Also known as: Major Samuel Ringgold.
| Born | 1800 |
|---|---|
| Died | 1846 |
| Known for | Developing flying artillery tactics |
| Fate | Mortally wounded at Palo Alto, 1846 |
Father of flying artillery
Samuel Ringgold trained and led the light field artillery whose speed and mobility, the flying artillery, became famous in the Mexican-American War. His batteries could gallop into position, deliver rapid and accurate fire, and shift before they could be answered.
Ringgold was mortally wounded at the Battle of Palo Alto in 1846, but the tactics he developed shaped the American field artillery of the following decades, including that of the Civil War.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- CivilWarArtillery.com research archive: biographical and ordnance references.