Mountain Howitzer

[frontrank2]

Two Union soldiers pose with a captured mountain howitzer in Richmond, Va - April, 1865. The one soldier's sack coat appears about two sizes too small.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

Two Union soldiers pose with a captured mountain howitzer in Richmond, Va - April, 1865. The one soldier's sack coat appears about two sizes too small.

View attachment 395194

I love this picture just for the small jacket to point out to a lot of fellow reenactors who ALWAYS wear uniforms of the proper size, when back then like now the only sizes for both size in the military was too big or too small.

 

[UCVRelics]

I think they need to swap coats.

 

[JOHN42768]

I think they already did while sharing a shelter and getting dressed in the dark

 

[Harman Farm]

Is that thing that looks like it is wrapped around the tube toward the breech supposed to keep moisture out of the primer hole???

 

[UCVRelics]

Is that thing that looks like it is wrapped around the tube toward the breech supposed to keep moisture out of the primer hole???

Yep.

 

[Harman Farm]

Yep.

Thanks. I don't think I've ever seen a photo of a cannon wearing one of those before.

 

[UCVRelics]

Thanks. I don't think I've ever seen a photo of a cannon wearing one of those before.

Every cannon had one.

 

[Mrs. V]

@Western Reserve Volunteer had a chance to shoot a mountain howitzer. I must say it sure was fun to watch.
On the subject of uniforms..we've had to look high and low to find um.."thin" sizes...good thing there are suspenders...

 

[UCVRelics]

@Western Reserve Volunteer had a chance to shoot a mountain howitzer. I must say it sure was fun to watch.
On the subject of uniforms..we've had to look high and low to find um.."thin" sizes...good thing there are suspenders...

I shoot mine often and they are a blast to shoot.

 

[7thWisconsin]

I deliberately bought a sack coat a size too small once. It was uncomfortable and not warm. I really wouldn't recommend it as a reenacting experience.

 

[Seduzal]

I think they need to swap coats.

That was my first thought also.

 

[7thWisconsin]

To obsess a little more about those coats: the one on the left (that´s too big) is missing a button at the bottom. You can see the empty button hole. It also has an added patch pocket. The pocket is shaped like an old fashioned lady´s pocket, and looks to be about long and wide enough, and is at the perfect height, to hold a pipe and tobacco pouch.

 

[drezac]

I deliberately bought a sack coat a size too small once. It was uncomfortable and not warm. I really wouldn't recommend it as a reenacting experience.

My artillery shell jacket fit when I purchased it 20 years ago. Tight now. Amazing how wool "shrinks" with age .

When the 3-month 1st Ohio light artillery enlisted ( this was early in the war when they were taking 3 month enlistments) , they were very quickly deployed to Marietta Ohio and provided uniforms from the Ohio Arsenal. The men described them as " not only shoddy, but shoddy shoddy". They were in such bad condition that at Marietta Ohio where they were encamped, they would hide in their tents if any women came into camp because they considered themselves not decent to be seen in public. One of them was invited to give a public speech. The men pooled their uniforms and were able to come up with one that was a reasonably fitting uniform for his public appearance. Eventually, they were sent better uniforms.

 

[111thNYSV]

My uniforms are too big since I lost about 50 lbs from last year. Im in the in between size now. Too skinny for my fat guy uniforms and just a bit big for my high school/ college age uniforms.

 

[Western Reserve Volunteer]

That was good old Warren P Edgarton, later commander of the 1st Ohio Battery E and captured at Stones River! He wound up wearing a pair of high boots that were several sizes too small that he squeezed into for the speech, and a random assortment of military and civilian clothes. Quite the sight to behold when reading from the Declaration of Independence on the 4th of July!

If I recall correctly, according to the memoirs of the battery in addition to having poor uniforms at Marietta, it was also blazingly hot & muggy that summer they were in training. So the three months men tried to wear as little as possible... if I recall correctly one man was down to a shirt & drawers! Quite scandalizing for the ladies of Marietta, who hung around the camp helping make powder bags for the guns, ostensibly.

You've got to love the Mountain Howitzer. It didn't seem much service in the war, but it was a handy little piece that popped up in interesting places. It looks like there are four in the picture, enough to equip a battery of them. I for one really enjoyed firing the mountain howitzer last September. Maybe it was it's size, maybe it was better primers, or maybe I'm just getting more experienced, but the lanyard seemed much easier to pull and I don't recall any misfires that day... our battery is very fortunate to have not one but two mountain howitzers, both on the pack and the prairie carriages. They make a great little pair.

 

[Robert Gray]

Transporting the Mountain Howitzer.