Editing Gatling gun (section)

== History ==
[[file:GatlingGunDrawing.jpg|thumb|[[Patent drawing]] for R. J. Gatling's "battery gun", 9 May 1865]]
The Gatling gun was designed by the American inventor [[Richard Jordan Gatling|Richard J. Gatling]] in 1861 and patented on November 4, 1862.<ref>Richard J. Gatling, [http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=00036836&homeurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO1%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526d%3DPALL%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsrchnum.htm%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526s1%3D0036836.PN.%2526OS%3DPN%2F0036836%2526RS%3DPN%2F0036836&PageNum=&Rtype=&SectionNum=&idkey=NONE&Input=View+first+page "Improvement in revolving battery-guns,"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170120053800/http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=00036836&homeurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO1%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526d%3DPALL%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsrchnum.htm%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526s1%3D0036836.PN.%2526OS%3DPN%2F0036836%2526RS%3DPN%2F0036836&PageNum=&Rtype=&SectionNum=&idkey=NONE&Input=View+first+page |date=2017-01-20 }} U.S. Patent No. 36,386 (issued: Nov. 4, 1862).</ref><ref name=Greeley1872>{{cite book |title=The Great Industries of the United States |last=Greeley |first=Horace |author-link=Horace Greeley |author2=Leon Case |year=1872 |publisher=J.B. Burr & Hyde |isbn=978-1-85506-627-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/greatindustrieso00greeuoft/page/944 944] |url=https://archive.org/details/greatindustrieso00greeuoft }}</ref> Gatling wrote that he created it to reduce the size of armies and so reduce the number of deaths by combat and disease.<ref>Paul Wahl and Don Toppel, ''The Gatling Gun'', Arco Publishing, 1971, p. 12.</ref>

=== United States and South America ===
The US Army adopted Gatling guns in several calibers, including .42 caliber, [[.45-70]], .50 caliber, 1 inch, and (M1893 and later) [[.30 Army]], with conversions of M1900 weapons to [[.30-03]] and [[.30-06]].<ref>Paul Wahl and Don Toppel, ''The Gatling Gun'', Arco Publishing, 1971, p. 155.</ref><ref>Randolph, Captain W. S., 5th US Artillery [http://www.allworldwars.com/Gatling-Guns-Service-and-Description-1878.html ''Service and Description of Gatling Guns, 1878''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131225717/http://www.allworldwars.com/Gatling-Guns-Service-and-Description-1878.html |date=2016-01-31 }}</ref> The .45-70 weapon was also mounted on some [[US Navy]] ships of the 1880s and 1890s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Friedman| first=Norman |author-link= Norman Friedman |title=U.S. Cruisers: An Illustrated Design History | pages = 457–463 |publisher=[[United States Naval Institute]] | year=1984 | location=[[Annapolis, Maryland]] | isbn=978-0-87021-718-0}}</ref>

The British manufacturer James George Accles, previously employed by Colt 1867–1886, developed a modified Gatling gun circa 1888 known as the Accles Machine Gun.<ref>[https://www.accles-shelvoke.com/company/about-accles-shelvoke/history History of Accles & Shelvoke from company website]</ref> Circa 1895, the [[American Ordnance Company]] acquired the rights to manufacture and distribute this weapon in the Americas. It was trialed by the US Navy in December 1895, and was said to be the only weapon to complete the trial out of five competing weapons, but was apparently not adopted by US forces.<ref>{{cite book | last = American Ordnance Company | title = The Driggs-Schroeder System of rapid-fire guns, 2nd edition | publisher = The Deutsch Lithographing and Printing Company | year = 1896 | location = Baltimore, MD | pages = Preface, 76 | url = https://archive.org/details/driggsschroeders00amer/page/n10 }}</ref>

The Gatling gun was first used in warfare during the [[American Civil War]]. Twelve of the guns were purchased personally by Union commanders and used in the trenches during the [[Siege of Petersburg|Siege of Petersburg, Virginia]] (June 1864—April 1865).<ref>'' Civil War Weapons And Equipment'' by Russ A. Pritchard Jnr.</ref> Eight other Gatling guns were fitted on gunboats.<ref name="civilwarhome">{{cite web|url=http://www.civilwarhome.com/gatlinggun.htm|title=The Gatling Gun In The Civil War|publisher=civilwarhome.com|access-date=2015-11-03|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151025112639/http://civilwarhome.com/gatlinggun.htm|archive-date=2015-10-25}}</ref> The gun was not accepted by the American Army until 1866 when a sales representative of the manufacturing company demonstrated it in combat.<ref name="proceedings">Emmott, N.W. "The Devil's Watering Pot" ''[[United States Naval Institute]] Proceedings'' September 1972 p. 70.</ref>

On July 17, 1863, Gatling guns were purportedly used to overawe [[New York City draft riots|New York anti-draft rioters]].<ref>Julia Keller, ''Mr. Gatling's Terrible Marvel'' (2008), p. 168-170</ref> Two were brought by a [[Pennsylvania National Guard]] unit from [[Philadelphia]] to use against strikers in [[Pittsburgh Railway Riots|Pittsburgh]].

