These cannons are much smaller than the other cannons used here in 1863 such as the Parrotts (flared muzzle) or Napoleons. These weapons are quickly identifiable as the tubes are black, very smooth, and almost always in terrific shape and represented at the time, some pretty serious weapon technology. Their trunnions are sometimes devoid of markings, however some examples have stamps on both trunnions. They always read the same: From the guns perspective, the left trunnion reads Patented Dec. 9, 1862 and the right trunnion reads, Phoenix Iron Co. Their tubes do not have the breech band seen in the similar looking Parrotts, which distinguishes the two. The 3-inch carriages and limbers are also always equally pristine. This is an 1861 model but manufactured a few years later in 1862. I suppose it is possible this cannon saw action here but without the month it was delivered, I cannot know for sure. This model was also mass-produced by the Confederates as well, but not nearly as well made as their Union counterparts. The stamps on the outer muzzles of these rifles are almost always legible and often times pristine which allows tracing back the manufacturing origins a snap. I think this is due to the deep incising of the registry inscription/information along the muzzle as compared to other cannons which were much more shallow in their engraving.
The rifle is located on East Cemetery Hill, at the very northern part, across the road from the National Cemetery, 227 feet from Baltimore Pike. This site is loaded with weapons and monuments. This Hill is located on the east or left side of Baltimore Pike if traveling southeast along the road. The gun is located at the very upper, left edge of the hill (if facing the hill with your back to the pike). In all, there are seventeen (17) 3-Inch Ordnance Rifles arranged from north to south on East Cemetery Hill. The rifles are protected in earthen lunettes. The distance between the first and last rifle is 643 feet. The registry numbers moving from north to south are: 3_2, 834, 629, 737, 670, 762, 832, 931, 399, 707, 279, 922, 731, 634, 909, 757, 719. All of these rifles are in terrific shape, and except for the first one, all of the muzzle stamps are deeply incised and very easy to read. Parking is available on Baltimore Pike, on the National Cemetery Side of the road at metered spaces running parallel to the road. Also, there is a free parking lot on the other side of the rifle, along the Pike located at N 39° 49.328 W 77° 13.792. I visited this monument on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 7, 2012 @ 1:50 P.M. and was at an elevation of 647 feet ASL. I used a Canon PowerShot 14.1 Megapixel, SX210 IS digital camera for the photos.
Through my investigations, 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. Their carriages, sights, limbers and on rare occasion (should you find them), the caissons have all been restored. Much of the restorative work came from Major Calvin Gilbert who owned the Gettysburg foundry.
Calvin Gilbert owned a Foundry which bore his name in Gettysburg. This man was responsible for creating all of the cast iron battery tablets. His work did not end there as his foundry created many of the carriages for the historic cannons at Gettysburg. Although almost all of the cannons are from the Civil War, their carriages, sights, limbers, wheels and caissons have been restored at his foundry in the early part of the 20th century. Gilbert was in his 70s when he did this work and completed work at other battlefields as well.
My SOURCE for all things weapons at Gettysburg could not provide me with the details i needed to positively identify this rifle. They have one rifle listed as registry no. 318 with no location listed. This is the only rifle in the three hundreds that would fit as I am sure that is the first number this rifle. The problem is I am sure the last number is a two but the source has it as an 8 and the middle number is wiped off forever. This was the first time I spotted an error or an omission in this database. What I could make out of the muzzle identification stamp is as it appears exactly (see below), starting at the top or 11 o'clock position and moving clockwise. The information in the red came from my source, is consistent with all 3-inch ordnance rifles and in red.
No. 3_2 ......PICo ......1862 ......T.T.S.L. ......816 ......GRVS 7RH
No. 3_2 refers to the Army registration number, a way for the military to keep track of the guns. PICo refers to the Phoenix Iron Company in Phoenixville, PA, the foundry where the fun was manufactured. I believe when the Rebels were able to capture one of these guns, they copied it and produced their own, although this one was federally made. 1862 refers to the date of manufacture even though this is an 1861 model. 816 lbs refers to the weight of the firing tube. This number is on the bottom of the muzzle. Each gun is usually very unique and has its own weight which distinguishes it from every other gun, like a fingerprint. Many of these rifles are of the same weight (816 lbs) so the foundry must of had some advanced technology to manufacture rifles with such uniformity. T.T.S.L. are the initials of the inspector who gave the gun a once over before it was shipped out to the Federal army. The initials stand for the very famous Union Army Inspector Major Theodore Thadeaus Sobibski Laidley. The GRVS 7RH, more information provided by my source, refers to number of rifling grooves, left or right twist. In this case, 7 right hand twists were made to rifle this cannon. If you were to look closely at the close-ups of the muzzle stamps, the rifling grooves are easy to discern.
About the Foundry
The Phoenix Iron Works (1855: Phoenix Iron Company; 1949: Phoenix Iron & Steel Company; 1955: Phoenix Steel Corporation), located in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, was a significant manufacturer of iron and related products during the 19th century and early 20th century. Phoenix Iron Company was a major producer of cannons for the Union Army during the American Civil War. The company also produced the Phoenix column, a significant advance in construction material. Phoenix Iron Works is a core component of the Phoenixville Historic District, a National Register of Historic Places site and in 2006 was recognized as a Historic Landmark by ASM International. SOURCE & SOURCE
About the Inspector
Theodore Thaddeus Sobieski Laidley (1822 - 1886) was an army officer specializing in ordnance. He was also an inventor and author. Laidley was born in Guyandotte, Virginia April 14, 1822. He graduated in 1842 from the U.S. Military Academy and chose a commission in the ordnance corps and served in the Mexican War. At the end of the war, he returned to the arsenal at Watervliet, New York, as Assistant Ordnance officer. Laidley was put on detached service to write a new ordnance manual published in 1862 which served as an important guide during the Civil War. He served on several ordnance boards designing and testing weapons, taking out eight patents. He was later president of the commission to test the strength and value of all kinds of iron, steel, and other metals at the Watertown, Mass. arsenal 1871-1881, retiring in 1882. Laidley wrote government reports and A Course of Instruction in Rifle Firing, Philadelphia, 1879. Theodore Laidley died in Palotka, Florida April 4, 1886. He was inducted into the Ordnance Hall of Fame in 2008. SOURCE, SOURCE, & SOURCE
About the Gun
The second most common rifled field artillery in both Armies generally, and the most common on the Maryland Campaign, the 3 inch Ordnance gun was made of hammer-welded, formed, machined iron. It was popular because of its accuracy and reliability, at least those examples built in Federal shops. Less precise machining and lower-grade iron gave their Confederate counterparts more trouble. Those built by the firm of Burton and Archer were know to be problematic. The 3-inch rifle normally fired Hotchkiss or Schenkel shells that weighed between 8 and 9 pounds. In an emergency it could use 10-pounder Parrot ammunition. It could also be used to fire cannister but, as a rifle, was not as effective with this as howitzers or Napoleons. The maximum range of this weapon was 1830 yards, with the barrel/tube Length 69 inches, the bore 3 inches (hence the name) and the total combined weight (already mentioned above), approximately 1720 pounds. Johnson, Curt & Anderson, Richard C., Artillery Hell: Employment of Artillery at Antietam, College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 1995; and
Schwartz, Peter, Artillery at Gettysburg online. SOURCE & SOURCE.
This area is crazy-stupid with all types of cannons and guns and monuments as far as the eyes (or binoculars) can see, a veritable outside museum. I would suggest allowing up to an hour and a half to walk around East Cemetery Hill to fully inspect all the tablets, monuments and weapons in this area.
