Fort Loudoun Cannon June 1757
We continue our trek through 1757 in this year of 2021.
We run into a letter
by Colonel George Washington
discussing cannons at Fort Loudoun.
Like a scene in
this author stands on a tree
where an older man from an older time
once stood by the
same cannon
that is alleged
to have come from Fort Loudoun.
Is this cannon sitting now
on the corner of Braddock and Cork
at the George Washington Office Museum
one of those discussed by
Colonel George Washington in his letter?
And is the Russell
in this picture related to
who wrote the book,
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First let us look at the letter Colonel George Washington writes while in Winchester VA at Fort Loudoun.
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The Letter.
Colonel George Washington is at Fort Loudoun in Winchester VA writing to Lt Gov Dinwiddie 27 June 1757.
He discusses much, but we focus on just one item about the cannon at Fort Loudoun at the end of the letter.
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.8 I am &c.
G:W.
Fort Loudoun: June 27th 1757.
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If we read this accurately,
Colonel George Washington
is stating to Lt Gov Dinwiddie
that Fort Loudoun currently has
"4 twelve-pounders, and 10 four-pounders:."
Founders Online notes:
"Col. John Hunter lived at Hampton, and on 13 July Dinwiddie informed GW that the guns at Colonel Hunter’s could not be had “at present.”"
Source:
Dinwiddie on 13 July 1757 refuses the extra cannon:
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
From George Washington to Robert Dinwiddie, 24 September 1757
I understand there are a mortar and a number of shells for it, at Williamsburgh, which wou’d be of infinite service here, tho’ of little or none where they are. We have a quantity of round and grape-shot for six-pounders; but no cannon to use them. A few pieces of that size wou’d be a great addition to our strength; and as this is the only place we have (were it finished) where a stand cou’d be made, in case of any formidable attack; I conceive nothing in our power shou’d be omitted to make it as defensible as we can. Mr Rutherford is not yet returned. Enclosed is a list of the killed and captured by the enemy, when last down.4 This is sent to Fredericksburgh, in order to go by post. I am &c. G:W. Fort Loudoun: Septr 24th 1757. LB, DLC:GW. 1. Robert McKenzie’s letter has not been found. 2. GW was referring to the raid of 17 September. See Lewis Stephens to GW, 20 Sept., Dinwiddie to GW, 24 Sept. (second letter), and GW to John Stanwix, 8 Oct. 1757. 3. Fort Loudoun at Winchester was not completed until the summer of 1758. 4. Robert Rutherford had been in Williamsburg. The list of casualties has not been found.
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Fast Forward to the 1800s.
Sketch of 411 North Loudoun Street, Winchester, Va. 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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James E Taylor, the noted sketch artist, was embedded with Union General Sheridan’s troops.
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Despite the war, he got very interested in Fort Loudoun, Braddock’s sash, and some other stories here in Winchester about the founding of the country on the frontier.
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But none of James E Taylor’s drawings of the Fort Loudoun area show that cannon.
Maybe it was in hiding during the war?
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Fast forward to the 1900s.
On the far left of the picture above
a cannon left behind in Alexandria
by the Braddock Expedition in April 1755,
is brought to this corner of Cork and Braddock in May 1915.
See the story on that cannon here.
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Is the other cannon closer to the building on that carriage the same as this one in this picture?
Was that gun taken off that carriage and put on this cement block with a plaque that exists there now since it was installed 22 February 1924.
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Winchester Evening Star.
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, to Washington’s Headquarters, preparatory to being mounted at this historic shrine.”
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Winchester Star articles in the 1920s mention this cannon.
Research provided by Ben Ritter to Jim Moyer 2/10/2017
updated 2/12/2017 thru 2/15/2017, 3/5/2017
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Photo taken by Jim Moyer
Ben Ritter, local historian, provided newspaper clippings that jump-started our search for the origins of this cannon.
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It would have taken forever to scour the newspaper archives.
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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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We look at
giving other sources
to corroborate
the claims
made in these
newspaper articles.
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Click on all photos
to enlarge.
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At the end of this,
we have some questions
for any enterprising reader
to answer:
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An Old Cannon of Washington Goes on Block
Winchester Evening Star
Monday March 5, 1923
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Excerpts from 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 . . .”
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This cannon was actively fired during the 1920s at least.
The first reason for it being fired?
” . . . as 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 celebrations mention this cannon?
A 1916 article about Winchester celebrating the election of Woodrow Wilson mentions fireworks but not this cannon.
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A 2nd reason for its firing:
“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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A 3rd reason for its firing:
“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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This article mentions some owners of the property
within the Fort Loudoun footprint where this cannon sat:
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William L Clark,
who owned much of the property on North Main (N Loudoun St) and North Market (N Cameron St) .
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Was William L Clark President of the Winchester and Potomac Railroad?
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The Mutual Assurance Society Records collection contains insurance policies (1746-1838) to dwellings in Winchester, VA and Frederick County, VA, which include policyholder?s names. such as William L Clark at 407 North Loudoun.
Noah W. Solenberger,
is another owner
of that area of the Fort Loudoun footprint.
The [estate of the] widow of Noah Solenberger sells cannon to Frank H. Taylor.
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The article’s reporter then ponders who might obtain it from Frank H. Taylor for the sake of History?
