Comments for behind AotW http://behind.aotw.org the backwash of a digital history project Thu, 15 May 2008 03:08:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 Comment on 12th Virginia Infantry in Maryland by Brian http://behind.aotw.org/2008/02/20/12th-virginia-infantry-in-maryland/#comment-12869 Wed, 14 May 2008 20:58:45 +0000 http://behind.aotw.org/2008/02/20/12th-virginia-infantry-in-maryland/#comment-12869 Quite right, Dennis. Thanks for the catch. I'll fix. Quite right, Dennis. Thanks for the catch. I’ll fix.

]]> Comment on 12th Virginia Infantry in Maryland by Dennis Simpson http://behind.aotw.org/2008/02/20/12th-virginia-infantry-in-maryland/#comment-12868 Wed, 14 May 2008 19:10:38 +0000 http://behind.aotw.org/2008/02/20/12th-virginia-infantry-in-maryland/#comment-12868 CORRECTION: the author of a book titled 12th Virginia Infantry (2nd edition) is not W.E. Henderson, it's William D. Henderson. CORRECTION: the author of a book titled 12th Virginia Infantry (2nd edition) is not W.E. Henderson, it’s William D. Henderson.

]]> Comment on Horatio Gibson of the Flying Artillery (1) by Brian http://behind.aotw.org/2008/05/05/horatio-gibson-of-the-flying-artillery-1/#comment-12862 Wed, 14 May 2008 01:09:43 +0000 http://behind.aotw.org/2008/05/05/horatio-gibson-of-the-flying-artillery-1/#comment-12862 Hi Tom, I'd be an idiot to argue arty with you, so I won't :) I thought maybe 6-pounder also, but didn't see the "rings" around the middle of tube or near the muzzle as I'd expected. Perhaps they're obscured in this view. I do see a hint of a ring just behind the muzzle now that I look again, perhaps. Still don't know why the 'odd' gun was with the battery, though. Perhaps our supporting doc isn't all it could be. [<a href="http://aotw.org/weapons.php?weapon_id=12" rel="nofollow">6-pounder</a> page on AotW for picture] Hi Tom,

I’d be an idiot to argue arty with you, so I won’t :)

I thought maybe 6-pounder also, but didn’t see the “rings” around the middle of tube or near the muzzle as I’d expected. Perhaps they’re obscured in this view.

I do see a hint of a ring just behind the muzzle now that I look again, perhaps.

Still don’t know why the ‘odd’ gun was with the battery, though. Perhaps our supporting doc isn’t all it could be.

[6-pounder page on AotW for picture]

]]> Comment on Whisky affects him as usual by Brian http://behind.aotw.org/2008/04/01/whisky-affects-him-as-usual/#comment-12861 Wed, 14 May 2008 00:56:10 +0000 http://behind.aotw.org/2008/04/01/whisky-affects-him-as-usual/#comment-12861 Thanks for stopping in, Alexander. It was his surviving that dreadful wound that caused me to dig into poor Hughes and his life after in the first place. I thought amazing, too. Best wishes on your blog, by the way. Ferocious subject! Thanks for stopping in, Alexander. It was his surviving that dreadful wound that caused me to dig into poor Hughes and his life after in the first place. I thought amazing, too.

Best wishes on your blog, by the way. Ferocious subject!

]]> Comment on Horatio Gibson of the Flying Artillery (1) by Tom Clemens http://behind.aotw.org/2008/05/05/horatio-gibson-of-the-flying-artillery-1/#comment-12857 Mon, 12 May 2008 22:54:15 +0000 http://behind.aotw.org/2008/05/05/horatio-gibson-of-the-flying-artillery-1/#comment-12857 Brian, A Napoleon in a horse battery would be extremely unlikely. From the appearance in the photo, size comparison to carriage, etc. and logic, my guess it that the gun in question is a M 1841 six pounder. These were popular in the horse batteries early in the war. A Napoleon weighed approx. 1,200 lbs and used a No. 2 carriage of 1,000 lbs. A six pounder was about 860 lbs. and its carriage 750 lbs. That is a huge difference in terms of being horse-drawn. I am almost certain it is a 6-pdr. Tom Clemens Brian,
A Napoleon in a horse battery would be extremely unlikely. From the appearance in the photo, size comparison to carriage, etc. and logic, my guess it that the gun in question is a M 1841 six pounder. These were popular in the horse batteries early in the war. A Napoleon weighed approx. 1,200 lbs and used a No. 2 carriage of 1,000 lbs. A six pounder was about 860 lbs. and its carriage 750 lbs. That is a huge difference in terms of being horse-drawn. I am almost certain it is a 6-pdr.
Tom Clemens

]]> Comment on Whisky affects him as usual by Alexander Clark http://behind.aotw.org/2008/04/01/whisky-affects-him-as-usual/#comment-12853 Mon, 12 May 2008 12:06:54 +0000 http://behind.aotw.org/2008/04/01/whisky-affects-him-as-usual/#comment-12853 Quite amazing really that the poor guy even survived. I can vaguely recall reading similar stories about people who had head wounds as a result of the nuclear shockwave at Hiroshima, but that takes the prize. Many thanks, Alex Quite amazing really that the poor guy even survived. I can vaguely recall reading similar stories about people who had head wounds as a result of the nuclear shockwave at Hiroshima, but that takes the prize.

