Cannon at GW Office Museum
Winchester VA chose to celebrate George Washington's birthday anniversary on 22 Feb 1924, by installing this cannon at the George Washington Office Museum located on the corner of Cork and Braddock Streets. The sign on the cannon indicates it stood as a defender at Fort Loudoun in 1758, a fort designed by a 23 year old Colonel George Washington.
Sixteen years after
the City of Winchester
purchased a building
in 1908
on the corner of Cork and Braddock,
now known as
this cannon was placed
on its property.
By the way, this corner has an awful symmetry. Cork and Braddock are poetic testament to Braddock's Expedition.
The men of that expedition boarded ships at Cork Ireland to cross the Atlantic to meet their awful fate here in America.
For that reason too, there's another cannon placed there on the Braddock Street side of this corner. It was one of Braddock's cannon left over from Alexandria in 1755. It was moved to this property on 27 May 1915 and celebrated with an Apple Blossom size parade and a big speech, published in 4 parts by the Winchester Evening Star on Sat 29 May and Mon 31 May 1915.
But let us look at the cannon put here on George Washington's birthday anniversary 22 Feb 1924.
Next time you drive by
on the Cork Street side of
George Washington's Office Museum,
you will remember
there's a story to this cannon.
At least you will remember
a 81 year old civil war veteran,
James B Russell,
stood next to that cannon
exactly where a tree now stands.
And if you're from around here,
[Winchester VA],
you'll remember a Solenberger
owned this cannon.
We attempt to cover two questions on this cannon.
Who owned
this cannon
during its lifetime
in Winchester VA?
Where was it before?
The sign on the cannon indicates it stood as a defender at Fort Loudoun in 1758.
True?
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Provenance:
Let us look at what we know so far of Chain of Ownership and of locations of the Cannon.
New Year's Eve, 31 Dec 1824, and 5 March 1923
6 Pounder Cannon and the two Russells:
William Greenway Russell writes, "About the end of the year 1824 or the commencement of 1825, a party from the Thespian Hall, who had been indulging in egg-nog, were invited to take a walk.
On arriving at the top of the hill, they found the old "Six Pounder," a cannon that had been brought to Winchester in 1812, at the time of the organization of Col. Wm. Morris' company.
It was decided to shoot the old year out and welcome the new. The cartridges had been previously prepared and they gave some dozen rounds. Next day it was discovered that havoc had been played with Mr Peyton's windows, some twenty or more panes of glass being broken. Mr Samuel Reed was deputized to go and ascertain the damage. The old lady would not listen to any offers for payment, no would she report the number broken, but treated the ambassador to a glass of wine and some new year's cake and dismissed him."
Source:
Page 79-80, "What I Know About Winchester by William Greenway Russell, Recollections of William Greenway Russell 1800-1891," researched and footnoted edited by Garland R Quarles and co-edited by Lewis N Barton. These recollections by William Greenway Russell "appeared first in the Winchester News, a weekly newspaper. They began in January 1876, and were printed weekly for six months until June of that year. The papers were reprinted in 1898 in The Winchester Times and again in 1920 in The Winchester Evening Star. " Page 8.
A 6 pounder cannonball is found by a James B Russell in a 5 March 1923 Winchester Evening Star article:
“In this connection it will be interesting to know that James B Russell has in his possession several of the six-pound ball which were fired either by this cannon or by of the same size bore.”
Did that 6 pounder come from the cannon mentioned above by William Greenway Russell.
We don't know if James B Russel was related to William Greenway Russell.
Because this cannon was placed on this spot 22 Feb 1924 and the man in the picture, James B Russell, was born in 5 Sept 1841, then he must be 81 or more of age in this picture.
From the Handley Library Archives:
James B. Russell was born in Winchester, VA on Sept. 5, 1841 to Isaac and Eliza Baker Russell. At age 16, he was holding public office as a deputy sheriff of Frederick County. During the Civil War, he served on the staff of General Ramseur of North Carolina. He also served Gen. Pegram and Gen. James A. Walker as part of their staff. Upon return to Winchester, he started a dry goods business with his brother Isaac W. Russell with a large establishment on North Loudoun St. Their business was called James B. Russell and Brothers. In 1889, he retired from the business to pursue interests in finance, insurance, and farming. He also helped organize the Union Bank of Winchester in 1870 and served on its board of directors for 62 years. Russell married Mary Elizabeth Hackney on Dec. 19, 1867 and had four children. Russell died on March 19, 1932 and was buried at Mt. Hebron Cemetery in Winchester, VA.
Photo from a National Geographic issue.
Photo provided by Ben Ritter, a local historian.
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Not sure what National Geographic issue has this photo.
Sources:
Civil War during 1864
No cannon in the drawings
Was there a cannon sitting there on the site of Fort Loudoun?
