6 Pounder Bronze Howitzer, Confederate Cemetery GA
Posted by: 
GA Cacher
N 33° 56.754 W 084° 32.962
16S E 726480 N 3758863
Six Pound Howitzer captured by Union Troops returned to guard the Confederate Cemetery.
Waymark Code: WM1Z4Q
Location: Georgia, United States
Date Posted: 08/07/2007
Views: 32
6-pounder bronze cadet gun by Cyrus Alger. Total length, 50.5 inches; weight, 570 pounds. Four of these guns were produced for Virginia Military Institute in 1848, two for Arkansas Military Institute in 1851, and four for Georgia Military Institute in 1852. Of these ten, seven are known to survive. These guns were intended only for drill and instruction; however, a shortage of fieldpieces in the Confederacy at the beginning of the Civil War resulted in their being commandeered for active duty.
A bit of history first.
The Georgia Military Institute (G. M. I.) was established in Marietta, Georgia in 1851 and was the state's first military school. The campus, located on 110 acres of rolling hills about a mile from the square of Marietta on the road to Powder Springs, included a main school building, four dormitories and the house quarters for the Superintendent. In 1852, G. M. I. received 120 cadet muskets, 18 small swords and a battery of four six-pounder guns with the seal of the state of Georgia and the inscription "Georgia Military Institute" on the barrels.
In the spring of 1864, as Sherman's advancing army reached Dalton, Georgia, G. M. I. Cadets were reassigned and started their service as soldiers in the Confederate army. They were organized into two companies and designated "The Battalion of the Georgia Military Institute Cadets" or "G. M. I. Cadets" and were assigned to Walker's Division, Army of Tennessee. They received gray jean militia field uniforms, canteens, cartridge boxes, knapsacks and .69 caliber Belgian muskets. On May 27th, they boarded a train and headed to West Point, Georgia to guard the bridge over the Chattahoochee River at the Alabama-Georgia state line. The G. M. I. Cadet Battalion saw action during the Atlanta Campaign and subsequently was part of the force contesting Sherman's March to the Sea. The G. M. I. Cadets Battalion disbanded at Augusta, Georgia on May 20, 1865.br
On November 15, 1864, several months after the institute was evacuated, Sherman's troops burned the school buildings before evacuating Marietta and starting their infamous, "March to the Sea."
Ths is when the Union Army took the cannons with them. Since they had been marked with Georgia Military Institute on the barrel they kept it as a trophy of war. It was returned in 1910 to be set here at the cemetery.In 1999 the carriage was replaced and the barrel remounted. It stands guard at the cemetery today.
What type of artillery is this?: 6-pounder bronze cadet gun
Where is this artillery located?: Other
What military of the world used this device?: Used during the War Between the States
Artillery is no longer operational: yes
Date artillery was in use: Not listed
Date artillery was placed on display: Not listed
Parking location to view this Waymark: Not Listed
Cost?: Not Listed
Still may work: Not Listed
Are there any geocaches at this location?: Not listed
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