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The new cannon, manufactured by Steen Cannons, was delivered to the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center on April 9. |
By RUSTY DENNEN
A single loud boom will reverberate across Marye's Heights on Sunday afternoon, shaking the ground like an apparition from Fredericksburg's Civil War past.
The occasion is the ceremonial first firing of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park's newest acquisition--an exquisite reproduction Napoleon cannon.
For anyone standing nearby, the blast will be accompanied by a plume of acrid smoke, the byproduct of black powder. And unlike the punishing barrages of the city during the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862, onlookers this time will be applauding, rather than fetching ammunition, counting the dead or running for cover.
The Park Service is trying to get the word out about Sunday's firing.
"We just wanted to let people know and assuage fears we're not going to knock any windows out," said Stacy Humphreys, a park supervisor and black powder expert.
"In fact, if you were not paying attention, you might not even hear it" on some streets below, she said.
During the war, the cannons--known as 12 pounders because they fired 12-pound balls--were packed with about 21/2 pounds of black powder, Humphreys said. That was enough to propel the projectile about 1,700 yards--but the gun was most effective at much shorter distances.
Sunday's load will be about 20 ounces of powder, and the boom--though loud--won't be as big as the deafening sound Confederate gunners experienced on the hill overlooking the city.
"I've fired live shots, and it's about 10 times louder than we'll have on Sunday," Humphreys said. She said the cannon will be pointed away from homes and businesses downtown.
Still, cannon fire--minus the projectiles--will give tourists more bang for their buck while they're in town, and add a new dimension to the park's interpretive program. A few authentic cannons are on display at area battlefields, but for preservation and safety reasons, they cannot be fired.
The half-hour ceremony begins at 2 p.m. Sunday. Park Superintendent Russ Smith will be on hand, along with Jimmy Blankenship, a black powder expert from Petersburg National Military Park, who will pull the lanyard.
The event is free and spectators may stop by the Battlefield Visitor Center at the base of Marye's Heights and Park Service employees will direct them up to the former Montfort School firing site on the hill.
The $30,000 cannon, manufactured by Steen Cannons in Ashland, Ky., is a replica of one in Gettysburg National Military Park.
A highlight of the program: It will also receive a name--and it will not be Robert, Richard or John.
Following artillery tradition, "All cannons are female," Humphreys said.
Hmmmm Oprah, Britney, Betsy?
For now, that's confidential.
The Napoleon was a smooth-bore cannon invented by the French Army under Emperor Louis Napoleon in 1850. Only a handful existed in the United States when the Civil War broke out, but it had become the most popular smoothbore cannon for both sides by the Battle of Gettysburg.
Two groups of living-history volunteers will use the cannon at special events and in weekend programs. One will represent the Washington Artillery, a group of well-heeled Louisiana gentleman who paid for their uniforms and equipment. The other group will depict the 4th U.S. Artillery, which was part of the famed Iron Brigade.
They'll be rolling out the new cannon at two more events this summer, Humphreys said.
It will be fired during the living history weekend at Chatham Manor in southern Stafford June 9-11, and again in Fredericksburg Aug. 12-13 for a living history event at Sunken Road and Marye's Heights.
To reach RUSTY DENNEN:
Email: rdennen@freelancestar.com
