Barisal Guns and Similar Sounds

Abstract

IT may be worth while to put on record the following statements of the distances at which the firing of guns have been heard. They were related to me by the late Prof. C. J. Harris, of Washington, and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia, who, in speaking of the distances at which sounds could be heard, said that during “The War”—the Civil War of 1861–65—he had frequently heard the firing of the guns in battles taking place many miles from Lexington; and so distinct were the reports, that it was easy to distinguish between light and heavy artillery. In particular, I remember his saying that the sound of the cannonading at the Battle of Malvern Hill was distinctly heard at Lexington. Malvern Hill is about 123 miles “as the crow flies” from Lexington. At this battle gunboats were used by the Federals, and the reports of the heavy guns on the boats could be easily distinguished.