Edwin Coe had a premonition and was killed the next day at Petersburg. The Massachusetts officer's sword somehow got to Hawaii. So many questions remain

The Coe sword was briefly placed near his headstone in 2014 (Petersburg National Battlefield)

How 2nd Lt. Edwin I. Coe’s sword ended up at a jewelry store in Honolulu remains a mystery more than a decade after it was subsequently purchased by Petersburg National Battlefield, which has occasionally shown it to the public.

Paul Perrone, a researcher in the Hawaii attorney general’s office, told the Picket in 2015 he was shopping for a wedding ring for his fiancée – now his wife – when he came across the weapon, which had an inscription bearing Coe’s name and indicating it was presented “by his friends in Worcester, Mass.”

Coe, a 19-year-old acting adjutant for the 57^th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, died 162 years ago Wednesday – June 17, 1864, during an assault on Confederate positions at the Virginia battlefield. Coe (below) had a vivid dream the night before, and he told comrades it meant he would fall.

An online version of the unit’s history led to the soldier’s photograph and biography. There was now a human connection to this well-crafted piece of steel. Perrone decided to broker a sale between the business and the national park in 2014.

After the blade was shipped to Petersburg, two park employees drove it to where elements of the 9^th Corps made the June 17, 1864, assault, about 200 yards behind park headquarters on the eastern section of the battlefield, near the Army’s current Fort Lee. They also stopped by Poplar Grove National Cemetery, where Coe lies.

“Since 2015, the sword has had brief periods of exhibition primarily in pop-up presentations with the anniversary of the Initial Assaults (June 15-18, 1864),” Emmanuel Dabney, chief of resource management at Petersburg, told the Picket this week.

“We've been clear that we are unaware how the sword got to Hawaii, but we've been grateful that we have the sword and are honored to serve as the stewards of it and Lt. Coe's remains at Poplar Grove National Cemetery.” 

Many mysteries remain: Was Coe carrying the sword when he died? How did it end up in Hawaii? Who were his friends in Worcester, Mass., that gave him the sword?

Perrone and Dabney indicated they have learned nothing new on the matter since 2015.

“I think barring some piece of Coe family letters or an observer in the 57^th Mass, we're in the dark on this one,” wrote Dabney.

Sword and scabbard before they were sent to Petersburg (Paul Perrone)

Hawaii has a lot of ties to military history

The sword came to the Pacific Diamond and Swiss Watch Exchange in Honolulu in 2012. Owner Ted Gonzalez bought it from an estate dealer.

“I thought it was unusual just because I’ve never bought one before. I decided to buy it and I decided to keep it,” Gonzalez told TV station KITV.

(Photos courtesy Paul Perrone)

Perrone took an interest and began his research on the Ames Model 1850 foot officer’s sword. The frosted blade contains patriotic motifs -- eagles, cannon, olive branches and arrows -- and was obviously manufactured and decorated with care.

Coe, the son of a Unitarian minister, was born in Medway, Mass. He moved to Worcester and joined another regiment when he was just 17 or 18. He then joined the 57^th Massachusetts.

According to the regimental history, written by John Anderson in 1896, the young lieutenant was “of excellent character, fond of military service, zealous and ambitious in the faithful performance of duty, loved and esteemed by all who knew him.”

It’s not known when the sword was presented to Coe. The inscription said it was a gift “by his friends in Worcester.” 

Coe was struck by a spent musket ball at Spotsylvania Court House on May 12. He threw up both hands and fell; his comrades believed he was finished. “But in a few moments he rejoined the regiment,” according to the unit history,” saying that he had only been stunned for a few seconds.”

Just before the charge at Petersburg, Coe told comrades he would be killed. The premonition proved correct: He was struck in the head during the early part of the advance. Ten enlisted comrades died in the battle.

Coe left no wife or children. His mother applied for a pension in 1891.

