This Spanish 4.8 inch rifled-bore bronze gun, dated 24 Feb 1795, was captured by American forces in Cuba during the Spanish American War. Pursuant to a directive by the Secretary of war, captured cannon were given to the several states.
This particular gun was given to the City of Chattanooga by the US Government in 1899 and placed on display in 1900. According to inscriptions on the gun, the copper is from the Cobre de Mexico y Rio Tinto mine, and the gun was manufactured in Sevilla on 24 Feb 1795.
This interesting rifled-bore bronze gun is located near the Hamilton County Courthouse and Court Square Fountain at gthe point of a small park along Georgia Avenue.
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: (
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"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: (
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"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: (
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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"