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Why was it custom to stand in straight lines and shoot the others in straight lines?

we've seen movies (the patriot, ext.) and watch the history channel and we all know that during the revolutionary war and even before time, would stand in straight lines (in the open) and shoot at each other. as i think bout this, i know that one shot is nothing, but this is madness for ppl to just stand there when a .75cal rounded ball is bout to make my head explode. if any one plz tellme y such madness was neccessery?


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: The notion that it was just "tradtion" is nonsense. It was sound military practice at the time.

Troops were generally armed with the musket, a smooth bore, muzzle loading weapon. This weapon was both inaccurate and short ranged. Further, it was difficult to reload except in a standing position.

The artillery of the day was also relatively short ranged and took even longer to reload and relay (a cannon moves a considerable distance when fired and has to be dragged back to positon and pointed in the right direction).

Both sorts of weapons created huge amounts of thick, eye stinging smoke which obscured the field within a few minutes absent a good breeze blowing.

Infantry tactics therefore called for troops to advance to within range of the enemy, deliever a few volleys as rapidly as possible and then. before they were slaughtered by cannon fire, charge with the bayonet into the (hopefully) disrupted enemy lines.

It is one of the great myths of American history that intrepid colonialists who were both deadly shots and skilled woodsman defeated the British Army. It just wasn't so. The colonists began to win the war only when they began to learn how to fight like regulars.