His brother, who served in another Federal unit, took charge of his remains and Edwin was buried near where he fell. He was disinterred after the war and placed in the national cemetery now managed by the park.

How did it wind up at a jewelry store?

If the weapon was used used for ceremonial purposes, it might have been in the fallen officer’s tent at the time of the time. Or if Coe carried it during the charge, it could have “ended up in practically anyone’s possession,” Perrone said in 2015.

“With every branch of the service having at least one base in Hawaii, and with so many government contractors and retired military personnel living here, all kinds of interesting things turn up,” said Perrone (left), adding the story is the sword belonged to a retired serviceman.

Gonzalez, the jewelry store owner, told KITV that he and his wife “agreed to do the right thing” with the sword, rather than sell it for several thousand dollars, and he enlisted the help of Perrone.

“I wanted to literally return the sword to Lt. Coe, and Petersburg is where he has been for the past 150 years,” said Perrone, who contacted then-park curator Jimmy Blankenship and the discussions on the sword commenced.

Chris Bryce, chief of interpretation at the time, said the park, using donations and sales proceeds from bookstores operated by a private concessionaire, paid Gonzalez $1,600 for the Coe sword.

Bryce, at the time, said he was unaware of any surviving Coe descendants. Bryce and Blankenship no longer work for the park.

At the 'right place at the right time'

Coe was among tens of thousands of men in blue and gray who were in the area during the Petersburg campaign and siege. “We don’t have a great number of items that we can put to one person, let alone have an image of an individual,” Bryce told the Picket in 2015.

The 57^th Massachusetts was supposed to be in reserve, but took part in the charge. Casualties mounted quickly.

The park believed the Coe weapon is a combat, rather than a presentation, sword. (Jimmy Blankenship, right, with the Federal weapon)

“Chances are good he was carrying it in battle,” said Bryce. “By carrying it,” they (his friends) are with him in battle.”

It's possible the young officer had both a combat and presentation sword, and the one found in the Hawaii shop was the latter. No one knows for sure; Coe may not have even wielded a blade that day.

Students at Worcester State University in 2016 researched the lives of 398 area residents who were killed during the Civil War. Coe was among them.

Perrone told the Picket in an email Monday he and his wife discussed the story just a couple of weeks ago.

“I still feel like returning that sword is something I was meant to do. I'm very grateful to have been in the right place at the right time to do the right thing.”  

Atlanta History Center hopes to make an emotional connection with patrons through immersive 'More Perfect Union' Civil War exhibit, opening in mid-July

Frock coat of  Benjamin Schumpert, a 17-year-old Georgia fatally shot in the head at Chickamauga in 1863; commemorative locket with a photograph of U.S.C.T. soldier; field hospital flag manufactured in Maine (AHC)

Prize artifacts and integrated technology will deeply engage those visiting “More Perfect Union: The American Civil War Era,” the Atlanta History Center says of its gallery opening on July 10.

The AHC this week provided more information and photos from “More Perfect Union,” the first of two Civil War exhibits debuting in coming months.

“Opening during the institution’s centennial year, the expansive new exhibition reimagines how this defining and contested period of American history is presented and understood,” a news release said.

“More Perfect Union” opens in the overhauled DuBose Gallery, which for years was home to “Turning Point: The American Civil War.” The second phase, “Hard Hand of War: Soldiers, Weapons, and Mass Production,” will open in the downstairs Goldstein Gallery some time this winter.

The AHC summarized “More Perfect Union” this way:

“Upon entering, visitors immediately step into an immersive media experience. This plunges them directly into the political storm that engulfed the nation just before the Civil War in 1861. Photographs, headlines, political cartoons, and other imagery flash across multiple screens, while period voices collide in a cacophony of political debate. These are the words of real Americans, revealing the deep divisions, conflicting opinions and uncertainty that defined the era.”

(Above, hand-painted drum carried by New York native William A. McKinzie of the 78th Illinois Infantry during the Atlanta Campaign.)

