Gettysburg Artillery Part 2 with Licensed Battlefield Guide George Newton
February 17, 2009
Licensed Battlefield Guide George Newton is standing by two 24 pounder howitzers located at Moody’s Battery position near the intersection of West Confederate Avenue and the Wheatfield/Millerstown Road, which is behind (south of) George and the guns. This view was taken facing south at approximately 2:30 PM on Sunday, November 17, 2008.
This is the second part of our Artillery series with George. In Part 1, we featured a Napoleon manufactured by Quimby and Robinson in Memphis, Tennessee, and a 10-pounder Parrott Rifle, manufactured by the West Point Foundry in Cold Spring, New York.
In today’s post, we concentrate on Austrian-made 24-pounder howitzers at Moody’s Battery, A 12-pounder howitzer, the oldest gun on the field, and 20-pounder Parrotts manufactured by the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia.
See the following related posts:
Civil War Artillery with Licensed Battlefield Guide George Newton on November 21, 2008.
Gettysburg’s Methodist Parsonage Cannonball on January 22, 2009.
Gettysburg Female Institute Artillery Projectile on January 16, 2009.
Gettysburg’s Samuel Schmucker House Artillery Shell on January 15, 2009.
Gettysburg’s Carrie Sheads House Artillery Shell on January 13, 2009.
Gettysburg’s David Troxell House Artillery Shell on January 9, 2009.
Gettysburg’s Crass-Barbehenn Artillery Shell on January 7, 2009.
Gettysburg’s John Kuhn House Artillery Shell on January 6, 2009.
Wills Building Artillery Shell Might be the Actual Shell on January 2, 2009.
Gettysburg’s McClean House Artillery Shell on December 27, 2008.
Hanover’s Henry Winebrenner House on November 11, 2008.
This map shows the locations of the videos that we have shot during the artillery segments. Videos 1-5 were taken near the North Carolina monument, and were featured in our first artillery post. Videos 6-10 are featured in this post, and were taken in the area of the Longstreet Tower. This map was created facing north at approximately 2:00 PM on Monday, February 16, 2009.
The Austrian made guns located at Moody’s Battery position had a range of between 1200-1300 yards and of course be at a disadvantage against rifled weapons. During the Battle of Gettysburg, Confederate artillerist E.P. Alexander wrote in his report that, “So accurate was the enemy’s fire, that two of my guns were fairly dismounted, and the loss of men was so great that I had to ask Gen. Barksdale, whose brigade was lying down close behind in the wood, for help to handle the heavy 24-pounder howitzers of Moody’s battery. He gave me permission to call for volunteers, and in a minute I had eight good fellows, of whom, alas! We buried two that night, and sent to the hospital three others mortally or severely wounded.” This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 2:30 PM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.
In our first video today, Video #6 (Videos 1-5 were shown in the first artillery post), George gives us a general overview of this 24-pounder howitzer made in Wien, Austria (Vienna, Austria) in 1859. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 2:30 PM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.
In video #7 George explains that by this time of the war, the 24-pounder howitzer was becoming obsolete. In fact, in 1862 Lee had ordered many bronze guns such as these to be melted down so that 12-pounder Napoleons could be manufactured from this material. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 2:30 PM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.
We’ve now moved down West Confederate Avenue to the position of Georgia’s Troup Artillery. The Georgia State Monument is in the background, and the Longstreet Tower is behind (northeast of) the camera position. We will concentrate on the gun closest to the Georgia State Monument. This view was taken facing south at approximately 2:30 PM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.
This 12-pounder howitzer is the oldest cannon tube on the field, manufactured in 1837. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 2:30 PM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.
In Video #8, George explains why this gun is unique, and how it had outlived its usefulness by the time of the Battle of Gettysburg. George mistakenly said in the video that the bore of the 12-pounder howitzer was 3.62 inches, when as he later informed us, the bore is actually 3.67 inches. This view was taken facing south to southwest to southeast at approximately 2:30 PM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.
This 12-pounder was manufactured by Cyrus Alger of Boston, Massachusetts which by 1850 was the largest foundry in the United States. This view was taken facing west at approximately 2:30 PM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.
The number “6” is shown here on the back of the breech. You can also see that the tube only weighed 703 pounds. The range of a 12-pounder howitzer was approximately 1072 yards at a 5 degree elevation. This view was taken facing east at approximately 2:30 PM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.
