CARRONADE CANNON

This little cast-iron smoothbore cannon is a carronade. Carronades were produced by the Carron Company in Britain from roughly the 1770s to the 1850s and used by the Royal Navy as short-range weapons during ship-to-ship warfare. As rifled cannon increased the accuracy and range of the warships, carronades were phased out. This one has an unusual bore - appx. 4" and possibly a 9-pdr., though no such caliber is listed - and was reportedly raised from the Savannah River after use by the Confederate Navy. But... Who knows for sure?

1867 - IN MEMORIAM

One never knows what may turn up at the auction of a Vicksburg estate. I won this old print at a local auction many years ago. Dated 1867, it commemorates Confederate dead. The inscription beneath the Confederate battle flag reads "The warrior's banner takes its flight to greet the warrior's soul." It's surrounded by scenes from some of the great battles of the War for Southern Independence. There are many reprints of this famous poster, but this, I believe, is one of the first. It must have been a treasured possession of an old Rebel who once resided in Vicksburg.