I've got a question I am hoping perhaps someone might be able to answer, or at the least offer some sound speculation.

At the Battle of Franklin, Capt. Alexander Marshall's 6-gun battery of 3-inch ordnance rifles fired some 700 rounds during the battle. Marshall said he "opened with canister" yet the ammo expenditure report submitted by the Chief of Artillery clearly shows that Marshall's guns fired large numbers of both fused shell and case shot. My question is this. Would Marshall have been firing fuse and case at longer distances and if so, does it seem that his reporting is somewhat misleading? There is a raging debate about when Marshall's guns began firing and at what distance, etc. It is my contention based on the available evidence that Marshall was shelling the daylights out of A. P. Stewart's troops as they swept toward the Union line. From physical evidence I think Marshall's guns may have been begun hitting Stewart's men at around 5,000 feet. At closer range, of course, Marshall would have switched to canister.

We have some naysayers in this neck of the woods who claim because Marshall said he opened with canister he did not begin firing until the Rebels were within several hundred yards. However, based on ammo expenditures I don't see how this is possible.

Any info or opinion would be very much appreciated.

Eric A. Jacobson