's Army started south for Atlanta. The roughly 95,000 infantry were supported by the following:
- 254 Cannon (50 Batteries) and 6,000 artillery men. Which averages out to 24 men per cannon.
- 5,000 wagons
- 33,000 Mules
- 12,000 horses
Which means Sherman had approximately 50 wagons and 450 horses and mules per thousand men.
Logistics are what wins battles. Wha's that saying. Amauters talk strategry and tactics, professionals talk logistics.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read historical fiction or alternative history or miltary fiction I am always fascinated by the preparations and the discussion of the logistics. Weird but true I find that very entertaining.
ReplyDeleteHarry Turtledove has an entire series based on the civil war but in a universe that uses magic as a weapon. Exact counterparts of people like Longstreet, Lee and Stonewall are written into the series. It is a massive and complicated process that doesn't quite hit the mark. But it is an interesting failure for Civil War buffs.
ReplyDeleteTrooper,
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting. The more military history I read - the more interested I've gotten in logistics.
I've gotten to understand that it pretty much drives everything in the Civil war & it explains why so much happened the way it did.
Speaking of alternative history, have you read:
"Dixie Victorious: An Alternate History of the Civil War"?
I've heard mixed reviews.
Yeah I didn't like it at all. Two much better views of the South victorious:
ReplyDeleteHarry Turtledove: How Few Remain
Harry Harrison: Srars and Stripes Forever.