The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-12-04
TRUE PETERSBURG EXPRESS"
PARROT 32-Pounders That Threw Iron Mes
sages Into the Besteged City.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Comrade
julius c. Manchester, Co. e, list Conn. IL
A., has the following in the NATIONAL
TRIBUNE, Nov. 10:
81 was member of Co. E, list Conn
II. A., and know the history OF the 10
inch mortar known as the Petersburg EN-
press 1t was in charge Of Co. Col
Abbot says Co. g., list Conn. II. A. They
had charge of this 13-inch mortar in front
of Petersburg from July, 1864, until the
close of the war. This 13-inch mortar
Petersburg Express by name, is now
mounted on the Capitol grounds in Hart
ford, Conn.,
Col. Henry l.. Abbot, of the list Conn
H. A, writes in Record of Service OF
Connecticut Men, War of the Rebellion"
"A 13-inch sea coast mortar was mount
ed ON a platform car and served by 20
G (Comrade Manchester says Go. y. Isl
Conn. III. A. This novelty was widely
known as the Petersburg Express.
Now, admit that this 13-inch mortar
was brought up from City Point and per-
formed most excellent service in dropping
shells into the Confederate forts, but il
did not make its appearance at the front
until July, a long time after ParrOtt ~
FOUNDER had established the name of the
Petersburg Express" by throwing shell
into the city of Petersburg every 10 min
utes. This Parrot gun was the only true
Petersburg Express" and was stationed
with the battery in a redoubt, Battery .
captured from the Confederates June Ia. 10
1854 No shells from this mortar ever
reached the city of Petersburg proper, and
it did not fire every 10 minutes, as the
Parrot gun did.
1t would be interesting to hear from
comrades connected with that battery, also
comrades of the 10th Mass, 5Sth and
1SSth Pa. In The National Tribune
Oct. is, 1902, made the following in
quiry:
"What kind of gun was used in front
of Petersburg, generally known as the
Petersburg Express Below are an
swers received:
Comrade D. Eldredge, Historian, Sd N.
H., 36 Bromfield St, Boston, Mass: MY
data says a PARROT gun. l have pho
tOgraph of the Petersburg Express and
will send you one in a few days. Cannot
tell to what battery it belonged"
ID. NJ. Clements, proprietor Petersburg
Daily Progress: Several days ago
Postmaster Balling turned over your letter
to me. No mortar shells reached the city;
the shells from q PARROT gun temporarily
destroyed the gas works. One shell ex-
ploded on Balingbrook Street and killed a
colored woman who was passing along the
street near what is now the Imperial Ho-
TEL The shells from this gun did cOnsid-
cradle damage to the northeastern part of
the city,"
Confederate Veteran f. z. D., Peters
burg. Va: 'In reply to your inquiry about
the gun known as the Petersburg Express
during the war, / will say it was planted
on Battery 5, Friends Farm in line
with Lombard and Bank streets. 1t was
a Parrot gun, carrying a 32-pOund per-
this gun that demolished our gas works
and left us in the dark for some time"
j. r. w. Smith, Petersburg, Va, Hill
Camp Confederate Veterans: II was a
member of Sturdivant Battery (Confed-
erate), which had one gun in Battery ).
The battery was captured by the Fed
erals on July 10, 1864. In the fight out
killed, wounded and captured 12O and 10
of their Ill guns. After the capture of
Battery the Federals substituted 80
pound Parrot gun, and this gun was the
Petersburg Express and this was the
only gun Of any size that could throw
shells into the city from the Federal lines"
First Lieut.. John L. Brady, A. A. A. e.,
Second Division. Second Corps, Medicine
Lodge, Kan: Replying to COmrade John
G. Ladd relative to the Petersburg Elk
press will say that upon reference to my
field notes for July, 1864, I find the fol-
lowing entry:
July 3Visited my old friend, Lieut..
John Mcconnell, formerly of Fort Della
ware, now on staff duty with Gen Badly"
Smith. After lunch Lieut.. Mcconnell and
strolled over to the Office of the Peters
burg Express" which is located on an emf
hence near the Generals headquarters
The battery composing said Express con-
sists of six 32-pounders, and the gunners
thereof amuse themselves by discharging |
,ne of said guns at intervals of 10 minutes
It some object discernible in the city of |
Petersburg
AS no entry discloses the names of bat