Digital maps and animated timelines will provide historical context and allow visitors to explore stories and connections at their own pace, “while keeping original artifacts and primary-source interpretation at the center of the experience.”

The remarkable array of artifacts -- many from the museum’s collection, while others were bought in recent years – include an original copy of Frederick Douglass’ speech (left, courtesy AHC), “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”, the Confederate flag that flew over Atlanta at the time of the city’s surrender in 1864, Major Gen. William T. Sherman’s personal copy of “Photographic Views of Sherman’s Campaign,” a field hospital flag and the battle flag of the 127th U.S. Colored Troops bearing the words “We Will Prove Ourselves Men.”

Also featured will be uniforms for Union and Confederate soldiers who fought at Chickamauga in 1863 and at Peachtree Creek a year later.

The Atlanta History Center last year closed “Turning Point” to make way for the new galleries that will feature artifacts and a broader discussion of issues that engage the republic to this day: our belief systems, victory, defeat, reconciliation and the evolving meaning of freedom.

Atlanta, museum officials say, is ideal to tell a bigger national story about the Civil War in a striking way. Beyond being the capital of the South and a melting pot, it’s recognized by historians as a crucial battleground for saving the presidency of Abraham Lincoln and the United States itself.

For 30 years, relics collected by an Atlanta father and son formed the core of “Turning Point: The American Civil War.”

The exhibit focused on the soldiers in blue and gray and how they did their deadly work, and visitors were awed by the incredible collection of uniforms, weapons, personal items -- and just about every conceivable type of artillery shell. I enjoyed my visits over the years, but toward the end the presentation seemed outdated and in need of new energy.

Shelter half carried by Cpl. Charles E. Smith of the 32nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry (AHC)

While “Turning Point” did address some big questions about the Civil War, there was limited discussion on technology, slavery and the home front. New, more diverse generations – distanced even more from the Civil War era – are asking deeper questions, the museum says, about why the war happened, how 4 million enslaved Americans gained their freedom, Reconstruction and what the conflict, which took at least 720,000 lives, means today.

The history center is investing $16 million and more than 15,000 square feet for the new exhibits.

Make no mistake, Confederate and Union bayonets, swords, flags, rifles and revolvers will still be a big part of the presentation. To that end, senior military historic and curator Gordon Jones and AHC CEO and president Sheffield Hale told the Picket they are excited about plans to include two large collection of dug relics.

But they are particularly excited about the artifacts related to U.S. Colored Troops. The impetus for that came about in 2019, when the history center bought a hand-painted flag made for the 127^th USCT infantry. It depicts a soldier waving farewell to Columbia, a symbol of the United States, with the words “We Will Prove Ourselves Men.” (AHC photo, click to enlarge)

“More Perfect Union” also incorporates personal stories drawn from the journals, letters, photographs, and everyday objects of the people who lived through the war, the center says.

In a new video from the AHC, Jones detailed the “reimagined” signature Civil War exhibit.

“Atlanta is the home of so many pivotal events that have determined the outcome of American history, starting with the American Civil War. Everywhere you walk in Atlanta, you are on a battlefield. And on those battlefields, that was where the fate of the country was determined. It’s a story of a struggle and had it not been for what happened here, the outcome of the war for Union and emancipation may very well have turned out differently.”

USCT ladder badge worn by veteran; uniform of 1st Lt. George Young of the 143rd New York (AHC)

There will be stories of Confederate and Union soldiers. "This is about people -- men, women, free, enslaved," Jones says in the video.

The renovated Goldstein Gallery – which opens in the winter -- will focus on technology and the Civil War. In part, it will feature the singular collection of the late George W. Wray Jr., showcasing some of the rarest Confederate firearms, swords, uniforms, flags and other items. Some were one of a kind.