Would it be the DAR?
Or the Trustees for the George Washington Office Museum?
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Then James B Russell is mentioned.
He found a cannon ball
but doesn’t know
if it was from
this particular cannon.
This is a picture of James B Russell, aged 90.
He was a Confederate soldier
from the beginning to the ending
of the war,
standing next to this cannon.
Is he related to William Greenway Russell, author of What I Know About Winchester?
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Washington’s Old Cannon to be Preserved
Winchester Evening Star
Monday April 23, 1923
.Interesting to note that where Russel stood, a full grown tree inow stands n that spot.
Old Cannon a Reminder of Days of Yore
Winchester Evening Star
reprints a Baltimore Sun article
May 1, 1923
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Reporter, William McClenahan for the Baltimore Sun, notes “today it [the cannon] is lying on the sidewalk in front of a shop.”
So it sits on the sidewalk more than a month after Frank H Taylor bought the cannon from an Solenberger estate auction as tated in the Winchester Evening Star 5 March 1923 article.
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Whose shop was it where the cannon was “lying on the sidewalk in front of “ ?
The shop is Frank H Taylor’s who bought the cannon.
It’s his plumbing shop on South Braddock, per the 5 March article.
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And that phrase “lying in front of ” ? Would that mean the cannon has been dis-lodged from its wheel carriage?
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Other cannons already on the Cork and Braddock corner?
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“At the Washington Headquarters there is already mounted two old pieces. There is room for another.”
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Famous Cannon Taken Today to Permanent Home
Winchester Evening Star
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, to Washington’s Headquarters, preparatory to being mounted at this historic shrine.”
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This article repeats other articles stating:
“The relic was one of twelve cannon which were mounted on the old Fort Loudoun … “
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First known portrait of GW at age 40 wearing his VA Regiment uniform in 1772
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Were there 12 cannon?
Colonel George Washington states 14.
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.8 “
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So, as of 27 June 1757, Fort Loudoun had 4 twelve-pounders and 10 four pounders.
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But there appears that no more than 14 were acquired, as GW’s request was denied.
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And there’s the size of the cannon balls.
GW mentions they had “4 twelve-pounders, and 10 four-pounders.”
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Photo provided by Ben Ritter. Not sure what National Geographic issue has this photo. James B Russell is the man in this photo.
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This news article states:
“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.”
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Based on this, the cannon – if it was a 6 pounder — wouldn’t have been one of the cannons at Fort Loudoun at least at the moment GW wrote that letter.
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Maybe it came later. Maybe even 20 years later when James Wood (the son of James Wood the founder of Winchester VA) sent the Convention Prisoners from their prison holding camps in Charlottesville VA to Winchester VA during the War for Independence.
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Photo was taken from National Geographic issue originally. Will research which issue that year.
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Questions
History has no finality.
Books and reports are written that way.
But we always like to include the holes,
the questions always remaining left unanswered.
So here they are:
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There are 2 cannons on wheels on either side of the building. On far most left you can see the Braddock Cannon installed in 1915. CLICK TO ENLARGE.
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The Cannon on wheels? Is it the same one put on the cement memorial?
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Does anyone have a copy of that National Geographic article?
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Does anyone have a photo of that cannon on Solenberger’s property, or of that same cannon anywhere on any properties throughout time in the Fort Loudoun footprint?
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Does anyone have a photo of that same cannon in front of Handley Library or at that purchaser’s plumbing store on Cork Street?
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We pass the baton to you treasure hunters.
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Links
See James E Taylor’s drawings from Handley Library’s Stewart Bell Jr Archives:
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JOHN HUNTER
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John Hunter served for a time as justice of the Elizabeth City County, Va., court and as colonel of the county’s militia. He lived near Hampton, where he was also a merchant. During the French and Indian War, Hunter was also an agent for Thomlinson & Hanbury, the London trading firm through which the British government transferred funds to its military forces in North America, and as such, he was responsible for negotiating bills of exchange and dispensing specie to the army’s deputy paymaster general. Hunter sold out his considerable business and land interests in Virginia in 1766 and went to England to live.
Citation The Papers of George Washington Digital Edition, ed. Theodore J. Crackel. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, Rotunda, 2008.
Rotunda URL:
http://rotunda.upress.virginia.edu/founders/GEWN-02-01-02-0139 http://rotunda.upress.virginia.edu/founders/GEWN-02-08-02-0229
Founders URL: http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/02-01-02-0139 http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/02-08-02-0229
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From William Greenway Russell (1800-1891)
in his book, "What I know about Winchester,"
on page 79, writes about the Oyster House which was one of the barracks of Fort Loudoun:
William Greenway Russell 1800 to 1891
. "On the west side of Loudoun Street
and north of Peyton,
stood a tall log building
painted yellow,
many years ago.
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About 1820 it was occupied
by Thomas Brown,
whose wife was a Miss Fawsett.
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They kept an Oyster house. . Many years ago it was occupied by a Jesse Curry,
a tailor.
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This house was taken down
and moved near Fairfax Lane by William L Clark,
and fitted up for a dwelling.
Rediford Conrad occupied it for many years." .
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Interesting unrelated note by William Greenway Russell about an artist in these early times:
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