September 01, 2014

Spot the Difference

 

Click for larger view

 At a quick glance these pieces look the same size, don’t they? The cannon on the left belongs to Battery I, 1^ST U.S. Artillery, and the one on the right represents Bigelow’s 9^TH Massachusetts Battery. If you look closely, though, there’s a big difference: the left piece is an actual Model 1857 12-pounder Napoleon, but the right piece is a 6-pounder repurposed as a “false Napoleon.”  When you really take notice of the size of the tube on the carriage, you can’t miss it.


 A little more info: The "real" Napoleon tube at left was forged in 1862 at Revere Copper Co. The piece on the left is a Field Gun, Model 1841, but I wasn't able to find a year. Of particular interest is the fact that in the past, the Cyclorama building would have provided an unwanted backdrop to many of these artillery pieces at Ziegler's Grove, but now, happily, all you can see is nature and a monument here and there!

**HONORED TODAY**

CPT. ANDREW HOPPER ACKERMAN

                                                     Co. C, 11^TH New Jersey Infantry

Born March 11, 1835 --- Died July 02, 1863 at age 28

Cpt. Ackerman, a clerk who enlisted in August 1862, was married to Margaret and had two small children at the time of the battle . . . Nelson, age four, and Albert, age three. He was mortally wounded by a shell in the leg and later died of his injuries. Cpt. Ackerman was buried at the Reformed Dutch Church Cemetery in Totowa, New Jersey. A photo can be found here.


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