Vol. 42, No. 9 25th Loomis’ Battery Annual Long Ra By Don Lutz, Loomis’ Battery and Ericka Hoffmann, Dulany Troop, 6th Virginia Cavalry GRAYLING MICH.—Range 35 of the Grayling Michigan National Guard Range Complex was pounded by 584 period rounds of authentic antique artillery ammunition on July 30 and 31, 2016. The 25th Loomis’ Battery Annual Invitational Long Range Artillery Match was attended by 167 registered cannoneers, bringing 42 original and replica full-siz artillery pieces from 10 states. The cannons and mortars present represented the time period from 1757 through 1895, featuring both muzzle loading and breech loading pieces of ordnance. The two-day match featured ten different long range event While organized by Loomis’ Battery, the event was made possible by courtesy of the Michigan National Guard. The number of cannons present, the number of projectiles fired and the number of active participant were reported to Range Control at the end of each day. Routine contact was made to Range Control throughout the time the range was occupied and was considered hot. The 2016 match ran very smoothly; no unusual events were reported to Range Control, and no Range Control checkfires were encountered. No accidents occurred during the match or match preparations.
History Of The Match Now in its 25th year, this historical, black powder artillery match was inspired by a one-time special event that was part of the Michigan State Sesquicentennial celebration in 1987. During the planning of the
Dulany Troop, 6th Virginia Cavalry f Mountain Rifle during the 1,000 yard
rtillery Match celebration, Matt Switlik of Loomis Battery, who was on the sesquicentennial committee, recommended that an artillery demonstration be part of the sesquicentennial festiv ties. The idea was well-received, a with cooperation from the Michigan National Guard and other artillery organizations, Loomis’ Battery helped put on an artillery demonstr tion at the Camp Grayling Michigan National Guard range. This event in cluded demonstrations of the Michigan National Guard firing World War II and Vietnam War era howitzers; a Civil War period six-gun, horsedrawn cannon battery; and an American Revolution period crew firing an oxen drawn cannon. The artillery demonstration was a crowd pleaser and received compliments from the National Guard. Because of the success of that s cial event, Loomis’ Battery began hosting a long range cannon and mus ket match at Range 8 at Camp Grayling in 1990. For the first few yea the live fire shoot consisted of lo range cannon matches on Saturday and long range rifle musket matches on Sunday. Due to the demand for more artillery matches, the eve soon changed to long range cannon and mortar matches on both days. In 2006, Range 8 was redeveloped, and the historical artillery match was moved to Range 35, where it has been held ever since. There has been only one year when the event was not held, in 2014, due to range redesign and maintenance and other scheduling conflicts. Loomis’ Battery continues to host the event in partnership with the Michigan National Guard; in cooperation with t
a 2.25-inch Confederate on match on Saturday.
1,000 yard cannon match on Saturday. Allan Shaffer/2nd Maryland, Baltimor Vol. Infantry (10-Pdr. Parrott Rifle
Michigan Department of National Resources and the Federal Aviation Administration; and with assistance from other artillery units, to ensur the continued success of this premie long range artillery event.
Special Paid Matches On Sunday Two paid matches highlight Sunday’s events at Grayling, the Grayling Open mortar match and the Bacon Creek Memorial rifled field cannon match. During the Grayling Open, Coehorn and siege mortars fire at a common stake 450 yards away. The closest round to the stake which must be within 50 yards of the stake, wins the monetary prize. This year, Loomis’ Battery’s Kerry Carroll won the Grayling Open with a 24-Pdr. Coehorn Mortar. To compete in the Bacon Creek Memorial Match, rifled field gun shooters fire ten rounds at reproduced copies of an 1861 issue of the Cincinnati Daily Gazette newspaper mounted on foam core at 1,000 yards. All shots must be completely within the border of the newspaper page target to be counted. This money match pays homage to the original Civil War Loomis’ Battery, whose winter quarters were in the Bacon Creek area of northern Kentucky near Cincinnati during January and February of 1861. They practiced their artillery marksmanship
by firing at and hitting copies of t Cincinnati newspaper. This year, the Bacon Creek match was won by Ken Knoll and Knoll’s Ill. Independent Battery from Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, firing a Mode
R: John Hughes/Robinson’s Battery ht Artillery, CSA (3-inch Ordnance de Huffman/5th VA Vol. Infantry (10
A special memorial event occurre at the end of the Grayling Open match on Sunday morning. Tim Scanlan of the 1st Maryland Cavalry fired a full-service load from h mortar in memory of Joe Leisch Jr. of the 5th Virginia Volunteer Infan try, who passed away last October, and who had competed at Grayling several times.
