Where and when was this .. anybody with a guess before the answer below? I was surprised.
Petersburg VA, 1865 after a Union Army Attack. Looks like WWII kinda damage. in 1865!!
I read once that part of why the Civil War was so groteseque on the casualty front was the combatants had essentially
modern weaponry by standards still in use 80 years later in WWII. Particularly the heavy artillery.
But, they were fighting with 18th century ground tactics. Get in a line and march across open terrain, and then a shell lands and shreds 10-20 guys at once.
Long guns (Whitworths for snipers, Springfields for foot soldiers, etc.) that were accurate/deadly 200 yards to well over 1,000 yards .. guys carrying the "colors" getting picked off, another guy takes his place and promptly gets shot within seconds.
Heck a minie ball, conical nose and spinning from grooved barrels, was over 50 caliber -- hence all the amputations if they hit long bones, let alone the instant deaths from torso/head shots.
Ugh ..enough of that.
