Another GBU question and now it`s really stoopid

[Hemlock]

Just before the big battle scene in the bridge one soldier starts to shoot with Gatling gun and the Major stops him.
Well couple of things have bothered me allways:
Did they have Gatling guns when USA were in the middle of Civil War?And why it is so up in the hill?They never could hit anybody with that so far.
I know these are not very important things but when you have watched film about 100 times you`ll start to noticing minor things in the film.
So am I the only one who have noticed the Gatling gun?

[KC]

The Gatling gun was invented in 1862 (by a fellow named Gatling, oddly enough) and was used in at least one battle of the Civil War, the Battle of Petersburg, Va., in 1863. I don't know that they were ever used in the Far West.

You can read more about the history of the Gatling gun here.

I don't know about the placement, but perhaps that's why the Captain stops the gunner. Or maybe he just stops him because he's about to give the "official" order to start the battle. Later on in the scene, the gunner is seen firing again.

On the other hand ... Alfred Nobel invented dynamite in 1866, so I'm not quite sure what those "explosives" were that Blondy and Tuco used to blow up the bridge.

[Hemlock]

You really can ask allmost anything in here and will get good answers :)Even when the questions are futile like mine was.
The dynamite bit in GBU have not bothered me but maybe I`ll start to wonder about it now
Like I said earlier when you have seen something as many times as I have seen GBU in some point you start to noticing somewhat indiffrent details of the film.

[keith]

Hi,

The strange scene for me came immediately following the blowing up of the bridge.  Remember how Tuco lands in the bunker with his "tail in the air?"  Well, his tail is still up there the following day!  What's more, is that the entire armies, both Union and Southern, move out sometime during the night and all that racket caused by the mobility of two great forces does not wake either Tuco nor Blondie.  Moreover, none of the Union soldiers woke up their new fellow compatriots to let them know it was time to move on!  Very strange to me, how they were left behind and unnoticed, being new recruits and all.

[cigar joe]

Powder sticks, Black Powder in rolled cardboard, like firecreackers, used the same way drill holes in a mine shaft then ram the sticks into the hole the last one with a fuse (which was hollow cord filled with black powder too) all they had before dynomite