Navy lost a bunch of Spanish trophy cannons in Cuba

[cannonmn]

There's some interesting correspondence from 1899 linked to this.  Apparently the Navy "lost" a bunch of trophies in Cuba, somehow.  Maybe the letters say it was found again, I didn't read it all.  However I think the number of 16 cm rifles pretty much equates to the one now in Clarksburg, WV plus the four in Lakeside? Cemetery, Erie PA. 

http://gs19.inmotionhosting.com/~milita8/cmh/member/member.cgi/read/8138

[Cannoneer]

Thanks for posting these documents, Cannonmn. There is a letter here that is about the loan of a captured cannon to Clarksburg, West Virginia: Do you know if the Govt./Military agencies that were responsible for providing cannons to cities and municipalities across the country, (for monuments & memorials) always used the term 'loan' in these transactions? 

[cannonmn]

always used the term 'loan' in these transactions? 

That term is what I usually see particularly in Navy records.  I think many of the Army pieces were given outright, but I could be wrong.  I'd have to go back into the appendices in ca. 1900 annual copies of the "reports of the Chief of Ordnance" (US War Dept.) to find the exact wording.  All those transactions were subject to certain US Code which is what is really needed to find out exactly.  I think many if not all were covered by language in the legislation that specified "to be recalled by the Secretary of War (whenever he felt like it.)"  So that means essentially title remains with the gov't.  There have been some articles in The Artilleryman about those laws and loans, as I recall, way back 10 years or so ago.

[Cannoneer]

Thanks, Cannonmn; I've often wondered about the legal ownership of all these pieces. I remember reading somewhere (I don't think it was from the Artilleryman) that in the final analysis, if push came to shove, the Navy, and Army Historical Depts. would actually be considered the legal custodians of these artifacts, even though the cities, universities, courthouses, cemeteries, etc., often have people that claim, or plaques on their displays that read, this cannon was given to us by the Army, and dedicated on X date.