Some of us have a slight love affair with historic artillery; we find ourselves taking countless photos of old cannons for no apparent reason. If you’re an artillery lover, Gettysburg is the place to go. I myself have found cannons fascinating and photogenic for many years. Some of the artillery pieces in Gettysburg have interesting and quite unusual stories to tell, such as this Confederate 24-pounder Howitzer along Confederate Avenue.
(For reference, this is just past the Mississippi State Memorial. The road up ahead leads to the Peach Orchard (left) and the beautiful Sachs Covered Bridge (right).) This cannon and its twin, which sits nearby, were made in Austria. Viennese Howitzers are appropriate to display on the battlefield as they were in the Civil War (or War Between the States, or whichever name you prefer) but were not very popular and soon fell out of favor.
**HONORED TODAY**
CPL. HIRAM B. FOUNTAIN
Born 1841 --- Died July 02, 1863 at age 22
Cpl. Fountain’s wartime residence was probably in or near Pittsford, Michigan, as he is in the 1860 census at this location. He is buried at Goodrich Cemetery in Pittsford. Concerning Gettysburg, the 4th Michigan was best known for their role in the “Bloody Wheatfield,” where Col. Jeffords mounted a gallant personal charge. Though Cpl. Fountain’s exact fate is unknown, it is safe to say that he too fell in what would become the most famous wheatfield in the country if not the world.
(c) 2012 Skies of Blue and Gray
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