Gatling guns were famously ''not'' used at the [[Battle of the Little Bighorn]], also known as "Custer's Last Stand," when General [[George Armstrong Custer]] chose not to bring Gatling guns with his main force.

In April 1867, a Gatling gun was purchased for the [[Argentine Army]] by Interior Minister [[Domingo Faustino Sarmiento|Domingo F. Sarmiento]] under instructions from President [[Bartolomé Mitre]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1PTZaud0ekcC|title=Conflict in the Southern Cone: The Argentine Military and the Boundary Dispute with Chile, 1870-1902|first=George v|last=Rauch|date=1 January 1999|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-96347-7}}</ref>

Captain [[Luis Germán Astete]] of the [[Peruvian Navy]] took with him dozens of Gatling guns from the United States to Peru in December 1879 during the Peru-Chile [[War of the Pacific]]. Gatling guns were used by the Peruvian Navy and Army, especially in the [[Battle of Tacna]] (May 1880) and the [[Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos|Battle of San Juan]] (January 1881) against the invading Chilean Army.

In 1888, the ''SS Ozama'' smuggled a number of Gatling guns into Haiti<ref>''Bridgeport Morning News'', (Bridgeport, Connecticut), Volume 19, #155, December 29, 1888, p. 1, c. 3</ref>

In 1907, Gatling guns were used by Nicaragua in the battle of Namasique, largely manned by American mercenaries<ref name=":0" />

Gatling guns were kept in store by coal companies and used during the [[Battle of Blair Mountain]];<ref>{{Cite web |title=100 years since the Battle of Blair Mountain |url=https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/09/10/bmtn-s10.html |access-date=2022-12-04 |website=World Socialist Web Site |date=September 10, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> On September 1, a group of miners looted one of these guns and assaulted a spot called Craddock Fork. Opposing forces fought back with a machine gun, but after three hours of heavy fire, their weapon jammed. The miners surged forward and briefly broke the defensive line, but were repulsed by another machine gun nest located further up the ridge.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Andrews |first=Evan |title=The Battle of Blair Mountain |url=https://www.history.com/news/americas-largest-labor-uprising-the-battle-of-blair-mountain |access-date=2022-12-04 |website=HISTORY |date=September 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Africa and Asia ===
[[File: Gatling Guns in Action WDL11499 (cropped).png|thumb|left|Two [[British Army]] Gatling guns from the [[Second Anglo-Afghan War]]]]
The Gatling gun was used most successfully to expand European colonial empires by defeating indigenous warriors mounting massed attacks, including the [[Zulu people|Zulu]], the [[Bedouin]], and the [[Mahdist War|Mahdists]].<ref name=" proceedings"/> Imperial [[Russian Empire|Russia]] purchased 400 Gatling guns and used them against [[Turkmen people|Turkmen]] cavalry and other nomads of central Asia.<ref name="p1">Emmott, N.W. "The Devil's Watering Pot" ''United States Naval Institute Proceedings'' September 1972 p. 71.</ref> The [[British Army]] first deployed the Gatling gun in 1873-74 during the [[Anglo-Ashanti wars]], and extensively during the last actions of the 1879 [[Anglo-Zulu war]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Laband |first1=John |author-link=John Laband|title=Historical Dictionary of the Zulu Wars |date=2009 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |location=Maryland, USA |isbn=978-0-8108-6078-0 |page=102 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pnf1BC_XORoC&pg=PA102}}</ref> The [[Royal Navy]] used Gatling guns during the 1882 [[Anglo-Egyptian War]].<ref name="p2"/>

Gatling guns were used by [[Khedivate of Egypt|Egyptian]] forces both on sea and land and saw combat in Sudan and Abyssinia. [[Isma'il Pasha]] ordered 120 Colt 1865 six-barrel Gatling guns; after being convinced by Shahine Pasha who witnessed Gatling gun trials at Shoeburyness in 1866. In 1872 a few <nowiki>''</nowiki>camel<nowiki>''</nowiki> guns were purchased, these were smaller and used a tripod instead of the carriage. During the [[Siege of Khartoum]] an Egyptian Gatling gun aided by a telescope was able to target Sudanese artillery crews from a distance of 2,000 yards.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dunn |first=John P. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/808492529 |title=Khedive Ismail's army |date=2012 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-64595-9 |location=London |oclc=808492529}}</ref>

Gatling guns were imported by some states in Nigeria. They were used during the Kalabari Civil war of 1879–83,<ref name="Nigeria2" /> the Abbi House bought one from King Jaja of Opobo and it may have been used in canoe warfare.<ref name=Nigeria1 /> The Ijesha used a Gatling gun against the Ibadan during the early 1880s.<ref name=Nigeria2 /> In 1882 the Bonny used a Gatling gun during an attack on New Calabar.<ref name=Nigeria3 />

