Grape and Canister: The Story of the Field Artillery of the Army of the Potomac, 1861-1865

The role of the field artillery in the Civil War is often overlooked in favor of the more romantic views of great cavalry commanders or infantrymen. But the reality was that without the field artillery, many of the decisive battles won by the Army of the Potomac most likely would have resulted in defeat and/or destruction. Grape and Canister, first published in 1960, has since become a classic and remains the definitive study of the field artillery of the Army of the Potomac.

A study of the artillery use of the Union Army of the Potomac from 1861 to 1865. The author argues that artillery was a potent force only defensively, but that it often saved the Union army from defeat, particularly at such battles as Malvern Hill, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg.