The early morning light begins to filter through the trees near Dole’s Salient by Anderson Drive, on the Spotsylvania Battlefield. The two cannon seen here are representative of the kind that was in use here in May 1864. The closest to the camera was made at Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia. It is 2.9” Parrot rifle which was designed to emulate the piece next to it which is a 3” Army Parrott rifle, Model 1863. Both could fire 10 pound projectiles up to 2,000 yards. The tree line seen in the distance here is just 188 yards off. At this relatively short distance these Parrots could fire closer range rounds called “canister” which were not much more than tin cans filled with lead balls. They would scatter like a shotgun blast upon exiting the barrel.
This image was taken February 18, 2010 at 7:15 AM, looking north/west.
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