Confederate Whitworth Rifled Cannon at Gettysburg NMP

The above simply can't be taken at face value: For one thing, considering the peculiar and very specific ammunition of a Whitworth it's highly unlikely it was a REAL charge they fired; more likely, it was merely a pound or so of black powder the Good Ol' Boys had brought for the occasion. Although there are verified stories about cannon being loaded from the war - like the well-known story of the Napoleon in the Rhode Island or Connecticut statehouse - it's highly unlikely and almost impossible that any of the guns placed on the battlefield during the creation of the park would have been. As for there being no recoil ("kick" in the article), that's normal, considering there was NO projectile! Recoil is the result of resistance to the force of the charge by the weight of the projectile, causing the gun to rock back or "kick": therefore, NO shell, NO recoil. Also notice the positioning of the Whitworths on Seminary Ridge instead of Oak Hill as discussed in a previous post.
 
I was always fascinated by those Whitworth guns. I remember my first trip to Gettysburg at the age of 13 and seeing the long skinny tubes. I ran up to them and it blew my young mind as I had no idea there were breech loading cannons that early.
 
The above simply can't be taken at face value: For one thing, considering the peculiar and very specific ammunition of a Whitworth it's highly unlikely it was a REAL charge they fired; more likely, it was merely a pound or so of black powder the Good Ol' Boys had brought for the occasion. Although there are verified stories about cannon being loaded from the war - like the well-known story of the Napoleon in the Rhode Island or Connecticut statehouse - it's highly unlikely and almost impossible that any of the guns placed on the battlefield during the creation of the park would have been. As for there being no recoil ("kick" in the article), that's normal, considering there was NO projectile! Recoil is the result of resistance to the force of the charge by the weight of the projectile, causing the gun to rock back or "kick": therefore, NO shell, NO recoil. Also notice the positioning of the Whitworths on Seminary Ridge instead of Oak Hill as discussed in a previous post.

Your absolutely right on it shouldn't be taken at face value, (like most stories), but it's still entertaining!
 
The above simply can't be taken at face value: For one thing, considering the peculiar and very specific ammunition of a Whitworth it's highly unlikely it was a REAL charge they fired; more likely, it was merely a pound or so of black powder the Good Ol' Boys had brought for the occasion. Although there are verified stories about cannon being loaded from the war - like the well-known story of the Napoleon in the Rhode Island or Connecticut statehouse - it's highly unlikely and almost impossible that any of the guns placed on the battlefield during the creation of the park would have been. As for there being no recoil ("kick" in the article), that's normal, considering there was NO projectile! Recoil is the result of resistance to the force of the charge by the weight of the projectile, causing the gun to rock back or "kick": therefore, NO shell, NO recoil. Also notice the positioning of the Whitworths on Seminary Ridge instead of Oak Hill as discussed in a previous post.

When I read the article, I just assumed the breach was rusted shut and that they poured some black powder down the muzzle. But I was wondering if its still possible to light a fuse from the rear or did they drop a match down the muzzle? Anyway, I did find it interesting that off all the guns on Seminary Ridge they picked those two to shoot.
 
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