Richard Gatling
Born: September 12th, 1818
Born at: Maney's Neck, NC
Family: Son of Jordan and Mary Gatling
Died: February 26nd, 1903
Most famous for: Inventing The Gatling Gun
Life summary:
Richard Gatling took after his father Jordan Gatling inventing machines for farms up until the civil war. During the civil war he supported the union despite being born in the south. Both sides called for inventors to invent weapons. he invented The Gatling Gun. Despite it not being fully optimized until after the civil war, at which time it was patented(May 9th,1865). He believed that The Gatling gun would reduce death by mitigating the number of troops on the battlefield, and possibly end war. You can see this through his letter to Mr and Mrs Colts niece on why he invented The Gatling Gun:
"Hartford, June 15th, 1877
My Dear Friend,
It may be interesting of you to know how I came to invent a gun which bears my name; I will tell you: In 1861, during the opening events of the war,(residing at that time in Indianapolis, Md.,) I witnessed almost daily the departure of troops to the front to return wounded sick and dead. The most latter of which lost their lives not in battle, but by sickness and exposure to incident to the service. It occurred to me that if I could invent a machine--gun-- which could by its rapidity, enable one man to do as much in battle duty as a hundred that it would to a great extent supersede the necessity of large armies, and consequently exposure to battle and disease would be greatly diminished. I thought over the subject and finally this idea took practical form in the invention of The Gatling Gun.
Yours Truly,
R.J.Gatling"
Unfortunately this was not the case. The Gatling Gun became, at the time, a weapon of mass destruction. The Gatling Gun was produced later by Mr.Colt and eventually like most inventions most the world eventually got their hands in it. The Gatling Gun didn't make armies smaller but gave the even more firepower. It was eventually after many remakes replaced by the Maxim first fully automatic machine gun.
Born at: Maney's Neck, NC
Family: Son of Jordan and Mary Gatling
Died: February 26nd, 1903
Most famous for: Inventing The Gatling Gun
Life summary:
Richard Gatling took after his father Jordan Gatling inventing machines for farms up until the civil war. During the civil war he supported the union despite being born in the south. Both sides called for inventors to invent weapons. he invented The Gatling Gun. Despite it not being fully optimized until after the civil war, at which time it was patented(May 9th,1865). He believed that The Gatling gun would reduce death by mitigating the number of troops on the battlefield, and possibly end war. You can see this through his letter to Mr and Mrs Colts niece on why he invented The Gatling Gun:
"Hartford, June 15th, 1877
My Dear Friend,
It may be interesting of you to know how I came to invent a gun which bears my name; I will tell you: In 1861, during the opening events of the war,(residing at that time in Indianapolis, Md.,) I witnessed almost daily the departure of troops to the front to return wounded sick and dead. The most latter of which lost their lives not in battle, but by sickness and exposure to incident to the service. It occurred to me that if I could invent a machine--gun-- which could by its rapidity, enable one man to do as much in battle duty as a hundred that it would to a great extent supersede the necessity of large armies, and consequently exposure to battle and disease would be greatly diminished. I thought over the subject and finally this idea took practical form in the invention of The Gatling Gun.
Yours Truly,
R.J.Gatling"
Unfortunately this was not the case. The Gatling Gun became, at the time, a weapon of mass destruction. The Gatling Gun was produced later by Mr.Colt and eventually like most inventions most the world eventually got their hands in it. The Gatling Gun didn't make armies smaller but gave the even more firepower. It was eventually after many remakes replaced by the Maxim first fully automatic machine gun.