Witness Cannon at Shiloh

Ole Miss

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Battery A, Chicago (Illinois) Light Artillery witness cannon at the Shiloh National Park Museum is identical to the witness cannon they left at the Vicksburg National Park!
This is the Shiloh one
Regards
David
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Great photo of the plaque! I had seen it quite often when it was on the field just east of the Peach Orchard. The Park decided to move it inside but don't know why. Maybe it was security reasons?
Regards
David
 
Unfortunately, the best part of this piece can not be seen since it was hung on the wall. The names of all the engagements it was in are engraved on the breech, above the cascabell.

It was moved from the field when we took the witness cannon that was on the wall and moved it to Corinth. The Corinth witness cannon was captured at Shiloh (the Union battery that owned it is uncertain) and brought to Corinth after the battle. It was given to Hoxton's (Tobin's) Tennessee Battery and it was engaged on May 9th, 1862 at Farmington during the siege of Corinth. After the siege it went south to Tupelo, but it returned for the Oct. 3-4 battle. On the morning of Oct. 4 it was recaptured by four men of Company C, 1st U.S. Infantry. This event occurred just outside the doors of the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center.

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There is an engraving on top of the barrel -
Captured Oct 4 1862
Corinth Miss
by
1 U S Inf

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Lieutenant Peter P. Wood commanding officer of Battery A, Chicago (Illinois) Light Artillery, did not file an Official Report after the Battle of Shiloh. In lieu of an Official Report I am offering the Illinois at Shiloh; report of the Shiloh Battlefield Commission May 7, 1904 unit history presented.
Regards
David

FIRST REGIMENT ILLINOIS LIGHT ARTILLERY. BATTERY A (WILLARD'S). Second Division (General W. H. L. Wallace's) Not Brigaded, Lieutenant P. P. Wood Commanding Battery. Battery A, in camp near McArthur's brigade on the Hamburg and Savannah road, moved Sunday morning,- April 6th, 1862, with General McArthur and the 9th and 12th Illinois infantry regiments, directly south along the Hamburg road to the support of Colonel Stuart. McArthur formed his command just east of the Peach Orchard, planting Battery A, Willard's, to the left of the road where it runs to the left of the Peach Orchard. Here the battery was efficient in helping withstand the heavy at- tack made by Jackson's Confederate brigade until two o'clock p. m., when Bowen reinforced Jackson, and, under their combined attack, McArthur was compelled to fall back. Again the battery was planted in the road in front of Hurlbut's line, where it rendered good service until four o'clock, when the Union lines, pressed back by over- whelming numbers, broke. At five o'clock p. m. the battery participated in the defense of the Landing. On Monday, Battery A was at the front with General W. T. Sherman at eight o'clock in the morning, and it continued in action with three guns during the day, doing excellent service until the enemy had disappeared from Shiloh's field. Lieut. Wood in his official report says: "I have the honor of reporting to you the part taken in the actions of the 6th and 7th inst. by Company 'A,' Chicago Light Artillery. After the commencement of the firing on the 6th, as ordered, I reported with command to Maj. Cavender, and was shortly afterwards ordered into a position to support the division of General Hurlbut on the left. We opened fire about 9 a. m., and were successful in silencing the enemy's batteries twice, with two changes cf position, when we immediately moved, taking position on a ridge near the extreme left, and opened on the enemy's infantry, posted on a ridge opposite, about 500 yards distant. This position we held for over an hour, fighting both infantry and artillery, when our support was retired, and we were forced to follow to avoid being flanked and cut off. Taking position again 300 yards in the rear, we were again after a short fight forced back, our support this time leaving in disorder. A new line being formed, we went into battery, opened, were entirely abandoned by our new support, and were obliged, reluctantly, to fall back on the re- serve, taking one of our guns off with but one horse and the cannoniers. An empty caisson was left for want of horses to draw it off, and afterwards recovered. "We were engaged during the day seven successive hours, firing 338 rounds of ammunition, with a loss of four men killed and twenty-six wounded, and a loss of killed and disabled horses of forty-eight. "On the morning of the 7th, as ordered, I reported to Gen. Sherman, with three pieces, all I had men to serve; was given a position on his left; engaged a battery, silenced it; shelled the enemy's line of battle until they gave way; advanced with our troops, opened during the ILLINOIS IN THE BATTLE 155 advance four times and remained in the engagement until the enemy broke and fled; fired during the day 334 rounds of ammunition. On this day we met with no loss."

Willard's battery, commanded by Lieutenant P. P. Wood, particularly distinguishing itself in the battle of Shiloh. It was engaged continuously during the engagements of both days. Its loss was thirty men killed and wounded, and the fact that it went into the second day's battle with but three pieces, was only because of lack of men and horses. There was a remarkable incident connected with the retirement of this battery from the Peach Orchard. A gun on which were two wounded artillerymen was being hauled away by a single horse, when it became "stalled" in the mud. Eager to save their comrades and the gun, members of the battery seized the spokes of the wheels but could not move the piece. In the midst of their heaving a minie ball struck the horse at the junction of the tail and body, and its tremendous leap took the gun out of the mire. Both of the wounded men and the gun were saved.
 