Many thanks,

Alex

]]> Comment on Horatio Gibson of the Flying Artillery (1) by Don http://behind.aotw.org/2008/05/05/horatio-gibson-of-the-flying-artillery-1/#comment-12846 Sat, 10 May 2008 15:57:20 +0000 http://behind.aotw.org/2008/05/05/horatio-gibson-of-the-flying-artillery-1/#comment-12846 Brian, It ties back into the never-ending Harpers Ferry project, I'm afraid. Davis gets the lion's share of the credit for the escape, and I'm not so sure he's entitled to it. One of the reasons he did receive it was that he was better known in and outside army circles than the officer in charge of the escape, Colonel Arno Voss. Some of Davis' advantage came from pre-war reputation, but his wartime fame really began with this engagement. Which will eventually be an entire different post over at my place if I ever get it figured out. 8^) Brian,

It ties back into the never-ending Harpers Ferry project, I’m afraid. Davis gets the lion’s share of the credit for the escape, and I’m not so sure he’s entitled to it. One of the reasons he did receive it was that he was better known in and outside army circles than the officer in charge of the escape, Colonel Arno Voss. Some of Davis’ advantage came from pre-war reputation, but his wartime fame really began with this engagement. Which will eventually be an entire different post over at my place if I ever get it figured out. 8^)

]]> Comment on Horatio Gibson of the Flying Artillery (1) by Brian http://behind.aotw.org/2008/05/05/horatio-gibson-of-the-flying-artillery-1/#comment-12840 Fri, 09 May 2008 13:40:00 +0000 http://behind.aotw.org/2008/05/05/horatio-gibson-of-the-flying-artillery-1/#comment-12840 <p>Hi Don, thanks for the pointer. I'll not go too deep on the other officers of the Battery, but include them in Gibson part 2. </p> <p>I'm sure I'm being dim, but what legend are you meaning? </p> Hi Don, thanks for the pointer. I’ll not go too deep on the other officers of the Battery, but include them in Gibson part 2.

I’m sure I’m being dim, but what legend are you meaning?

]]> Comment on Horatio Gibson of the Flying Artillery (1) by Don http://behind.aotw.org/2008/05/05/horatio-gibson-of-the-flying-artillery-1/#comment-12837 Thu, 08 May 2008 22:56:02 +0000 http://behind.aotw.org/2008/05/05/horatio-gibson-of-the-flying-artillery-1/#comment-12837 Brian, As you prep the piece on Gibson's officers, his report on the Williamsburg skirmish lists several of them as injured in the skirmish. Approximate page numbers are in the post, or I can shoot you his report. I think he may be the one I blame for starting the B.F. Davis legend.... Don Brian,

As you prep the piece on Gibson’s officers, his report on the Williamsburg skirmish lists several of them as injured in the skirmish. Approximate page numbers are in the post, or I can shoot you his report. I think he may be the one I blame for starting the B.F. Davis legend….

Don

]]> Comment on Horatio Gibson of the Flying Artillery (1) by craig http://behind.aotw.org/2008/05/05/horatio-gibson-of-the-flying-artillery-1/#comment-12830 Wed, 07 May 2008 02:05:40 +0000 http://behind.aotw.org/2008/05/05/horatio-gibson-of-the-flying-artillery-1/#comment-12830 Well now we have a riddle. I'm showing that Gibson's battery was armed with six Ordnance rifles, dating back to April 1862. [OR Ser 1, Vol 5, S#5, page 19]. Maybe the photograph happened to include one (or more) guns from another battery also preparing for movement? And another interesting note to pass along: Of the 957 3in Ord Rifles produced from 1861 to 1867, only 230 or so were issued for service by September 1862. Phoenix Iron Works had delivered around 500 by September, but for some reason, less than half were issued. We know this because a nice patent stamp on the trunnions for registry numbers higher than 235, indicating the date of December 9, 1862. So that means Gibson's guns at Antietam had to be registry numbers 235 or lower. Of those early production guns, around 145 are cataloged as existing today. Running the numbers, there is a 60% chance that one of the guns flanking Gibson is today sited on a National Park, Courthouse square, or other memorial. Well now we have a riddle. I’m showing that Gibson’s battery was armed with six Ordnance rifles, dating back to April 1862. [OR Ser 1, Vol 5, S#5, page 19]. Maybe the photograph happened to include one (or more) guns from another battery also preparing for movement?

And another interesting note to pass along: Of the 957 3in Ord Rifles produced from 1861 to 1867, only 230 or so were issued for service by September 1862. Phoenix Iron Works had delivered around 500 by September, but for some reason, less than half were issued. We know this because a nice patent stamp on the trunnions for registry numbers higher than 235, indicating the date of December 9, 1862.

So that means Gibson’s guns at Antietam had to be registry numbers 235 or lower. Of those early production guns, around 145 are cataloged as existing today. Running the numbers, there is a 60% chance that one of the guns flanking Gibson is today sited on a National Park, Courthouse square, or other memorial.

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