February 18, 2015

** This blog now published Mondays and Wednesdays **

Random Cannon Views

I like the nice clean-cut photos of Gettysburg artillery as much as the next cannon buff, but occasionally I enjoy these artsy shots. The first photo, a Confederate 3-inch Ordnance Rifle, represents the Louisiana Guard Artillery at East Cavalry Field. This is a reproduction piece. Notice the low fog in the background. Though it was already late in the morning, the fog continued for most of the day during the trip.

The second photo shows one of the Whitworth Rifles representing the Hardaway Alabama Artillery (Hurt’s Battery) at Oak Hill. It was a cold, rainy afternoon, evidenced by (still more) fog and by the water droplets on the cannon, which I think makes the picture kind of special (though of course I’m a bit biased . . .) The well-manicured pathways at the Eternal Light Peace Memorial give cannon-lovers access to six artillery pieces, and if you don’t mind walking down over Oak Ridge a little ways, another cannon (Morris Artillery, Page’s Battery) can be found.

**HONORED TODAY**

2^ND LT. JAMES M. BENTON

Co. H, 45^TH North Carolina Infantry

Born 1846 --- Died July 02/03 at age 17 

While other young men were just getting started in life, 2^ND Lt. Benton, who enlisted in March 1862 and doesn’t seem to have lied about his age, had a fairly solid career at seventeen. He was a farmer in Rockingham County and enlisted as sergeant, receiving a promotion to lieutenant in September 1862. Sadly, he never reached full adulthood . . . he died at Gettysburg less than ten months later. 


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