When it went on temporary display in 2015, the theme was the weapons were an attempt by a slave-based society to fight an industrial war. The South was hampered by limited manufacturing and the Union blockade of foreign goods.

At the AHC, Civil War aficionados can also see the giant Cyclorama painting of the Battle of Atlanta, related exhibits and the locomotive Texas, one half of the famous “Great Locomotive Chase” in 1862.

Return to 1863: Gettysburg will restore grassland, biodiversity and historic views to a portion of Cemetery Ridge, the powerful attraction in the center of the battlefield

An older view of grasslands on the Gettysburg battlefield in Pennsylvania (NPS photo)

Gettysburg National Military Park has launched its latest effort to restore endangered grassland, with the goal of restoring 160 acres of Cemetery Ridge to their 1863 appearance and providing improved habitat for birds and native grasses and wildflowers.

The project, which is expected to last three to five years, was launched in early May.

“Herbicide will be the main strategy for removal due to project scale and cost-effectiveness,” park spokesman Jason Martz told the Picket in an email. “There may be potential for some mechanical removal of invasive trees via chainsaws as well.”

A news release said the restoration project near Hancock Avenue will maintain “open views” that define the 1863 battlefield and reflect the appearance of the agricultural landscape present during the Battle of Gettysburg. "Visitors may experience temporary trail closures or see areas that appear sparse during early stages of restoration." 

Restoration area along Hancock Avenue and west of the Pennsylvania memorial  (NPS)

The work is concentrated around the Pennsylvania Monument and the Eternal Light Peace Memorial, located in the area of Pickett’s Charge on July 3, 1863. I asked Martz to describe how those monuments would benefit.

Eternal Light Peace Memorial: As visitors drive north toward Oak Hill, the monument dominates the landscape. Once the native warm season grasses and wildflower mix take hold and replace the non-native cool season grasses, visitors will notice more color from the flowers and will have the opportunity to bird watch as native ground nesting birds return.

North and west of the Pennsylvania Memorial: These areas of heavy fighting on July 2 and 3 are dominated by non-native cool season grasses that ground nesting birds can't take advantage of. “Once the native warm season grasses and wildflowers take hold within the next three to five years, this area will pop with color and will become a haven for ground-nesting birds,” Martz added.

Officials told Fox 43 visitors will notice the enhanced landscape. (At left, file NPS photo of grasslands at Gettysburg)

"The battlefield is what tells the stories," Martz said. "You can read all the books you want. You can watch all the documentaries that you want, but none of them compare to the place.”

The National Park Service’s Eastern Grasslands Initiative is restoring grasslands across 39 sites in the East.

A 2011 article on the park’s blog discussed the importance of such efforts.

“Abundant in the 1800s when settlers had cleared much land for hay fields and pastures, today grasslands face danger from fires, human development, and changes in agriculture technology. Grasslands are important because they protect large amounts of open space and provide wildlife and nesting habitat for specialized species.”

The habitat is especially important to birds such as the Bobolink, Savannah sparrow and the Eastern Meadowlark. 

Kevin Levin, in his Civil War Memory Substack blog, noted the Gettysburg landscape “has been continuously shaped, interpreted and reimagined since the guns fell silent in July 1863.”

Another section of the restoration project (NPS)

Visitors in recent decades have gravitated to Cemetery Ridge and the open fields traversed by Confederate troops during Pickett’s Charge, he wrote last month.

“Every decision about what to clear and what to plant, what to make visible and what to allow to disappear, shapes the story that future visitors will encounter,” Levin wrote. “The rehabilitation of Cemetery Ridge is not simply horticultural. It is an act of historical argument, one that will influence how millions of people understand what remains the most popular Civil War battle and Civil War battlefield.”