We’re now going to move from this gun over to the Longstreet Tower to some guns at the foot of the tower… This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 2:30 PM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.
…these 20-pounder Parrotts. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 2:30 PM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.
These guns mark the position of Woolfolk’s Battery, but as George explains in Video #9, there’s some doubt about when they were actually here. This view was taken facing east at approximately 2:30 PM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.
These cannon were manufactured by the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia. This gun was manufactured in 1865, and coincidentally it weighs 1865 pounds. This view was taken facing east at approximately 2:30 PM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.
In video #9 George gives an overview of these Confederate 20-pounder Parrotts. This view was taken facing mostly northeast at approximately 2:30 PM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.
There are 11 20-pounder Parrotts displayed at Gettysburg National Military Park. Six are displayed with Confederate batteries: Graham 1 U.S. Parrott, Wingfield 2 U.S. Parrotts, Dearing’s Line 1 C.S. Parrott, and Woolfolk’s 2 C.S. Parrotts. The five 20-pounder Parrotts marking United States positions are all in one battery–Taft’s 5th New York on Cemetery Hill. Of the give guns in Taft’s Battery, 2 are of U.S. manufacture, and 3 are Confederate. One of the Confederate guns, however, is a replica. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 2:30 PM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.
In Video #10, George explains that Woolfolk’s Battery might have been briefly engaged in this position the afternoon of July 2, 1863. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 2:30 PM on Sunday, February 8, 2009.
George’s Book, Silent Sentinels: A Reference Guide to the Artillery at Gettysburg, was published in 2005 by Savas Beatie LLC, 521 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3400, New York, New York, 10175. The telephone number is (610)-853-9131. The book is 259 pages with 235 pages of text, photographs, and illustrations. It is currently retailing on Amazon.com for $29.95. If it is not retailing from Amazon (or for that price), you may order it directly from the publisher, Savas Beatie. The cover of this book was scanned at approximately 8:30 PM on Friday, November 21, 2008.
See our previous posts on Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guides:
Gettysburg Guide Room: The Final Days on March 8, 2008.
Lights Out at the Electric Map on April 13, 2008.
New Guide Room at the New Visitor Center on April 19, 2008.
New Association of Licensed Battlefield Guide Office and Library Opens on August 25, 2008.
Evergreen Cemetery Headstone Damage with LBG Deb Novotny on October 20, 2008.
Camp Letterman Part 1 with LBG Phil Lechak on November 15, 2008.
Camp Letterman Part 2 with LBG Phil Lechak on November 17, 2008.
Camp Letterman Part 3 with Licensed Battlefield Guide Phil Lechak on February 4, 2009.
Camp Letterman Part 4 with Licensed Battlefield Guide Phil Lechak on February 9, 2009.
Camp Letterman Part 5 with Licensed Battlefield Guide Phil Lechak on February 11, 2009.
Camp Letterman Part 6 with Licensed Battlefield Guide Phil Lechak on February 13, 2009.
Gettysburg Artillery Part 1 with LBG George Newton on November 21, 2008.
“Mammy’s Little Baby Loves Guided Tours” with LBG Charlie Fennell on November 23, 2008.
Bucktails on McPherson’s Ridge Part 1 with LBG Rich Kohr on November 26, 2008.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Exam 2008 on December 6, 2008.
Gettysburg Hawk Hunting with Licensed Battlefield Guide Dave Weaver on December 14, 2008.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Bellamy: Colonel Edward Ephraim Cross Part 1 on January 3, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Bellamy: Colonel Edward Ephraim Cross Part 2 on January 5, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr: William Wible’s Gettysburg Quarry on January 21, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr: The Gettysburg Electric Trolley Part 1 on January 23, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr: The Gettysburg Electric Trolley Part 2 on January 26, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr: The Gettysburg Electric Trolley Part 3 on January 29, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr: The Gettysburg Electric Trolley Part 4 on February 2, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr: The Gettysburg Electric Trolley Part 5 on February 6, 2009.
ACHS Battle of Gettysburg Civil War Research Room with LBG Tim Smith on February 10, 2009.
Lutheran Theological Seminary Cupola Part 1: Licensed Battlefield Guide Tim Smith February 12, 2009.
Lutheran Theological Seminary Cupola Part 2: Licensed Battlefield Guide Tim Smith February 16, 2009.
