Spanish 4.8 inch rifled-bore bronze gun -- Chattanooga TN
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member Benchmark Blasterz
N 35° 02.971 W 085° 18.370
16S E 654479 N 3879845
A Spanish 4.8 inch rifled-bore bronze gun captured during the Spanish American War and given to the City of Chattanooga in 1900 is dedicated to "American bravery"
Waymark Code: WMWRGD
Location: Tennessee, United States
Date Posted: 10/07/2017
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member iconions
Views: 1

This Spanish 4.8 inch rifled-bore bronze gun, captured by American forces in Cuba during the Spanish American War Battle of Santiago, was given to the City of Chattanooga by the US Government in 1900.

The gun is located near the Hamilton County Courthouse and Court Square Fountain.

The mount is inscribed as follows:

"[L side]

This cannon was captured by the United States Troops at Santiago de Cuba on the 16th day of July 1898. It was one of the guns which commanded the bay and harbor of Santiago at the time of the sinking of the Merrimac by Lieut. Hobson and his brave party, and was employed by the Spanish Garrison in their effort to destroy them, and is now loaned to the city of Chattanooga by the U.S. Government.

[R side]

Erected under the plans of Major D. C. Kingman U.S.A. and the supervision of the following Committee of the Board of Mayor and Alderman of the City of Chattanooga, and dedicated to American Bravery.

Joseph Wassman, Mayor
E. J. Dillard, Chairman
Jos. C. Forstner, Sam W. Duncan Committee

Robert Hooke, City Engineer"

See here for a historical photograph of the 1900 parade that culminated in the placement of the cannon in a place of honor near the Hamilton County Courthouse: (visit link)

"The Chattanooga Public Library shows the following information regarding this photo:

Photograph from one volume of eight scrapbooks compiled by E. Y. Chapin, Walter Cline, and Frank F. Stoops of the Chattanooga Half Century Club.

Crowd on Market Street between 8th and 10th Streets during a Spanish American War parade in Chattanooga. Belgian block pavement is shown, as well as businesses including Globe Saddlery Company, F. H. Wakeman, C. R. Baird and Company, and Milburn Wagon Company."

From the same site, some related information: (visit link)

"Chattanooga's Spanish-American War connection.

Just to the south, the army post of Fort Oglethorpe (Georgia) was a training camp during the Spanish-American War and then became a military fort during World War I and the beginning of World War II. It is likely that this parade was in 1900, when a captured cannon from Cuba was presented to the City of Chattanooga. The cannon can be seen today in front of the Hamilton County Courthouse, adjacent to the Firemen Memorial Fountain."

From the 1902 Report to the 57th Congress by the War Department, a free E-Book on the Google play store: (visit link)

APPENDIX 2
Detailed Description of the Captured Spanish Cannon distributed to the several States under order of the Secretary of War dated July 1, 1899

[page 87]

State: Tennessee

City: Chattanooga

Official to whom issued: Mayor

Number: 1

Kind: 4.8 inch rifle

Material: bronze

Length: 122 1/2

Weight: 3600 pounds

Marks:
On surface of piece, reinforce: IV
On surface of piece, chase: Bartholino
On base ring: No. 3667 Sevilla 24 de Febrero de 1795.
On left trunnion: "Cobres de Mexico y Rio Tinto"
On right trunnion "P -- 3625"
Type of Memorial: Non-Specific Memorial

In Honor Of: American military forces in Cuba

Marker Text:
[L side] This cannon was captured by the United States Troops at Santiago de Cuba on the 16th day of July 1898. It was one of the guns which commanded the bay and harbor of Santiago at the time of the sinking of the Merrimac by Lieut. Hobson and his brave party, and was employed by the Spanish Garrison in their effort to destroy them, and is now loaned to the city of Chattanooga by the U.S. Government. [R side] Erected under the plans of Maj.or D. C. Kingman U.S.A. and the supervision of the following Committee of the Board of Mayor and Alderman of the City of Chattanooga, and dedicated to American Bravery. Joseph Wassman, Mayor E. J. Dillard, Chairman Jos. C. Forstner, Sam W. Duncan Committee Robert Hooke, City Engineer


Date of dedication: 1900

Who Put it Here?: US Governent and City of Chattanooga

Description of Memorial:
The memorial is a cannon mounted at the point of Fountain Park near the Hamilton County Courthouse in downtown Chattanooga


Wars mentioned (Multi-war only): Not listed

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Benchmark Blasterz visited Spanish 4.8 inch rifled-bore bronze gun -- Chattanooga TN 08/02/2017 Benchmark Blasterz visited it