That's sketchy so to speak. We go to James E Taylor, an artist embedded with Sheridan's Union forces. James E Taylor had his eye on Washington and Braddock's history in Winchester VA in the midst of the Civil War.
We look for a cannon in James E Taylor multiple drawings of this site.
He drew a picture of the "bastion"
of George Washington's Fort Loudoun
of the French and Indian War.
That bastion was really the dirt built up under that bastion.
This is the Southwest bastion.
Norman Baker writes on page 70 in his book, Fort Loudoun, Washington's Fort in Virginia, published 2006, "Taylor relate that after he sketched the embankment, he walked to the street and turned 40 feet north to the "premises of V.G. Kiger." Taylor said Kiger "seemed not only please to extend me facilities to inspect the remains of the redoubt but acted as pilot. The first object to which he conducted me was the garrison well sunk in the northwest bastion of the citadel which was his garden, screened from the yard and dwelling by a fence."
Here is Taylor's picture of the well that took miners three years [1756, 1757, 1758] with black powder to blast down 103 feet through mostly limestone bedrock.
In either picture there is no presence of a cannon.
Did the locals hide the cannon during the war? We don't know - yet.
But at some point after the war, some cannon on this property reappeared.
William L Clark
owned much of the property on North Main (N Loudoun St) and North Market (N Cameron St) where part of Fort Loudoun sat. William L Clark was President of the Winchester and Potomac Railroad. The Mutual Assurance Society Records collection contains insurance policies (1746-1838) to dwellings in Winchester, VA and Frederick County, VA, which include policyholders' names. such as William L Clark at 407 North Loudoun. The cannon is alleged to have stood on this property before Noah W Solenberger acquired it.
Source: Winchester Evening Star, 5 March 1923 and 23 April 1923 and 1 May 1923.
Then somehow it became Noah W Solenberger's.
At one point this cannon stood on Noah W Solenberger's property, facing east as a symbolic defense against England.
Noah W Solenberger was formerly a farmer of Franklin Co PA and in 1866 went to Winchester VA to engage in a grain and warehouse business. After several years he sold his warehouses and engage in real estate dealing at Winchester. Later he became a farmer once more, and is now one of the extensive farmers of Winchester, and is one of the most extensive fruit growers of the valley.
He married Barbara A Stouffer.
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After Barbara died, her estate sold the cannon to Frank H Taylor.
The Solenberger family is locally known for their hardware store.
Then it went to Frank H Taylor
who owned a plumbing store on South Braddock Street:
5 March 1923 Winchester Evening Star article:
“The cannon was bought last week at a public sale for $29 by Mr. Frank H. Taylor, who at least thought enough of the relic to save it from the junk dealer’s pile. For scrap iron it is worth just about 30 cents at the prevailing price of old metal . . .”
That public sale? That was the estate sale of the deceased widow of Noah Solenberger.
And what did Frank H Taylor do with the cannon after buying it?
Reporter, William McClenahan for the Baltimore Sun on 1 May 1923, notes:
“today it [the cannon] is lying on the sidewalk in front of a shop.”
Could that mean the cannon was lying just by itself not on any carriage?
The article’s reporter then ponders who might obtain it from Frank H. Taylor for the sake of History?
Would it go to the DAR, Daughters of the American Revolution?
Or would it go to the Trustees for the George Washington Office Museum?
The cannon does go there next.
"Famous Cannon Taken Today to Permanent Home" is the Winchester Evening Star headline for Friday February 22, 1924
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“Today, the birthday anniversary
of George Washington,
the father of his country,
was very appropriately selected
as the occasion for removing
the famous old Washington cannon
from Mr. Frank H. Taylor’s place
on South Braddock street,
preparatory to being mounted
at this historic shrine.”
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How many Cannon at Fort Loudoun?
This 22 Feb 1924 article repeats other previous articles stating:
“The relic was one of twelve cannon which were mounted on the old Fort Loudoun … “
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Were there 12 cannon?
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Colonel George Washington states 14 cannon.
He writes from Fort Loudoun to Lt Gov Dinwiddie (the acting governor) 27 June 1757:
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“This place when finished,
will mount 24 Guns;
and we have no more than
4 twelve-pounders,
and 10 four-pounders:
Six more wou’d do tolerably well.
I understand there are some pieces of cannon at Colonel Hunters, belonging to the colony, which I imagine wou’d be of greater service here.“
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So, as of 27 June 1757, Fort Loudoun had
"4 twelve-pounders and 10 four pounders."
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More Cannon Denied
But there appears that no more than 14 were acquired, as GW’s request was denied.
Founders Online footnote states:
Col. John Hunter lived at Hampton, and on 13 July [1757] Dinwiddie informed GW that the guns at Colonel Hunter’s could not be had “at present.”