Impressive Variety Of Artillery Pieces Participants and spectators have the pleasure of seeing a wide variety of original and reproductio historical, black powder artillery pieces and units compete at the Loomis’ Battery Annual Invitational Long Range Artillery Match at Grayling. Time periods represented this year dated as far back as a
Edinirog (translation: “unicorn”) field artillery cannon, as was used the Seven Years’ War in Europe. It was fired by the Keivskii Cuirassie from Huntington, Indiana, who stood out among the artillery units their crimson colored uniforms. The oldest original gun competing in th 2016 event was an 1836 experimental model 1831-E iron cannon made at the Columbia Foundry in Maryland. This particular piece was used in
the Mexican-American War and the Civil War and is owned and fired by
Inside this issue: 46 – Advertisers & Book Reviews 26 – Ask The Appraiser 4 – Black Powder, White Smoke 28 – Book Reviews
r. Parrott Rifle); ; Norm Gibson/1st SC Parrott Rifle) and oth
Aiming a Parrott Rifle 1,000 yard match on Sa
Don Cartwright of Bled from southeast Michiga recent ordnance pieces matches were the model inch breech-loading fi a 10-Pdr. British bree jointed screw gun with being fired from atop yellow carriage. Crews from 10 diffe fired historical artil time periods encompass years, from the 1750s
37 – Critic’ s Corner 38 – Events Section 12 – Inspection, ARMS! 6 – The Source 5 – Through The Lens
there will now be 12 issues a year Keep the articles flowing. Thank
tion will go up slightly to cover the ted their articles for this issue. extra printing and mailing costs. By The heated and passionate debate adding full color, additional four on what the causes of the Civil War pages and going to twelve issues per are over in the pages of Civil War year, Civil War News publishes more News. It seems this argument will events, book reviews, columns, arti- long survive all of us and probably cles and other news related stories never be settled. Personally, I wou than any other publication. Starting rather read articles that didn’t ra with the January 2017 issue, Civil my blood pressure, and many of our War News will have a newsstand readers have expressed the same
The November Book Issue will Despite all of the attention giv publish information from any or- the Confederate flag lately, intere ganization that presented an award in the Civil War has not diminished in 2016 to an author for their pub- Battlefield and historic site tours lished book. Please send us a de- Civil War seminars and national par scriptive paragraph along with pho- attendance are all still quite popu tographs for that book issue. These while participation in reenactments book awards need to be submitted living history, shows and skirmishe by Sept. 26th at the latest. Email to continue to remain steady.
6175 Hickory Flat Hwy. • Suite 110-355 • Canton, Georgia 30115
Jack W. Melton Jr. C. Peter & Kathryn Jorgensen Publisher Founding Publishers Advertising & Marketing: Peggy Melton Columnists: Joseph Bilby, Stephen Davis, Stephanie Hagiwara, Tim Prince, John Sexton, Michael K. Shaffer, The Watchdog Staff
Editorial & Photography Staff: Greg Biggs, Joe Bordonaro, Sandy Goss,
Gordon L. Jones, Michael Kent, George Lomas, John A Punola, Leon Reed, Gregory L. Wade, Joan Wenner Book Review Editor: Stephen Davis. Ph.D., Marietta, Ga. Book Review Advisory Board: Gordon L. Jones, Ph.D., Senior Military Historian, Atlanta History Center; Theodore P. Savas J.D., Managing Director,
Professor of History, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth TX.
Monthly. Business and Editorial Offices: 6175 Hickory Flat Hwy., Suite 110355, Canton, Georgia 30115, Accounting and Circulation Offices: Historical
postage prices is pending at Canton, Georgia and additional mailing offices (if applicable). Periodicals postage paid at U.S.P.S. 131 W. High St., Jeffe City, MO 65101.