RaceTrac loses its bid to build a 24/7 gas station at an Atlanta-area site where a Civil War house stood, cavalry clashed. Proximity to school, day care led to defeat

The sturdy home was cut into six pieces before its move in spring 2025 (Civil War Picket photo)

A two-acre parcel caught up in Civil War cavalry clashes northwest of Atlanta is destined to house some kind of business. But a proposed 24/7 RaceTrac gas station and convenience store that would have been built right across from an elementary school appear to be out of the running -- at least for now.

With very little discussion – unlike other hearings related to the controversial proposal – the Cobb County Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 on Tuesday morning to rebuff RaceTrac. The tally was followed by applause from opponents.

The Robert and Eliza McAfee home, built 20 years before the Atlanta Campaign, had been empty for years.

The home -- which briefly served as the headquarters for a Union general and was in the middle of cavalry movements and clashes in summer 1864 – last spring was moved to Ball Ground, adjoining Cherokee County after a long effort to save it from destruction.

It stood at the corner of Bells Ferry Road and Ernest Barrett Parkway. (At right, a map showing troop positions in June-July 1864; note McAfee House, Library of Congress)

Because the owner of the property never sought an historic designation or protection, and Cobb County declined to purchase the property, it is inevitable some kind of commercial development will come to the site. 

Neighbors suggest medical buildings or businesses that would generate less traffic than a gas station. A proposal to build a car wash was withdrawn a couple years back.

The nonprofit Cobb Landmarks, the Bells Ferry Civic Association, which opposed the plan, and the county’s historic preservation staff all recommended an archaeological survey of the site if the rezoning was ultimately approved.

RaceTrac and opponents on Tuesday repeated their arguments pitched over the past year at various meetings.

The latter have cited concerns about traffic, crime and gas vapors affecting Bells Ferry Elementary just across the street and a nearby KinderCare. The Bells Ferry Civic Association showed a map Tuesday (below) highlighting the proximity of a station to both places. A playground for the elementary school is within a few hundred feet.

RaceTrac – which intended to apply for alcohol sales -- said very little harmful benzene will escape from the 16 pumps and storage tanks. Neighbors claimed the potential health risks are too high.

Kevin Moore, attorney for the company and property owners, said the station would not contribute significantly to traffic congestion at Bells Ferry Road and Ernest Barrett Parkway. RaceTrac was willing to add a full right turn lane at the corner.

“RaceTrac is a proven community partner and supporter/partner of local schools,” it argued. The county's planning staff had endorsed the project.

But more than two dozen people who attended the hearing saying this particular parcel would not overcome concerns about air quality and young children being exposed to gas fumes.

The Cobb County Planning Commission earlier this month voted 3-2 to back rezoning of the property, but added stipulations that would not allow alcohol and fuel sales.

RaceTrac had previously approached the Board of Commissioners -- which has the final say -- but withdrew it before consideration. Tuesday, the consideration did not take long before the 5-0 vote.

Work last month on the McAfee house at its new home in Cherokee County, Ga. (Civil War Picket photo)

A couple commissioners lamented the lack of guidelines or rules in the county for the location of gas stations near schools. Moore pointed out dozens of stations in Cobb County are not far from schools.

The Civil War Picket reached out to Moore and Erick Allen, the district county commissioner for the neighborhood, for comment, but had not received a response as of Wednesday evening.

Officials said the decision effectively ends the case, unless RaceTrac decides to bring a lawsuit.

The property owner donated the land to Cobb Landmarks, which for years had tried to find a home for the house. Cobb Landmarks then sold it for $1 to entrepreneurs Lee and Brittani Lusk, with the main requirement it be moved and restored.

The couple moved the sturdy residence to near their former home in Ball Ground and have been working since on its foundation. The couple says they expect the house to either be rented as a residence or an Airbnb-style arrangement.

Civil War reenactors present at Navy ship commissioning in Cleveland had hoped to fire artillery salutes. Gun #179 did fire a volley in 1865 at Lincoln funeral there

Original Napoleon (foreground) and 3-inch ordnance rifle at Saturday's event (1st Ohio LA, Battery A)

Ohio Civil War reenactment crews present for the commissioning of a U.S. Navy combat ship in Cleveland on Saturday displayed two cannons, including one that reportedly saluted assassinated President Abraham Lincoln during his funeral train stop in the city in 1865.

