It is generally a mistake to attempt to understand historical people in modern terms.
And I am certainly no expert in artillery. Modern or otherwise. But I could not help but think of the “Big Picture” as I stood where the Artillery Officers once directed the firing of San Cristóbal’s guns.
OK, so my math is a little off.
But the application is clear. The gunners could only hit their target if their leader helped them understand what they couldn’t see. Did a round fall short or go long? Miss left or right? Was the target moving or static? In other words, the officer needed to see the big picture and share it with the gunners.
This military-based understanding of leadership may seem old-fashioned and out-of-date. We stereotype military leadership as hierarchical, command and control, top-down leadership. Exemplified by “If I want your opinion I’ll tell you what it is” thinking. But I wonder if that model would have held true in San Cristóbal. Or would the officers have told the gunners how short the round was and let them decide how much to adjust the elevation? In other words, would they have been barking orders or sharing information?
The gunners were busy. It was hard work to load and fire the guns of San Cristóbal. A mistake could ignite the gunpowder early with potentially devastating results. It would have been easy to just tell them what to do. But I bet it was more effective to tell them what you saw.
Just like it is today.
It was wonderful to take that trip thru your eyes. I could smell the fort, feel the rock walls, and get a real sense of the history there. Thanks for a beautiful literary picture.
Awwwww. Shucks.