Great photo of the plaque! I had seen it quite often when it was on the field just east of the Peach Orchard. The Park decided to move it inside but don't know why. Maybe it was security reasons?
Regards
David
One thing I like about this forum is the updated information I find; I haven't been to Shiloh in years. I remember this gun well, and didn't know it had been moved from it's location near the Peach Orchard. I imagine the reason the NPS moved it inside was to keep it from getting stolen. Shiloh is a great battlefield due to its remoteness that has left it nearly unchanged since the battle was fought. Unfortunately, it also makes Shiloh a prime target for vandalism and theft. And, these people will steal anything. I have a story concerning the Tuttle Brigade HQ marker that I will relate as soon as I can locate some photos to illustrate it with in a later post. Fortunately, the story has a happy ending.
 
One thing I like about this forum is the updated information I find; I haven't been to Shiloh in years. I remember this gun well, and didn't know it had been moved from it's location near the Peach Orchard. I imagine the reason the NPS moved it inside was to keep it from getting stolen. Shiloh is a great battlefield due to its remoteness that has left it nearly unchanged since the battle was fought. Unfortunately, it also makes Shiloh a prime target for vandalism and theft. And, these people will steal anything. I have a story concerning the Tuttle Brigade HQ marker that I will relate as soon as I can locate some photos to illustrate it with in a later post. Fortunately, the story has a happy ending.
I spoke with the Law Enforcement Ranger a couple of weeks ago and he stated that he had more trouble with deer hunters than relic hunters
Being isolated and over 4,000 acres one ranger can not possibly patrol the park I would not think
Look forward to more of your posts
Regards
David
 
I spoke with the Law Enforcement Ranger a couple of weeks ago and he stated that he had more trouble with deer hunters than relic hunters
Being isolated and over 4,000 acres one ranger can not possibly patrol the park I would not think
Look forward to more of your posts
Regards
David
One thing I like about this forum is the updated information I find; I haven't been to Shiloh in years. I remember this gun well, and didn't know it had been moved from it's location near the Peach Orchard. I imagine the reason the NPS moved it inside was to keep it from getting stolen. Shiloh is a great battlefield due to its remoteness that has left it nearly unchanged since the battle was fought. Unfortunately, it also makes Shiloh a prime target for vandalism and theft. And, these people will steal anything. I have a story concerning the Tuttle Brigade HQ marker that I will relate as soon as I can locate some photos to illustrate it with in a later post. Fortunately, the story has a happy ending.
Back with you David ...Well, couldn't locate a photo of the Tuttle Brigade HQ Monument that was usable , but did locate some others to illustrate this story, which is ok since all the Brigade HQ Monuments are identical except for the names. The Brigade HQ Markers (to those who haven't seen them) look like this:

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At some time in the past (probably in the 70s), somebody stole the star off the Brigade HQ Marker for The 1st Brigade, Second Division (Tuttle).

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Close up of a similar star to Tuttle, this one to Stuart, 2nd Division, 5th Brigade. Those responsible for the theft were never caught, and star was never recovered. So it remained for some 30-odd years; until a new development surfaced (literally) around 2004. To be continued ...
 
Back with you David ...Well, couldn't locate a photo of the Tuttle Brigade HQ Monument that was usable , but did locate some others to illustrate this story, which is ok since all the Brigade HQ Monuments are identical except for the names. The Brigade HQ Markers (to those who haven't seen them) look like this:

View attachment 331374

At some time in the past (probably in the 70s), somebody stole the star off the Brigade HQ Marker for The 1st Brigade, Second Division (Tuttle).

View attachment 331375

Close up of a similar star to Tuttle, this one to Stuart, 2nd Division, 5th Brigade. Those responsible for the theft were never caught, and star was never recovered. So it remained for some 30-odd years; until a new development surfaced (literally) around 2004. To be continued ...
To continue on with the Tuttle Star... Sometime in the early-mid 1990s, my brother-in-law (now deceased) and his wife moved from Nashville to Waynesboro, TN, which is a short distance from Savannah, TN. He had lived there a few years and decided to put in a garden in his back yard. The spot he chose had never been cleared, full of brambles, briars and several decades worth of leaves. As he was cleaning it out, his rake hit something metallic. Clearing off the spot, he found a large, iron star that had evidently been there for some years. He cleaned it up, discovered cast-in writing on it, but didn't have any idea what it meant. He put it in his storage shed and there it remained for about four years.

On a visit to him around 2004, he remembered the star and got it out of the storage shed to see if I had any idea what it was. As soon as I saw "Tuttle" on the star, I lost my breath! It was the long-lost star from the Tuttle Brigade HQ marker that had gone missing decades before. Evidently whoever stole the star had dumped it on his lot (which at the time would have been a vacant lot), covered it up and never came back for it. It was in remarkable shape, considering, 95% of the original paint was missing and the rust was not too bad. Telling me he had no use for it, he gave it to me.

It was a couple of years before I could get over to Shiloh. I went to the Visitor's Center and asked for the head Ranger. I related to him how the Star was found, that I had it safely in garage and wanted to make arrangements to return it to Shiloh where it belonged. He arranged for a Ranger from Stone's River Battlefield (the closest to me) to pick it up. A few days later, the Ranger came by our house and picked up the star. It would be a couple of more years before I could verify that it had indeed been returned to Shiloh, restored, and placed back where it belonged; atop the Tuttle Brigade HQ Monument, where it resides today.

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I was able, after all, to locate an image of the Tuttle Brigade HQ Monument as it appears today. It was an exciting experience to be able to return the Tuttle Star to its rightful owners, the citizens of this great country of ours. I was honored to have played a small part in its return.
 
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