6175 Hickory Flat Hwy., Suite 110-355, Canton, Georgia 30115.
Display advertising rates and media kit on request.
The Civil War News is for your reading enjoyment. The views and opinions
expressed herein are those of its authors, readers and advertisers and they
do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Historical Pub
Civil War Trust Preserves 70 Acres at Perryville Battlefield In summer 2016, the Civil War Trus declared victory on three properties totalling70-acres associated with the historic 1862 Perryville battlefield. This latest preservation success story was the result of a national fundraising campaign conducted by the Trust earlier this year. With the addition of these 70 acres, the Trust has helped save a total of 1,027 acre at Perryville, the site of Kentucky’s largest and bloodiest Civil War battle. “Complete preservation of a battlefield is the Civil War Trust’s ult mate goal, the finest example of our mission at work,” said Trust President James Lighthizer. “This victory at Perryville brings us within spitti distance of finishing our work there. Thanks to the generous contributions of our members, future generations of Americans will have the opportunity to visit this site and reflect o sacrifices made by our forbearers.” This latest effort at Perryville p serves an area known as the “West-
ern High Water Mark of the Confederacy,” the farthest point reached by the principal Southern army in the Western Theater. The fighting on this property was intense, and the remains of many Union soldiers still rest on this section of the battlefie The tracts were purchased for
tional Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program matched by donations from thousands of dedicated Trust members. Some of the acreage was also donated by a private landowner. The Trust’s ultimate goal is to transfer the properties to
Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site to enhance interpretation of the battle’s closing, climactic stage The properties also feature a 430foot long stone fence behind which Union Col. John Starkweather’s brigade finally stopped the advance of Gen. Benjamin Cheatham’s Confederate division, just 600 yards short a Federal supply train. As a battleground that witnessed some of the most pivotal fighting in the war, Perryville’s preservation ha been in the works for decades. As far back as 1993, a report on the nation’ Civil War battlefields commissioned by Congress named Perryville one of the top 11 most endangered sites in the country, out of 384 battlefields surveyed. It was identified as a site “with critical need for action,” and
In 2011 the Civil War Trust acquire battlefield near the Squire Bottom
The house of Squire Bottom was the Confederates under Patrick Cleburne Lytle.
one of only 45 Civil War battles that had “a decisive influence on a campaign and a direct impact on the course of the war.” The road to this decisive battle began in the summer of 1862, when Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg launched an invasion of Kentucky,
hoping to divert Union attention from the Southern strongholds at Vicksburg and Chattanooga. The Kentucky Campaign did draw Federal forces out of Northern Alabama and Middle Tennessee, ground it would take the Union almost a year to regain. The Battle of Perryville was a Confederate tactical victory, though Bragg’s heavy losses left hi unable to maintain his army north of the Tennessee border. During the battle, the Confederates held a early advantage that they were able to exploit due to lack of communication among various elements of the Union force. Eventually reinforced on the left of their line, F eral troops held their ground and d not leave the field. Confronted by a larger force and running low on supplies, a discouraged Bragg with-
drew toward the Cumberland Gap. The Confederate offensive was over,
Kentucky. In addition to many core battlef sites, the Trust has preserved land that witnessed key moments leading up to the fighting and importan
areas outside of the zone of infant combat. During the battle, miscommunication among commanders left enlisted men to sort out the battle
through intense and unpredictable violence. Without the preservation the complete battlefield, current a future generations of Americans wil
f intense fighting as n Federals under William photos Civil War Trust, Civilwar.or
lose the rich interpretive opportun ties that demonstrate these nuances It is incredibly fortunate that of Perryville battlefield remains u changed since the nineteenth century, allowing for such complete preservation of the lands. The staf at Perryville Battlefield State His
ic Site and members of the Friends of Perryville Battlefield have been excellent stewards, completing several restoration projects and addin walking trails and other educational and commemorative markers to the land. Indeed, trails at Perryvi provide visitors with some of the nation’s best and most historic hik ing. All of this work underscores t importance of this site as an outdo classroom and a place to reflect on the immense sacrifice of the Civil War’s citizen soldiers.
This cannon represents the site of Gen. Maney’s artillery attack on inexperienced Union soldiers at the Open Knob, a hill on the
northern part of the battlefield. Maney’s men charged up the slope and took the hill.