Famous cannon was at siege

I was holding this little tidbit for my artillery presentation at the gathering in October, but I'll share it now: According to Ms. Elizabeth Hoxie Joyner who was the former curator of the Vicksburg NMP Collections and author of A Field Guide to The Artillery of Vicksburg National Military Park, there are only three pieces in the Vicksburg area that have an ironclad provenance to the siege. One is found in the lobby of the visitor's center (a 12# howitzer-Union), one is in the lobby of the Vicksburg Convention Center (a 3" Rifle-Confederate made in Vicksburg) and of course The Widow Blakely (a 7.5" Blakely Rifle-Confederate) which spent 96 years on display at West Point before being returned to Vicksburg. Perhaps of most interest is that perhaps the most famous gun at Vicksburg-"Whistling Dick" a Confederate banded and rifled 18# that was credited with sinking the U.S.S. Cincinnati was either: A. dumped into the Mississippi River or B. buried in a local cave as after the battle it never showed up on an inventory of captured ordnance.
The two XI dalghren shell guns from the ironclad Tuscumbia which were used in the siege are in the park. There is also a 10 Columbiad which came from the Whig Office Battery, which the UDC buried, but was later excavated.

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The above was taken during the Vicksburg Sesquicentennial in 2013; here are a couple of earlier photos of the Widow at Louisiana Circle from an even earlier visit in 1981:

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Can someone please educate me on the actual facts about the statement that the rifled 18 pdr "Whistling Dick" is not listed among the Federal records of artillery captured at Vicksburg?

Is this correct?

What is the source of this record(s)? How do I find it?

An important question would seem to be: "Are any other artillery pieces that are known to have been surrendered "missing" in this record?"

Someone please enlighten me.
 
The two XI dalghren shell guns from the ironclad Tuscumbia which were used in the siege are in the park. There is also a 10 Columbiad which came from the Whig Office Battery, which the UDC buried, but was later excavated.

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Great photos.
Where exactly are these 2 pieces today?
I notice that the tube in the stereo view was elevated using a ratchet system. Is there any record that the Tuscumbia's 11 inch guns used this ?
 
Great photos.
Where exactly are these 2 pieces today?
I notice that the tube in the stereo view was elevated using a ratchet system. Is there any record that the Tuscumbia's 11 inch guns used this ?
Yes, they were requested by Grant because he needed heavy guns, the Tuscumbia was put out of action and sent north for repairs.
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The short answer is that they evidently aren't, the Park inventory doesn't list any 11" Guns.[/ they may have been moved, but the book I got it from is called, The Big Guns, which is the Bible on artillery.
And to be honest, since Terry Winschel left, no one at the Park now, knows what they have.
 
The short answer is that they evidently aren't, the Park inventory doesn't list any 11" Guns.
they may have been moved, but the book I got it from is called, The Big Guns, which is the Bible on artillery.
And to be honest, since Terry Winschel left, no one at the Park now, knows what they have.
 
The inventory that I was looking at is in A Field Guide to The Artillery of Vicksburg National Military Park by Elizabeth Hoxie Joyner
 
They show 3 IX Dahlgrens and a IX Columbiad on the Park inventory.
 
I am not an expert, but I think that WD was confused with one or more Whitworth rifled cannons that were also at the siege. The Whitworth shell is pictured here. Tompre has posted a photo of WD's shells from a local collector on another thread here.

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There were two Whitworth cannon in the Vicksburg defenses, one came from Snyder’s Bluff and was moved to Baldwin’s lines in the rear. It burst soon after the siege began, the other one was in the Wyman’s Hill River Battery, but it was moved to the rear in an area close to Baldwin Ferry Road. I’m enclosing General Baldwin’s report of the Whitworth in his lines.
During the day the following pieces of light artillery were placed in position on my line: One 30-pounder Parrott gun, manned by a detachment from a Missouri battery (this gun burst on the evening of Friday, and was replaced by a 32-pounder smooth-bore, served by a detachment from Captain [J. P.] Lynch's company, First Tennessee Artillery); one Whitworth gun, which also burst the first day;
 
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IX Dahlgrens:
Vick# 342 # 703
Vick# 370 # ---
Vick# 867 Cemetery Gun
Vick #390 CS Columbiad ---
 
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#703 is from Sacketts Harbor, #342,370,and 867 aren’t listed as surviving. Do they have a FDY#?
And I think the Columbiad is a 10 inch.
 
#703 is from Sacketts Harbor, #342,370,and 867 aren’t listed as surviving. Do they have a FDY#?
And I think the Columbiad is a 10 inch.
The Vick# is the Park inventory number, 370 doesn't have a number, 867's Muzzle isn't accessible & 390 is Confederate with no #.
 
A small question, why did the UDC bury the cannon and where did they get it?
 
Can someone please educate me on the actual facts about the statement that the rifled 18 pdr "Whistling Dick" is not listed among the Federal records of artillery captured at Vicksburg?

Is this correct?

What is the source of this record(s)? How do I find it?

An important question would seem to be: "Are any other artillery pieces that are known to have been surrendered "missing" in this record?"

Someone please enlighten me.
A small question, why did the UDC bury the cannon and where did they get it?
i have no idea why they buried it, but they placed a note in it saying that it came from the foot of Washington and Main Street. The Park got it, and I have often wondered if it is the one at South Fort.
 
i have no idea why they buried it, but they placed a note in it saying that it came from the foot of Washington and Main Street. The Park got it, and I have often wondered if it is the one at South Fort.
I suddenly have this very strange vision of bunch of little old ladies stealing this cannon in the middle of the night, digging a big hole and pushing it in.
 
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