There are hundreds of battlefields cannons at Gettysburg. However, not all of them are real. The ones that are fake have no numbers or lettering at the muzzle. The fake cannons are there to show positions of cannons on the battlefield. The cannon below is real cannon that fired different kind of artillery at the enemy. Let’s dive into what all these numbers and lettering are:
- No. 233 — The number of the cannon coming from a particular manufacturer/foundry
- 816 lbs — it’s the weight of the cannon, most black cannons are between 814-830 lbs
- 1862 — The year the cannon was shipped from the foundry and into battle
- Twirl of the interior section of the cannon — Shows that the artillery would spin as it was ejected from the cannon
The other two lettering sections on any cannon are more interesting and harder to figure out. First off, the PIC. What could that be, anyone would wonder? Surprisingly, it is the name of the foundry that the cannon was produced. PIC represents the Phoenixville Iron Company. The lettering of TTSL represent the initials of the gentleman or group of people that signed off on the cannon to let others know it was ready to be shipped and to be used in the field. Each cannon has different markings on the barrel that represents the foundries. Here are some of the ones that are represented on the Gettysburg Battlefield:
Cannon ID—— Foundry —– Location —— Production
Union Manufactures:
- PIC — Phoenixville Iron Company – Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
- WPF — West Point Foundry — Cold Springs, New York — Most famous for the Parrott rifle artillery
- Revere Copper Co. — Canton, Massachusetts — Napoleon Artillery
- HNH & Co.: — Henry N. Hooper & Co. — Boston, Massachusetts — Three inch experimental rifle
- A. M. Co. — Ames Manufacturing Co. — Chicopee, Massachusetts — Light artillery
Confederate Manufactures:
- A.F. — Augusta Foundry — Augusta, Georgia
- JRA & Co. — J.R.Anderson & Co. — Richmond, Virginia
- Noble Co. — Nobles Brother & Co. — Rome, Georgia
- CSA — Confederate States Armory — Macon, Georgia
There are many cannons on the battlefield that are real. However, only a few were here during the battle of Gettysburg. I’ll explore those as the site continues.