(2) 10-Pounder Parrott Rifles, Unmarked - Gettysburg, PA
N 39° 49.612 W 077° 14.680
18S E 307903 N 4410952
The Watson’s 2nd Richmond Howitzers monument is flanked on either side by unmarked 10-pounder Parrott Rifles. The registry information once stamped on the muzzle has long faded resigning these rifles to anonymity.
Waymark Code: WMENHE
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 06/19/2012
Views: 3
These cannons look similar to the 3-inch ordnance guns with their smooth black firing tubes except these guns have a band about their breeches which distinguishes them all as Parrott rifles. My SOURCE for all things weapons at Gettysburg was useless as there is no recoverable information from the stamps on the three muzzles. The registry information and other manufacturing data which should be stamped on the muzzles are gone, eroded and lost to time. The cannons are in good shape and the carriages appear to have been restored. I learned the man who made the tablets which accompany the cannons also had a hand in restoring these cannons as well. Gettysburg National Military Park has hundreds of these historic artillery pieces on its field of battle. The actual cannons are from the Civil War. Their carriages, sights, and caissons, however, have been restored. Much of the restorative work came from Major Calvin Gilbert’s who owned the Gettysburg foundry.
The two unmarked guns and the Watson's Artillery Battery - CS Battery Marker are all across from Schultz woods and to the right of the National Guard Armory, on West Confederate Avenue, on the left or east side when traveling south; the marker faces the west. This area is Seminary Ridge near the Lutheran Theological Seminary. Parking is rather easy in this area as there are extra wide shoulders. Stay off the grass. There are many monuments and cannons in this area so expect to be here for at least 30 minutes or more to see everything. I visited this monument on Saturday, March 10, 2012 at approximately 11:26 PM, just before the clocks were set ahead for the Spring. I was at 527 feet ASL elevation.
About the Rifle
This weapon was the most common rifled field artillery piece in Civil War service generally, the 10-pdr. The Confederate versions of the Parrott Rifles and possibly this example, were built by the Noble Brothers Foundry and the Macon Arsenal in Georgia. This Parrott design went through several improvements during the war and was changed in 1863 to a larger 3-inch bore and matching Parrott shell. By 1864 the 3-inch Parrott was standardized and most of these 2.9-inch guns were withdrawn from service. The Parrott was made of cast iron with wrought iron breech reenforcement. It was an accurate and reliable weapon. The Parrott rifle was a type of muzzle loading rifled artillery weapon used extensively in the American Civil War. Most of the other weapons, like the ones here, are loaded from behind the gun. The gun was invented by Robert Parker Parrott, a West Point graduate. SOURCE
The tablet, which marks the position of Watson's Artillery CS Battery on July 2-4, 1863 and narrates those events reads as follows:
Army of Northern Virginia
Ewell's Corps Artillery Reserve
Dance's Battalion Watson's Battery
Second Richmond Howitzers
Four 10-pounder Parrotts
July 3 Moved to this position. Took part in the cannonade preceding Longstreet's final assault and continued firing for some time afterwards. Moved at night to the rear of this line.
July 4 In the night withdrew and began the march to Hagerstown.
Ammunition expended 661 rounds.
Losses not reported in detail
This area is loaded with all types of cannons and guns, a veritable outside museum. I would suggest allowing up to an hour to fully inspect all the tablets, monuments and weapons in this area.