They had hoped to fire the guns but increased security ahead of the ceremony precluded the booming display, officials said.

Gun #179, an 1864 Napoleon that was at the Lincoln events, was transported from the Statehouse grounds in Columbus to Cleveland, which saw the first U.S. Navy commissioning in Ohio in 250 years. A 3-inch ordnance gun was placed next to the Napoleon. Both were pointed toward Lake Erie.

Lake Erie made a picturesque setting Saturday morning (U.S. Navy photo)

Littoral warship USS Cleveland was launched three years ago; Saturday morning brought its formal commissioning in military service before it is deployed to Naval Station Mayport in Florida.

The guns were placed about a 100 yards from the stern of the ship so the public could learn about Civil War artillery, said Tim Daley of the USS Cleveland Legacy Foundation.

The 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A reenactment unit brought the Napoleon “for a much happier occasion” than the wake for Lincoln on April 28, 1865, according to a news release from Battery A and the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board.

Cleveland was one of several Lincoln funeral train stops between Washington, D.C., and Springfield, Ill. Church bells and cannon firing were part of the public viewing of Lincoln and procession in Cleveland. The 1^st Ohio Light Artillery saw extensive service in the Western Theater.

The 19th Ohio Light Artillery from the Cleveland area showed off the 3-inch gun (above, in foreground, courtesy Wes Smith).

Saturday’s ceremony was full of Navy tradition, and speakers mentioned Cleveland’s contribution of steel and welding to the construction of the vessel. One pointed out the city’s service to the U.S. military intensified with manufacturing during the Civil War.

“This crew is ready to sail. This crew is ready to fight. This crew is ready to serve,” said its commander, Capt. Bruce Hallett near the completion of the ceremony.

Members of both reenactor groups on Cleveland waterfront (Special to the Picket)

In a Facebook post following the events, the 19th Ohio Light Artillery wrote:

"We were treated like royalty, being police-escorted from Berea, Ohio, to Cleveland Lakefront! Although we were unable to fire the guns we were put pretty close to the ceremony and able to mingle with the public and witness history."

They were able to tour the ship, though one participant had to remove her outer hoopskirt in order to take the stairs and maneuver in tight places.

I contacted both reenactment groups ahead of the event, and the following provides background: Responses have been edited for order and brevity.

Background on 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A

Reenactors man 1864 Napoleon on the Cleveland waterfront (1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A)

From Capt. Duane Rezac:

Q. Do you have a history of gun #179? Where was it from October 1864 until the Lincoln assassination?

A. I have done research on the history of the four cannon on the Statehouse grounds. The cannon were part of a purchase of two batteries of 6-pdr and 2 batteries of 12-pdr guns for the newly formed Ohio National Guard in 1864. At the start of the war, the states provided arms and equipment for troops going into federal service. By mid-1863, Ohio had sent 40 6-pdr field guns with Ohio troops going into federal service. When the process of disbanding the Ohio militia and forming the Ohio National Guard began in 1863, Ohio had no functional artillery remaining in the State Arsenal. The few artillery pieces that remained with the Ohio militia were in poor condition and were unserviceable.

The Ohio National Guard was authorized to have 20 2-gun batteries of artillery, but they had no equipment for them. A requisition was sent to the U.S. government requesting that the 40 6-pdr field guns be replaced. The request was denied, with the response including, "If we provide the guns, it will set a precedent and the other states will request the same, and we cannot do that in a time of war.”

