Elephants almost in the Civil War (1 Viewer)

[Semper]

I will have to do some more research, but can you imagine?

 

[bigdaddysaints]

sounds cool, but i think it would have resulted in lots of dead Elephants. They would have just shot the elephants down. they don't really maneuver well enough like a horse...

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

sounds cool, but i think it would have resulted in lots of dead Elephants. They would have just shot the elephants down. they don't really maneuver well enough like a horse...

cannons don't either really, though
and wouldn't you try to use the elephants to flank the artillery positions?
not that i know much about military strategy

 

[Arathrael]

My opinion of Lincoln has gone right down now. If someone offers you an elephant, you say yes!

 

[bigdaddysaints]

i dunno, i think there was a reason for the decline in use of the war elephants once gunpower became more widely used in battle,

 

[Optimus Prime]

I’m picturing something like the battle rhinos from Black Panther

And that’s awesome

 

[Semper]

Can you imagine elephants just turned loose in the forest though???

 

[faceman]

i dunno, i think there was a reason for the decline in use of the war elephants once gunpower became more widely used in battle,

besides the cannon,was there a civil war era weapon powerful enough to bring a 6 ton bull elephant down? I imagine a musket
would just make it angry

 

[SystemShock]

I'd imagine the sound of cannons going off would scare the living daylights out of elephants.

In any case, this looks to be a civil war myth.

According to the National Archives, the letter was received in 1861 and was addressed to President Buchanan. In the letter, Mongkut offers the elephants as beasts of burden, and not for the war effort. Given how long would've taken a letter from Siam (Thailand) to reach the U.S. in 1861 and vice versa, it is highly unlikely that Mongkut would've known of the civil war in the U.S. and that he wrote the letter prior to the civil war erupting.


I'll label and see myself out now...

 

[bigdaddysaints]

besides the cannon,was there a civil war era weapon powerful enough to bring a 6 ton bull elephant down? I imagine a musket
would just make it angry

Wasn't the Gatling Gun or other rapid fire guns invented around this time?
Of course, for the War Elephant to work, i would think it would take time to train someone to be able to handle them suckers. i read that once the rider was killed or knocked off, the Elephant just kinda went crazy and ran off, often into their own people causing lots of damage,,, talk about an odd way to say killed by friendly fire...lol
Of course, i guess they could be like walking tanks is fitted correctly ...

 

[Semper]

I'd imagine the sound of cannons going off would scare the living daylights out of elephants.

In any case, this looks to be a civil war myth.

According to the National Archives, the letter was received in 1861 and was addressed to President Buchanan. In the letter, Mongkut offers the elephants as beasts of burden, and not for the war effort. Given how long would've taken a letter from Siam (Thailand) to reach the U.S. in 1861 and vice versa, it is highly unlikely that Mongkut would've known of the civil war in the U.S. and that he wrote the letter prior to the civil war erupting.


I'll label and see myself out now...

According to battlefield.org this is a true story. Again not much research on my part has been done so far.

Upon more reading you appear to be correct. Ah well at least it was something else to talk about for a few hours.

 

[Semper]

Wasn't the Gatling Gun or other rapid fire guns invented around this time?
Of course, for the War Elephant to work, i would think it would take time to train someone to be able to handle them suckers. i read that once the rider was killed or knocked off, the Elephant just kinda went crazy and ran off, often into their own people causing lots of damage,,, talk about an odd way to say killed by friendly fire...lol
Of course, i guess they could be like walking tanks is fitted correctly ...

1861 was the year it was invented.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

I’m picturing something like the battle rhinos from Black Panther

And that’s awesome

I went to the Mumakil

 

[superchuck500]

My opinion of Lincoln has gone right down now. If someone offers you an elephant, you say yes!

 

[tomwaits]