By 1880, [[Rattanakosin Kingdom (1782–1932)|Siam]] had imported an unknown number of Gatlings. By 1885 the kingdom had a Gatling Gun regiment of 600 men; those weapons were possibly used in the [[Haw wars|Haw Wars]]. They were also seen among Prince Bigit's escort in 1886.<ref>{{cite book |last=Heath |first=Ian |title=Armies of the Nineteenth Century: Burma and Indo-China |publisher=Foundry Books |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-90154-306-3 |pages=155 |orig-year=1998}}</ref>

The [[Korean Empire]] possessed a number of Gatlings. Six had been imported in 1884, by 1891 it had a battery of fourteen guns and in 1894 the army's two American drilled regiments had as many as 40 Gatlings and practiced regularly (Supposedly because the noise pleased [[Gojong of Korea|Emperor Gojong]]). Some of them were deployed to defend the approaches of the capital during the [[Donghak Peasant Revolution|Donghak Rebellion]], but there is no evidence they saw combat.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Heath |first=Ian |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50089869 |title=Armies of the nineteenth century. Asia : organisation, warfare, dress, and weapons |year=1998 |publisher=Foundry Books |isbn=1-901543-01-3 |location=St. Peter Port, Guernsey |oclc=50089869}}</ref>

=== British North America ===
Lieutenant [[Arthur L. Howard]] of the [[Connecticut National Guard]] had an interest in the company manufacturing Gatling guns and took a personally owned Gatling gun to the [[District of Saskatchewan]], Canada, in 1885 for use with the Canadian military against [[Métis people (Canada)|Métis]] and [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]] rebels during [[Louis Riel]]'s [[North-West Rebellion]].<ref name=" proceedings"/>{{better source needed|date=November 2024}}

=== Spanish–American War ===
{{Further|Spanish–American War}}
Because of infighting within army ordnance, Gatling guns were used by the U.S. Army during the [[Spanish–American War]].<ref name="spanamwar">{{cite web|url=http://www.spanamwar.com/Gatling.htm|title=Gatling|author=Patrick McSherry|publisher=spanamwar.com|access-date=2015-11-03|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180509033232/http://www.spanamwar.com/Gatling.htm|archive-date=2018-05-09}}</ref> A four-gun battery of Model 1895 ten-barrel Gatling guns in [[.30-40 Krag|.30 Army]], made by [[Colt's Manufacturing Company|Colt's Arms Company]], was formed into a separate detachment led by [[John Henry Parker (General)|Lt. John "Gatling Gun" Parker]].<ref>Parker, John H. (Lt.), ''History of the Gatling Gun Detachment'', Kansas City, MO: Hudson-Kimberly Publishing Co. (1898), pp. 20, 23–32</ref> The detachment proved very effective, supporting the advance of American forces at the [[Battle of San Juan Hill]]. Three of the Gatlings with swivel mountings were used with great success against the Spanish defenders.<ref name=" Parker, John H. 2006">Parker, John H. (Lt.), ''The Gatlings At Santiago'', Middlesex, UK: Echo Library (reprinted 2006)</ref> During the American charge up San Juan and Kettle hills, the three guns fired a total of 18,000 .30 Army rounds in {{frac|8|1|2}} minutes (an average of over 700 rounds per minute per gun of continuous fire) against Spanish troop positions along the crest of both hills, causing significant casualties.<ref name=" Parker, John H. 2006"/><ref>Parker, John H.: Cranked by hand at its highest speed until the first magazine of ammunition had been emptied, the M1895 .30 Gatling Gun had an initial rate of fire of 800–900 rounds per minute.</ref>

Despite this successful deployment, the Gatling's weight and cumbersome artillery carriage hindered its ability to keep up with infantry forces over difficult ground, particularly in Cuba, where roads were often little more than jungle footpaths. By this time, the [[U.S. Marines]] had been issued the modern tripod-mounted [[M1895 Colt–Browning machine gun]] using the [[6mm Lee Navy]] round, which they employed to defeat the Spanish infantry at the battle of [[1898 invasion of Guantánamo Bay#Assault on Cuzco Wells|Cuzco Wells]].

=== Philippine–American War ===
{{main|Philippine–American War}}
{{Further|Battle of San Jacinto (1899)}}

Gatling guns were used by the U.S. Army during the [[Philippine–American War]].

One such instance was during the [[Battle of San Jacinto (1899)]] ({{langx|es|Batalla de San Jacinto}}) which was fought on November 11, 1899, in [[San Jacinto, Pangasinan|San Jacinto]] in the [[Philippines]], between [[Philippine Republican Army]] soldiers and American troops.<ref>Linn, B. M., 2000, The Philippine War, 1899–1902, Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, {{ISBN|0700612254}}</ref>

The Gatling's weight and artillery carriage hindered its ability to keep up with American troops over uneven terrain, particularly in the Philippines, where outside the cities there were heavily foliaged forests and steep mountain paths.