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Detailed history of the "minie ball"

Right here. I have an 1859 book, "Rifle and Rifle Practice," in which the author points out how tactics must change in light of the advent of rifled muskets. Previously, artillery batteries attacking infantry would deploy at just beyond musket range, 200-300 yards, and shred the infantry with canister. Based on a British experiment with rifled muskets, the author concludes that a battery deploying at that range would be immobilized by hits on its horses in just a few minutes, and be unable to fire due to hits on its artillerymen in a few minutes more.