The business end of gun #179 in Cleveland ((1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A)

Ohio came up with a solution. They would purchase four batteries of artillery, two 6-pdr batteries, 2 12-pdr batteries and 200 horses. The 6-pdr batteries would be used to train Ohio National Guard batteries so they would be prepared when more guns could be procured. The first two batteries to be trained would be expanded to a six-gun strength, and on the completion of their training, would be issued 6 12-pdr guns and 100 horses. These batteries would be stationed in Cleveland and Cincinnati to provide protection for the cities and borders of Ohio. The Ohio Statehouse has one gun from each of the batteries purchased.

Gun #179 was one of 6 12-pdrs issued to the 8th Independent Battery Ohio National Guard. The 8th was stationed in Brooklyn Ohio (now a suburb of Cleveland) and maintained an armory there.They kept the 100 horses they were issued stabled close to Brooklyn; however I have not been able to determine its exact location. In fall of 1864, Gen. Hooker wrote a letter to the governor of Ohio requesting that an Ohio Battery be made available to him in Cleveland. Gen. Hooker had information from spies that Confederate refugees in Canada planned " an early decent upon Detroit or Cleveland for purposes of Plunder and incendiarism" and he requested a battery for support in the event the attack occurred. The 8th was given that assignment and were on active duty from fall of 1864 until spring of 1865 with orders to provide Gen. Hooker any support requested.

Lincoln's casket was brought to Public Square (Courtesy The Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

When President Lincoln's funeral was at Cleveland, the 8th was selected to participate. The 8th fired the 36 -gun National Salute on the arrival of the train carrying the president’s body ( gun #179 would have fired six volleys). The 8th was a part of the honor guard escorting the casket from the train to the square where the president’s body was on repose, and the 8th fired salutes through the day.

Q. What kind of cannon is it? How long has it been at the Statehouse grounds?

The cannon is a M1857 12-pdr field gun commonly referred to as a Napoleon. All of the cannon were manufactured by Miles Greenwood of Cincinnati. #179 refers to the foundry number on the trunnion of the gun. While I am still researching to determine the exact date the guns were placed on the Statehouse grounds, I have a photograph from 1879 of the Statehouse that shows a cannon in the same location they were when the renovations to the Statehouse were done in the late 1980s. During that same time period, the inventory reports have a column of “Items at the State Campground or otherwise assigned by the Adjutant General’. This column contains two 12-pdr guns and two 6-pdr guns. While there is no way to definitively prove that these four guns are the Statehouse guns, I believe that it is highly likely that they are.

Q. How many members of the battery will be there? Do they have experience with this weapon?

A. All of our battery members are experienced operating muzzle-loading cannon with experience from new recruits to over 20 years operating cannon. We currently have nine members that are planning to attend

Q. Has this gun been fired before, in recent years?

A. While I can't say exactly when the last time this gun was fired, all four of the guns are maintained in operating condition. Due to logistics of handling the guns without horses, we typically use one of the lighter 6-pdr guns. Since 12-pdr #179 served in Cleveland during the war, we are very happy to return it back to where it served 161 years ago. When the Ohio Statehouse underwent major restoration in the late 1980s, all four of the cannon were completely reconditioned and new carriages built, using as much of the original hardware that was salvageable, with the remainder being newly manufactured by Cannon Ltd. In Coolville, Ohio (now out of business). The cannon are maintained by our battery and the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board, who are responsible for the Statehouse, grounds and monuments.

Background on the 19^th Ohio Light Artillery

From Capt. Wesley Smith

The 19th Ohio Light Artillery is a reenactment group that portrays the original 19th Ohio Independent Light Artillery, which was formed in the Cleveland area in September of 1862. They fought mainly in the Western Theater. Our reenactment group was formed way back in the 1960s during the centennial of the Civil War. Through the years, we’ve been reenacting and doing living history displays all over the mid-Atlantic states through Ohio and Michigan, also. We are a member of larger reenactment organizations like The Artillery Reserve and Birney’s Division. We take great pride in safety and historical accuracy while in the field. Our group is a very tight knit family group. Most events we field at least two cannons with limbers.