… in with the new.
That’s right, I’m tinkering with the blog’s appearance. The old face, while very academic, suffered from two problems: it was hard to locate links in the text, and the comments section became problematic. So I’m trying something else, and I’ll continue to look for what serves all of us best.
Now … tell me where this cannon is located … there’s a big hint in the picture.
 | rcocean on Coming to a Theater Near You… |
 | SF Walker on Your Turn: Three Confederates… |
 | John Foskett on Coming to a Theater Near You… |
| John Foskett on Coming to a Theater Near You… |
| John Foskett on Coming to a Theater Near You… |
| John Foskett on May 25, 1991: Bryan Trottier W… |
 | Betty Giragosian on Coming to a Theater Near You… |
| Betty Giragosian on Coming to a Theater Near You… |
| Betty Giragosian on Coming to a Theater Near You… |
 | M.D. Blough on May 25, 1991: Bryan Trottier W… |
 | Jimmy Dick on Coming to a Theater Near You… |
| Jimmy Dick on Coming to a Theater Near You… |
 | Connie Chastain on Coming to a Theater Near You… |
 | Debbie Page on Coming to a Theater Near You… |
 | R E Watson on Coming to a Theater Near You… |
Backside of Houck’s Ridge in the Plum Run valley? Gettysburg, PA.
Chancellorsville?
Houck’s Ridge, north and west of Devil’s Den……………..
Monument in the right background or andy gump?
The section of Smith’s battery left up the Valley of Death to cover troops that made it around Devil’s Den.
I think that the monument is a US Infantry monument on Ayers Ave., one of a group of about nine up on that ridge.
I would have said “in the vicinity of the Wheatfield, at Gettysburg,” but on reflection I think this is one of Smith’s guns that wouldn’t fit on top of Devil’s Den, and was positioned behind that ridge firing roughly south along the valley between DD and LRT. So I agree w/ Brother Smith.
Crawford Avenue, Plum Run Valley, just west of Little Round Top at Gettysburg. In the background is a marker for one of the US Regulars Regiments located about the middle of Houck’s Ridge. The gun is from one section of Smith’s 4th NY Light Artillery Battery, with the other two sections [four guns] posted on top of the south end of Houck’s Ridge. The section on the floor of the valley was mainly what was responsible for the Slaughter Pen getting its name.
I think Houck’s Ridge. The scary thing is that I can’t tell conclusively whether that’s a 3 in ordnance rifle or a 10 lb. Parrott, because of the distortion the wheel effects on the tube forward of the breech, but I’d wager on the Parrott. In either case leading off with a profile photo like this is guaranteed to get me on board -even if it’s a “replica”. Have you ever thought of being the guy who does the Naisawald/Wise/Daniel equivalent for the Yankee gunners in the West that is so desperately needed? Jes’ askin’…..
3″ rifled. It’s a Parrott (look at the bottom of the tube above the carriage, where the band is more visible; I did not look carefully at the end of the tube, because a 3″ rifled is smooth). I’m not much of an artillery guy. But you are correct: somehow the Yankee artillery in the West has not received much attention.Thanks for the clarification (and the breech says “original”, as opposed to “replica”, which given the respective numbers of each at Gettysburg would make sense) I know of one scholar who had tentative plans to do a Naisawald-style history on the federal gunners in the West but other projects got in the way. There are virtually no bios and very few unit histories at the battery level, as well I can think offhand of only two in the latter category. As for bios, you’d think that a Mendenhall or a Hickenlooper, for example, might be worth a Hunt/Tidball/Cushing-type effort.
The gun is actually one of two replicas at that position – 10-pdr Parrotts. It is one of a batch produced for the park by Calvin Gilbert (an Adams County metalworker and CW veteran) in the 1890s.
I stand corrected (the angle of the image confused me). I should have looked a bit more closely at the image, because it’s rather clear how off I was.
Then, obviously, I also stand corrected and retract, including the observation about the shape of the breech (which would reflect an original 3 in. rifle) – back to “square one”. The angle of the photo and the placement of the wheel create a bit of distortion at just the wrong place. This past year I was asked to identify a cover photo, which was a “head on” shot (muzzle front and center) of what could have been either a 10 lb Parrott or a 3 in. rifle. There was just enough distortion as the eye worked towards the breech to create the possibility of a Parrott. There was also “irregularity” around the rim of the muzzle to faintly suggest stamping of gun no., founder, date, etc. In the end I concluded both were just distortions/photographic imperfections and that it was a replica 3 in. rifle. It should have been easier…..
It is, indeed, the detached section of Smith’s battery north of Devil’s Den, with a monument to a US Regular Army regiment in the background.
Looking at today’s photo, the words ” do you feel lucky, punk?” come unbidden…
Well do ya?
I dunno; did he fire five shots, or six?
Looks like he forgot in all the excitement….(but I’m not sure that particular make is going to blow anybody’s head clean off….)
If the statue fell on the suspect, maybe; although now we have something completely different, thanks to the good professor…