| Acoustic Shadow (sometimes called Silent Battle) is a | | | | battlefield situation. |
| strange thing. It is a phenomenon where sound is | | | | Examples of Acoustic Shadow During Civil War |
| unheard close to the cause of the sound, but the | | | | Battles: |
| same sound is heard a far distance away from its | | | | - Battle of Gaines's Mill - More than 91,000 men were |
| source. With a unique combination of factors such as | | | | engaged in battle at Gaines's Mill, Virginia on June 27, |
| wind, weather, temperature, land topography, forest or | | | | 1862. Confederate commanders and troops were less |
| other vegetation, and elevation, battle sounds are not | | | | than two miles from the battlefield and could plainly |
| heard at a distance they normally would clearly be | | | | see the smoke and flashes from the guns and artillery, |
| heard. | | | | but not a sound could be heard of the battle for two |
| The distance the sound is heard may be great, even | | | | hours. Strangely, the battle sounds from the Battle of |
| hundreds of miles, yet nearby (sometimes mere miles | | | | Gaines's Mill were easily heard in Staunton, Virginia |
| away), the sounds are not heard. Battles where the | | | | over one hundred miles away. |
| Acoustic Shadow phenomenon occurred in the Civil | | | | - Five Forks - Fives Forks was fought from March 30 |
| War are Gettysburg, Seven Pines, Iuka, Fort Donelson, | | | | to April 1, 1865 and was part of the Appomattox |
| Five Forks, Perryville, and Chancellorsville. | | | | Campaign. Confederate Generals George Pickett and |
| Acoustic Shadow could have a profound effect on a | | | | Fitzhugh Lee were enjoying a shad bake with other |
| battle. During the Civil War, it was common for armies | | | | generals north of Hatcher's Run when the battle of |
| to be spread out over large distances and timely | | | | Five Forks began a short distance away. Because of |
| communication between the split parts of an army | | | | Acoustic Shadow, Pickett and Fitzhugh Lee were |
| was crucial to battlefield success. Army commanders | | | | unaware a fight was under way. Pickett finally |
| must make decisions based on current knowledge of | | | | responded, but arrived late for the battle. Pickett and |
| the situation before them. The sound of a battle would | | | | Fitzhugh Lee have been criticized by Civil War |
| be a form of communication, signaling to a Civil War | | | | historians (please see Lee's Lieutenants, III, 665-670) for |
| commander and his staff where a battle is taking | | | | not acting on "the dread immediacy of the crisis" (ibid., |
| place, and what troops (including enemy) may be | | | | 665) at Five Forks. |
| involved. If Acoustic Shadow hides battle action from | | | | - The Battle of Gettysburg - The battle sounds from |
| being heard by a commander, then communication has | | | | Gettysburg fought on July 1, 2, and 3, 1863 could be |
| been lost and dire consequences may follow as the | | | | heard over one hundred miles away in Pittsburgh, but |
| commander does not respond as needed to the | | | | were not heard only ten miles from the battlefield. |