Lt Gov Dinwiddie writes to Colonel George Washington on 13 July 1757:
The Guns at Co. Hunters cannot be spar’d at present, but 14 Great Guns mounted at Fort Loudoun I think will make a good Defence.
Source:
Origin of some Cannon?
On the same day, House of Burgesses authorizes and funds a strong fort to built at Winchester VA, Lt Gov Robert Dinwiddie, 3 May 1756 writes to Colonel George Washington:
I approve, for the Reasons You assign, the fortifying of Winchester,
& when the Militia arrives You may employ many of them on that Business, &
if they expect extra Pay for that Service, You must agree with them accordingly;
there are ten Cannon at Rock Creek
[left over by Braddock's Expedition in April 1755]
with the Ball & all other Appurtenances,
of the same weight as those at Fort Cumberland;
if You can get clear of the cruel Invaders
You may send for them & mount them at Winchester.
Founders Online Footnote to this letter above:
The cannon had been left by Gen. Edward Braddock at Rock Creek, Md., a short distance up the Potomac from Alexandria. See GW’s Memorandum, 15 Sept. 1755, n.1, and GW to George Beall, 2 June 1756.
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Thank You Ben Ritter:
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Ben Ritter, a local historian, provided these newspaper clippings that jump-started our search for the origins of this cannon.
Research provided by Ben Ritter to Jim Moyer 2/10/2017, updated 2/12/2017 thru 2/15/2017, 3/5/2017, 2/21/2022
It would have taken forever to scour the newspaper archives.
Ben Ritter has read and taken notes on a considerable number of years of these newspapers. He has provided the news articles on this cannon.
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Below is additional confirmation – when and where we could find one – for all claims made in these newspaper articles.
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Click on all photos to enlarge. Hit backspace to return here.
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At the end of this, we have some questions for any enterprising reader to answer:
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Cannon Firing used for Celebrations
We don't know if the cannon we are discussing was used for firing at various celebrations through the years.
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Winchester Evening Star
Monday March 5, 1923
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According to the article, this cannon ” . . . was dragged forth every four years … loaded up its mouth with black powder and fired off in the celebration of a newly elected President … since General George Washington was first elected …”
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Do other articles mention this cannon for celebrations?
A 1916 article about Winchester celebrating the election of Woodrow Wilson mentions fireworks but not this cannon.
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Picture is
Sketch by J. Taylor from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper in December 31, 1864 showing the remains of Fort Loudoun and the well – built by George Washington. — from Handley Library’s Stewart Bell Jr Archives
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Other mentions of cannon firing for celebrations:
“Years later it was customary to drag the old cannon from place to place around the town and fire it off in celebration of an unusual event in the community.”
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“Finally it was used in the place of fireworks and firecrackers to usher in Christmas Day, and hundreds of people will recall that the first sound they would hear of early Christmas morning was the lumbering of the old cannon on the ramparts of old Fort Loudoun.”
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Ramparts: This was the term used for the ground built up under Fort Loudoun to keep it level. See these pictures. The terrace is proof of the hard work of moving dirt and rock by George Washington’s men 1756-1758.
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Other cannons were already on the site
of the George Washington Office Museum on the corner of Cork and Braddock.
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“At the Washington Headquarters there is already mounted two old pieces. There is room for another.”
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Source:
Old Cannon a Reminder of Days of Yore
Winchester Evening Star
reprints a Baltimore Sun article
May 1, 1923
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Notice the Braddock Cannon on the far left, sitting there since 1915. Then on either side of the building you will see a cannon on wheels.
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Notes for further research:
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Founders online references to cannon brought to Fort Loudoun:
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GW had ordered George Beall on 2 June 1756 to send the cannon down to Winchester to be used in the fort there.
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Early accounts of receiving cannon
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October 30, 1753, Virginia receives 30 cannon from the Earl of Holderness
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January 1754
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he ordnance promised to Dinwiddie by Holderness in Aug. 1753 finally arrived in the colony and included 30 cannon and 80 barrels of powder, as well as other stores. Dinwiddie had hoped to use the cannon to protect the new fort at the Forks of the Ohio, but he wrote to the Board of Trade, 29 Jan. 1754, that “the guns are much too large to be transported so great a distance by land, and in bad roads. However, I shall make a tryal of ten; if we can get them carried to the fort they will be very serviceable.
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Do You have more information?
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We post this story as a way of finding if there are any readers who know more about this cannon.
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Corrections, Additions, Suggestions are welcome on
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Facebook page of Fort Loudoun Winchester VA
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and
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Facebook page Friends of Fort Loudoun
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Other notes:
See William Greenway Russell on the Oyster House, the western barrack of Fort Loudoun:
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We are covering 1758 in this year of 2022, and so our story on 1758 involves this cannon's sign made in 1924 referring to 1758.
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