During Chad’s visit we stopped by Antietam National Battlefield. As we wandered near the visitors center I noticed the neat pattern created by the hub & spokes of this Artillery Wheel mounted on the rear of a Caisson. The standard practice of the day was to carry a spare wheel on the rear of each caisson. This wheel fit both the caissons and also the field artillery pieces.
I cannot visit places such as Antietam and Gettysburg without examining the artillery pieces sitting about. One hundred and fifty years ago these guns represented the power and might of the U.S. Government but today they are left to sit idly by on these sacred grounds. Only a small amount of work would be required to return many of these guns to firing condition but although still deadly, their firepower would be of little consequence today.
It seems the older one gets the more recent these events seem to have been.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to think that only a short time ago these guns were manned by real soldiers and names such as "The Army of The Potomac", and "The Army of Northern Virginia" were important to most people in North America.
Also it is easy to conceptualize it as a war fought in black and white by old bearded men, but as usual most were very young men and I am now likely as old or older than Lee at Gettysburg and Grant and Meade were younger than you are now. And of course the war was actually fought in terrible "living color" with a horrible amount of casualties that most today cannot begin to comprehend. Although the technology was somewhat primitive compared to today, it certainly could kill and maim humans in amazing numbers given the military tactics of the day.
I can't find Mrs. Salty's blog....can you help me out? :-)
ReplyDeleteI have watch programe on the T.V. on this sad war, the picture were very graphic and the voice over was so moving. It's your history and it shows by how you both write it means a lot to you.
ReplyDeleteAs a picture, I too like the pattern the spokes form, and I would have been drawn to these as much for their beauty as for what they are. I have a picture of two of some 'Wheelwrights' at work locally. I like wood workings of any kind, I worked for a number of years in a joiners workshop on the benches.
There's a link here to a PDF file, on Wheelwrights and how the wheels are formed, I have this on disk somewhere as well..
http://www.craftsintheenglishcountryside.org.uk/pdfs/Wheelwrighting.pdf
Great post, as it as reminded me of my past job and the lads I worked with.
We are related to President Lincoln. Having said that, my grandfather and my his brothers and most of my relatives at that time were in the Civil War. My grandfather had a saber wound across his head my mother said. She said he had used it as a place to part his hair.
ReplyDeleteGreat picture Salty. I love the shadowplay and the depth it goves the picture.
ReplyDeleteAn amazing place to visit and the best way to have history sink into our minds.
I guess that wheel could tell a tale.love the shot.
ReplyDeleteMy horse lives next door to the Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset, I'm sure you would find it interesting
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