Philosophy
PBS has been running the old Civil War documentary by Ken Burns. On the fourth broadcast day there was a less than sixty second reference to an unusual phenomena...
What do the following sites have in common as made manifest by observational accounts: Gettysburg, Seven Pines, Iuka, Fort Donelson, Five Forks, Perryville and Chancellorsville...an acoustical phenomena.
Wikipedia...
An acoustic shadow is an area through which sound waves fail to propagate, due to topographical obstructions or disruption of the waves via phenomena such as wind currents. A gobo refers to a movable acoustic isolation panel and that makes an acoustic shadow. As one website refers to it, "an acoustic shadow is to sound what a mirage is to light"[1]. For example, at the Battle of Iuka, a northerly wind prevented General Ulysses S. Grant from hearing the sounds of battle and sending more troops. Many other instances of acoustic shadowing were prevalent during the American Civil War, including the Battles of Seven Pines, Gaines' Mill, Perryville and Five Forks. Indeed, this is addressed in the Ken Burns' documentary "The Civil War" (produced and aired on PBS, September 1990). Persons nearby would see the smoke and flashes of light but not the corresponding roar of battle, while those in more distant locations would hear the sounds distinctly.
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Battle of Gaines’s Mill – More than 91,000 men were engaged in battle at Gaines’s Mill, Virginia on June 27, 1862. Confederate commanders and troops were less than two miles from the battlefield and could plainly see the smoke and flashes from the guns and artillery, but not a sound could be heard of the battle for two hours. Strangely, the battle sounds from the Battle of Gaines’s Mill were easily heard in Staunton, Virginia over one hundred miles away.
Five Forks – Fives Forks was fought from March 30 to April 1, 1865 and was part of the Appomattox Campaign. Confederate Generals George Pickett and Fitzhugh Lee were enjoying a shad bake with other generals north of Hatcher’s Run when the battle of Five Forks began a short distance away. Because of Acoustic Shadow, Pickett and Fitzhugh Lee were unaware a fight was under way. Pickett finally responded, but arrived late for the battle. Pickett and Fitzhugh Lee have been criticized by Civil War historians for not acting on "the dread immediacy of the crisis" at Five Forks.
The Battle of Gettysburg – The battle sounds from Gettysburg fought on July 1, 2, and 3, 1863 could be heard over one hundred miles away in Pittsburgh, but were not heard only ten miles from the battlefield.
"Thunderstorms and Cannons"
Civil War Acoustic Shadows
by
Charles D. Ross
ISBN: 1572492546
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Philosophy
Battlefield acoustical confusion
PBS has been running the old Civil War documentary by Ken Burns. On the fourth broadcast day there was a less than sixty second reference to an unusual phenomena...
What do the following sites have in common as made manifest by observational accounts: Gettysburg, Seven Pines, Iuka, Fort Donelson, Five Forks, Perryville and Chancellorsville...an acoustical phenomena.
Wikipedia...
An acoustic shadow is an area through which sound waves fail to propagate, due to topographical obstructions or disruption of the waves via phenomena such as wind currents. A gobo refers to a movable acoustic isolation panel and that makes an acoustic shadow. As one website refers to it, "an acoustic shadow is to sound what a mirage is to light"[1]. For example, at the Battle of Iuka, a northerly wind prevented General Ulysses S. Grant from hearing the sounds of battle and sending more troops. Many other instances of acoustic shadowing were prevalent during the American Civil War, including the Battles of Seven Pines, Gaines' Mill, Perryville and Five Forks. Indeed, this is addressed in the Ken Burns' documentary "The Civil War" (produced and aired on PBS, September 1990). Persons nearby would see the smoke and flashes of light but not the corresponding roar of battle, while those in more distant locations would hear the sounds distinctly.
------
Battle of Gaines’s Mill – More than 91,000 men were engaged in battle at Gaines’s Mill, Virginia on June 27, 1862. Confederate commanders and troops were less than two miles from the battlefield and could plainly see the smoke and flashes from the guns and artillery, but not a sound could be heard of the battle for two hours. Strangely, the battle sounds from the Battle of Gaines’s Mill were easily heard in Staunton, Virginia over one hundred miles away.
Five Forks – Fives Forks was fought from March 30 to April 1, 1865 and was part of the Appomattox Campaign. Confederate Generals George Pickett and Fitzhugh Lee were enjoying a shad bake with other generals north of Hatcher’s Run when the battle of Five Forks began a short distance away. Because of Acoustic Shadow, Pickett and Fitzhugh Lee were unaware a fight was under way. Pickett finally responded, but arrived late for the battle. Pickett and Fitzhugh Lee have been criticized by Civil War historians for not acting on "the dread immediacy of the crisis" at Five Forks.
The Battle of Gettysburg – The battle sounds from Gettysburg fought on July 1, 2, and 3, 1863 could be heard over one hundred miles away in Pittsburgh, but were not heard only ten miles from the battlefield.
"Thunderstorms and Cannons"
Civil War Acoustic Shadows by
Charles D. Ross
ISBN: 1572492546
- Arrrrgh
Ahoy My Scurvy Comedist Maties, In honor of "Talk Like a Pirate Day," let's do pirate jokes. The classic, of course, is, A pirate walks into a bar with a steering wheel attached to his belt. The bartender asks him what it's for to which he responds,...
- The Unifinished Work
On President's Day, 200 years after his birth, it is worth thinking about Lincoln's second inaugural address, which ends, of course, "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let...
- Gettysburg Address And Proposition To Which We Must Now Be Dedicated
It was 145 years ago today that Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at a ceremony dedicating the cemetery to hold those slain in the battle. It is a spot I pass every morning. While the old part of the cemetery has small markers arranged...
- Geology And The Civil War
"Impact Of Geology On The U.S. Civil War: War From The Ground Up" October 7th, 2008 ScienceDaily The connection between geology and the history of the Civil War has fascinated Robert Whisonant since his undergraduate days, and now Whisonant has teamed...
- California Plastic Bags
"California lawmakers pass bill to ban single-use of plastic bags at stores" by Doug Stanglin June 3rd, 2010 ONDEADLINE The California Assembly has approved a bill that would ban single-use plastic bags at supermarkets, pharmacies, convenience stores...