Don't know if anyone on this board caught this on the news, but on New Years Day the City of Norwich CT sponsored a 100 gun salute as part of it's 150th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamaition observances. After a morning of speeches and bell ringing in the city center, the festivities moved to Chelsea Harbor Park where a full 6-gun battery of Civil War era fieldpieces were assembled on a snowy lawn overlooking the river. The left section was a matched pair of 6-pounders. On the right were two 12lb mountain howtizers. The center section was a 10lb Parrot and a 12lb Napoleon. It was my distinct honor to serve as #1 on the right wheel of that big bronze. Firing was by gun at 20 second intervals with double sponging to ensure safety. While we were clearing paths for the guns and limbers, a bald eagle did a few lazy circles overhead as if to bless our efforts. Our gun made it to the last shot before a couple weak primers caused us to misfire and we had to pour in some loose powder to make sure she went. You could hear the bronze guns really ring in that crisp air. Even if we weren't sending any iron downrange, it was a pretty quick and fun way to burn through about 17lbs of powder. It only took two days for my forearms to stop aching from all that swabbing and ramming. I wonder if the #1s back in the day all wound up with Popeye arms? I'l have to look at some pictures. There are some photos and videos posted on line by the Norwich Bulletin and others, just google Norwich emancipation cannon.
