Battery A, 1st Illinois Light Artillery Photos

Championhilz

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I was recently reading the History of Battery A, 1st Illinois Light Artillery by Charles B. Kimbrell, published in 1899, and was happy to find the book had a number of very good photos of the battery that I had not seen before. I decided to share them with the forum:

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1st Illinois Light Artillery 2 by Jeff Giambrone, on Flickr


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1st Illinois Light Artillery 3 by Jeff Giambrone, on Flickr


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1st Illinois Light Artillery 4 by Jeff Giambrone, on Flickr

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1st Illinois Light Artillery 6 by Jeff Giambrone, on Flickr

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1st Illinois Light Artillery by Jeff Giambrone, on Flickr
 
Interesting pics. My Illinois reenactment unit has recently decided to go buff with its drill and skip both the worm and dry sponge -- in other words appearing as this 1st Illinois legacy unit. We use our actual artifact 12 pdr (smooth bore) Napoleons primarily.

It has always been that, because we pack the charge in aluminum foil (rather than cloth bags per the legacy practice) we justified using the worm for each shot to retrieve the foil, knowing full well worming was not a step used in front-line drill back in the day. We threw in a dry sponge as well, that and the worm considered a safety conciliation in our modern drill: and a bit of a nod to artillery school certification and NPS guidelines.

We have this year gone to just the one sponge then, and it turns out the fibers do, after all, snag the foil enough to pull it out without needing the worm. There is some concern about possible hot spots behind any foil left behind but we rigidly follow protocols regarding who's near the muzzle and primer vent, and when, during the drill.

Any other artillery units tried this?
 
Sorry I do not have a photo handy ( I have asked one of my fellow Rangers to send me one), but one of the cannon used by this battery is on display in the visitor center at Shiloh NMP. There are three cannon barrels mounted verticaly in the vc and this cannon is in the center position. There are two positive pieces of evidence which were left by the vetrans on the barrell.

A plaque mounted on the reinforce reads “Battery A Chicago Light Artillery/This Gun Held This Spot/April 6 1862/Loss in Battle of Shiloh/4 Men Killed 26 Men Wounded/48 Horses Lost But No Gun.

Inscribed on top of the breech are the words: “Right Piece Co A C.L.A [Chicago Light Artillery]. 1st Illinois Donelson – Shiloh - Cold Water – Vicksburg – Ark. Post – Champion Hill – Bridgeport – Vicksburg”.

The gun, a 12-pounder Bronze Field Howitzer, Marshall, Model 1841 was cast in 1861. It used to be on display across from the Peach Orchard.

Tom
 
The Company of Military Historians published a uniform plate of Battery A ,1st Illinois Light Artillery, 1859-1862 in their Military Uniforms in America series. It is plate number 785. The plate was published in 2001, written and illustrated by James J. Hennessey.
 
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It would appear that this unit wore its gray uniforms at the Battle of Shiloh .

Gray roundabout style jacket (they called then artillery jackets despite the jackets being more like roundabout) with red trim (red Brandenburg cuff flashes). gray pants and gray cap (crossed cannon with "A" above it). Long dark blue caped overcoats.
 
Sorry for the quality of this image. It comes from Shiloh, Shells and Artillery Units by George F. Witham. It shows the gun on display in the field at Shiloh. It was later moved to the visitor center.
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The gun of Company A, 1st Illinois is in the center. It is on permanent display in the visitor center at Shiloh National Military Park.
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LoC has a second view of the Cairo camp scene showing the artillerymen being sworn in:

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Titled: "Swearing in of Capt. Smith's artillery boys at Camp Smith."

Source.
 
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