At Gettysburg, on July 3rd, 1863, the Confederate army gambled on a massive artillery barrage to soften Union defenses.  However, despite a sizable force of cannons, the bombardment faltered due to several factors.  Poor positioning, ineffective ammo choices, and a conservative firing strategy left the Union lines largely unscathed.  The resulting lack of support for the subsequent infantry assault, Pickett's Charge, proved disastrous for the Confederacy.  The Battle of Gettysburg highlights the importance of proper tactics and logistics in wielding artillery effectively, a lesson learned the hard way by the Confederate army.