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Artillery boom bother to some
Cannon fires on Spotsylvania Court House battlefield for first time in 144 years
Date published: 7/14/2008
By PAMELA GOULD Not all of the youngsters visiting the Spotsylvania Court House battlefield yesterday appreciated being part of history. In fact, some cried, many covered their ears and at least one headed for the woods, hoping to escape the thunderous boom of a replica Civil War cannon. Alicia H., whose parents didn't want her last name used, wasn't among that crowd. "I thought it was really cool, and I'd like to hear it again sometime," the rising sixth-grader from Spotsylvania County said. Alicia, her parents and sister, Rachel, were among dozens of people on hand for the first cannon fire to echo across the battlefield since May 1864. Having a father who's a history buff didn't hurt. Neither did the fact that she recently took a school field trip to Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond and had gotten a good primer on Civil War artillery. The cannon fired yesterday is a replica Napoleon, a gun invented in 1850 by the French during the famous emperor's reign. Both Union and Confederate forces used the weapon that fires four types of ammunition, including 12-pound cannonballs, said Stacy Humphreys, a historian with Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. Despite yesterday's 90-degree temperatures, Humphreys and four men dressed in wool period uniforms to demonstrate and explain how the cannon operated. The group portrayed members of an artillery unit from Stafford County that took part in 22 hours of hand-to-hand fighting on May 12, 1864 at a location known as the "Mule Shoe." The area was so named because of the curve in what had been intended as a straight earthwork, Hum-phreys said. Peyton Van Stone, 4, heard the first blast of cannon fire loud and clear yesterday. He decided before the second one that he should head for the woods. Big sister, Lauren, 6, stayed put, but she covered her ears. The youngsters from Vienna in Northern Virginia arrived at the battlefield with their parents and grandfather. "He loves Civil War stuff," Lauren said of "Pop-Pop" Phil Van Stone, who was visiting from Chicago. The family learned about the cannon demonstration while inside the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitors Center. "That was great," the elder Van Stone said after hearing the cannon blast. "I thought that was unbelievable." Pamela Gould: 540/735-1972
Date published: 7/14/2008
I'm always amazed at how old...
(posted by
mercyisfreedom
, July 14, 2008 8:02 pm)
...the Confederate reenactors are. Looking at the pctures of the olds in uniform it's no wonder we lost the war - the blockade probably kept the Confederate Army from procuring adequate amounts of muscle ointments and canes.
wait a minute
(posted by
larryg
, July 14, 2008 6:21 pm)
How did Pam Gold get the plum cannon assignment and Dan got the bloated deer assignment?
What the hell does cannon explosions
(posted by
rikkirat
, July 14, 2008 4:27 pm)
have to do with freedom? Completely unnecessary and frivolous.
It Was Probably The Sappy Parents
(posted by
louturks
, July 14, 2008 3:24 pm)
Mostly that were scared, not the kids
Well DUH
(posted by
taxpayer
, July 14, 2008 11:34 am)
Did they think that a black powder cannon was going to make a pop like a 22 caliber pistol?
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