12-Pounder Confederate Bronze Napoleon, Model of 1864, No. 47 - Gettysburg, PA - Static Artillery Displays on Waymarking.com

There are hundreds of cannons at Gettysburg, many of them flanking monuments and markers. Such is the case with this artillery piece. The canon and tablet are located on South Confederate Avenue, on the left or west side if traveling south, opposite Biesecker Woods. The cannon is on the upper or northern part of the Avenue or the 'handle' of S. Confederate Avenue. Further down or south it turns into a ladle like turn and then does it again, resembling a sine wave. The monument faces the west, right into the setting sun. Parking is tricky around here so exercise caution. Please do not park on the grass, park on the side of the road. I cannot emphasize that enough! You will be ticketed. I visited the cannon on Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 4:18 PM, just before the clocks were set ahead for the Spring. I was at a 600 foot ASL elevation.

The gun faces due east. The firing tube is no longer shiny but green as the bronze has long since oxidized. The carriage, wheels and other tube carrying mechanisms all look well tended to and in good shape sporting what appears to be fresh paint. My usual SOURCE for cannon documentation provided me with the following line of information (the same information I had trouble reading on the outer muzzle face) about this specific cannon:
Columbus - Reg# 47 - INSP FCH - FDY# 66 - YR 64 - WT 1225 - W. Confederate Ave.

Columbus refers to the Columbus Arsenal, a foundry out of Columbus GA and the place where this gun was manufactured. Read below for a more in depth look at this armory. Reg #47 is simply the registration number and the foundry's way of documenting and identifying each individual gun produced by their company. INSP FCH refers to the military officer responsible for inspecting the final product to make sure it meets all standards. (More on the inspector below). FDY #66 represents the word 'Foundry' and refers to the foundry's own internal control number. YR 64 is the year of manufacturing and WT 1225 refers to the weight of the cannon or bronze tube which fired projectiles. More information about the specifics of this weapon can be found HERE.

The Inspectors
I did some digging to find out who these inspectors were or at least learn their name. I found a decent site HERE which lists those responsible in the 19th century for inspecting the guns and cannons at the various foundries. This cannon was inspected by FCH who Frederick Clinton Humphreys, a Major commanding the Columbus Arsenal. Major Frederick Clinton Humphreys commanded the Arsenal and Armory in Columbus from the time of its construction in the summer of 1862 until it’s burning at the hands of Federal troops in April of 1865. Humphreys was an ironic choice to command a Confederate Arsenal in the heart of the deep south. For it had been Captain F.C. Humphreys, of the U.S. Army who commanded the United States Arsenal in Charleston, South Carolina that was seized by South Carolina state troops in late December of 1860 after South Carolina left the Union.
Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series I, Volume I, Chapter I

For the last eight months of the war, the Columbus arsenal was one of the major armament works of the Confederacy." Diffee Standard, Columbus Georgia in the Confederacy, (New York, The William-Frederick Press, 1954), 42. Federal cavalry force commanded by Major General James H. Wilson was approaching Columbus, Georgia, the last major industrial center in the Confederacy. A battle for the city was fought on April 16th, and on April 17th, 1865, the occupying Union forces, led by Winslow, proceeded to burn everything that could be used by the Confederate government. And so ended the life of the Confederate Arsenal, Armory, and Laboratory at Columbus, Georgia. SOURCE This source details the work Humphreys did for the Confederacy through a series of notes and other correspondences.

The nearby tablet describes the actions of McCarthy's Battery for the three days at Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863.

Army of Northern Virginia
Longstreet's Corps McLaws's Division
Cabell's Division McCarthy's Battery
First Richmond Howitzers
Two Napoleons, Two 3 inch Rifles
July 2 At 3.30 p.m. placed in reserve near here. The rifled guns advanced to this position at 4 p.m. and engaged in severe artillery fight until dark. The men of the Napoleon section sometimes relieved those of the rifle section.

July 3 Advanced and formed part of the main artillery line the rifle section near Emmitsburg Road the Napoleons further to the left all hotly engaged sometimes changing positions. Retired from the front after dark.

July 4 In position near here. One Napoleon aided in checking a hostile advance. All withdrew from the field at night.
Ammunition expended about 850 rounds. One rifle was disabled.
Losses killed 2, wounded 8.
Horses killed or disabled 25.

What type of artillery is this?: Cannon/Field Gun Where is this artillery located?: Monument grounds What military of the world used this device?: United States Army Date artillery was in use: 07/01/1863 Date artillery was placed on display: 07/01/1908 Cost?: 0.00 (listed in local currency) Artillery is no longer operational: yes Still may work: no Are there any geocaches at this location?: Virtuals Parking location to view this Waymark: Not Listed

Visit Instructions:
Two pictures are required for this Waymark. Please take a close up picture of the artillery. Take a second with the artillery in the distance and capture as much of the surroundings as possible. Name the Waymark with first the name of the area and second what the artillery is. An example would be if it were a cannon in front of the Montgomery Armory you would name the Waymark: Montgomery Armory Cannon.

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