So, if you use the NPS's figure of 172 Confederate Cannon of all types, the 102 of Withers' and Higgins' 44 = 146; any idea where the other 26 went to and could they have been captured on/at/return the trip to/from Champion Hill or carried on another inventory? And I stand corrected, I never thought to add the lists together. The reference to a Union Whitworth may have referred to captures as it was in the context of removing non standard guns from Vicksburg after the surrender. The NPS figures of approximately 405 guns used by both sides in the siege 172 Confederate (?) + 220 Union Army + 13 Union Navy=405. Do you have any figures different from these? Trying to determine how many and what was at Vicksburg has had me chasing my tail.
It can be very confusing and my experience has been that the numbers are never going to add up perfectly.
I am not exactly sure how the NPS came up with 172.
Not saying they are wrong, just don't know how they got that particular number.
I am not absolutely positive that 146 is the exact total either.
The guns captured at Champion Hill and Big Black River Bridge and those abandoned st Snyder's Bluff don't add up to 26.
Should those be counted? It just depends on where you want to draw your lines.
I personally would not count CH and BBRB, but would count those pieces abandoned at Snyders. Why ? Its just how I see it.
Counting all 3 of CH, BBRB and Snyders works too.
Then another fella could just as soon say, nope. Only pieces actually surrendered July 4 count.
And why count only the 13 Navy guns put ashore? Don't the guns on ironclads and other vessels and mortar boats count?
Again, any way you slice it the numbers will give you an eternal headache.
Best example, there were 2 and only 2 Whitworths. One never left Vicksburg after its arrival in Oct 1862, the other was sent to Fort Pemberton and on May 1st, gave the USS Tyler hell at Snyders Bluff. After BBRB, Snyders became untenable, and was abandoned. Some of the artillery pieces from Snyders were moved into Vicksburg. The number of pieces that were moved to Vicksburg and the number abandoned don't add up to the total number of pieces that were at Snyders. Somebody counted wrong!!!!
The Whitworth was moved to Vicksburg (its the one on Withers line and report)
But John G. Kelly's List of ordnance left at Snyder's Mill, May 17, 1863 shows that the Whitworth was left behind with 19 other pieces. Being a valuable field piece, it would not have been abandoned. Other pieces, more diificult to transport were moved into Vicksburg.
Of course, considering the general chaotic state of affairs around Vicksburg, we have to forgive a lack of perfect record keeping.
And if you ever get an answer that is satisfactory to you, someone can pop up and say something like "But you are using so and so's list of pieces captured at xyz battle. But he didn't count blah, blah, blah so you are wrong."
If you are correct about only one Whitworth in Fed records of guns removed from Vicksburg, that's probably because the other one burst or was "disabled on May 19, from effect of its own shot" and therefore not counted. And see we don't even know how it was made non functional.