 In all , the Confederate artillery barrage on both flanks completely failed to achieve its objectives . Confederate fire did manage to kill Capt. John E. Beam of the Union 's 1st New Jersey Artillery , along with a few others , and several Federal batteries ( though none that were actually engaged ) had to move to avoid the fire . Although the barrage by Lee 's forces did claim a few lives , Union forces remained unfazed and continued their fearsome barrage . Indeed , Union Army Lt. Charles B. Haydon supposedly fell asleep during the artillery fight . On both the left and right flanks , several of the batteries that did engage lasted no more than minutes before being rendered incapable of fire . Moreover , in a failure of command that , according to historian Thomas M. Settles , must ultimately be placed on Lee 's shoulders , the movements of the two flanks were never coordinated with one another . D. H. Hill found the failure of the Confederate artillery discouraging and later dismissed the barrage as " most farcical " . 
