US Army 8-Inch Muzzle Loading Rifle in Cairo, Illinois
A US Army 8-Inch Rifle, Registry Number 34, is displayed in Cairo, Illinois. The cannon was originally cast at Fort Pitt Foundry in 1862 as a 10-Inch Rodman smoothbore, Registry Number 45. In 1884 it was converted into an 8-Inch Muzzle Loading Rifle using the breech insertion conversion. Its new registry number is 34. As converted it weighed 15,915 pounds.
US Army 8-Inch Rodman in Rochelle, Illinois
A US Army 8-Inch Rodman Gun, Pattern 1861, is displayed outside the old city hall and current Flagg Township Museum in Rochelle, Illinois. It was cast at Fort Pitt Foundry in 1863 and is registry number 25. As manufactured it weighed 8,445 pounds.
Iron, Banded 6-Pounders in Joliet, Illinois
Two smoothbore iron banded six-pounders that the registry identifies as of probable Confederate manufacture are displayed beside a G.A.R. Memorial in St. Peter Lutheran Cemetery in Joliet, Illinois today at a GAR Memorial. Many thanks to friend of the page Mike Clennon for sharing these photos!
8-Inch Confederate Columbiad in Waterman, Illinois
An 8-Inch Confederate Columbiad is displayed in Johnson Grove Cemetery near Waterman, Illinois. It sits atop a pedestal bearing the inscriptions “Dedicated to the Soldiers of the Civil War” and “Erected 1905.”
The left trunnion bears the mark “1864” - probably for the date of acceptance into service. The Tredegar Foundry number on the muzzle - “1947” - actually corresponds to a casting date of October 27th, 1863 in the records of Tredegar Iron Works of Richmond, Virginia.
USS Canadaigua’s 11-Inch Dahlgren in La Moille, Illinois
An 11-Inch Dahlgren carried aboard USS Canandaigua is displayed in La Moille, Illinois. The Dahlgren, US Navy registry Number 216, was dedicated on Memorial Day, 1897 by the local Grand Army of the Republic Post Number 66.