"The Cannons' Flashes Lit Up the Terrible Scene"

"The Cannons' Flashes Lit Up the Terrible Scene" (HM9ZI)

Location: Petersburg, VA 23803
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Country: United States of America
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N 37° 10.663', W 77° 28.571'

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Inscription

The Breakthrough Trail

— Pamplin Historical Park —

At various intervals along their lines, Confederate defenders constructed gun emplacements, called redans, such as the one in front of you. Each redan would hold as few as one or as many as six cannons. Virtually every square inch of ground in front of the works could be fired upon from two redans, creating a deadly crossfire for any attacker.

Cannons in these redans would be positioned in one of two ways. Guns en barbette were fired from raised platforms over the fortification walls allowing the widest field of fire. Some redans contained openings called embrasures through which artillerists aimed their cannon. Embrasures limited the field of fire but protected the artillerymen in the works.

Approximately twenty artillery pieces of various types opened on the Union Sixth Corps on the morning of April 2, 1865. Evidence suggests that two powerful cannons, 3-inch Ordnance Rifles belonging to the Norfolk (Va.) Light Artillery Blues, occupied this redan. The Union Sixth Corps recorded the capture of twenty Confederate cannons on April 2, including the two 3-inch Ordinance Rifles positioned here.

Artillery of the Breakthrough

3-inch Ordnance Rifle

Tube Length: 73 inches
Tube Weight: 816 pounds
Bore Diameter: 3.0 inches
Range: 1850 yards
Material: Wrought Iron

Light 12-pounder Howitzer, Model 1857
Tube Length: 66 inches
Tube Weight: 1227 pounds
Bore Diameter: 4.62 inches
Range: 1620 yards
Material: Bronze (U.S.)/Iron (C.S.)

10-pounder Parrott Rifle, Model 1861
Tube Length: 78 inches
Tube Weight: 890 pounds
Bore Diameter: 2.9 inches
Range: 2000 yards
Material: Cast Iron

6-Pounder Field Gun, Model 1841
Tube Length: 60 inches
Tube Weight: 884 pounds
Bore Diameter: 3.67 inches
Range: 1520 yards
Material: Bronze

24-pounder Howitzer
Tube Length: 65 inches
Tube Weight: 1318 pounds
Bore Diameter: 5.82 inches
Range: 1325 yards
Material: Bronze

Details
HM NumberHM9ZI
Tags
Placed ByPamplin Historical Park
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Saturday, September 6th, 2014 at 12:44am PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 280174 N 4117458
Decimal Degrees37.17771667, -77.47618333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 37° 10.663', W 77° 28.571'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds37° 10' 39.78" N, 77° 28' 34.26" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)804, 434, 757
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 6915 Duncan Rd, Petersburg VA 23803, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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