Image ID: AJCG

Photographic War History. The War For The Union. 1861-1865. No. 1171. Railroad Battery Before Petersburg. This is another battery on General Grant’s Military Railroad, operated the same as the mortar “Dictator” shown in view No. 831. The heavy cannon is mounted on a very strong, special made car, protected with a roof of railroad iron. The car is readily moved along the line and the cannon is fired whenever required; it is thus made very effective and annoying to the enemy, for it is something like the Irishman’s flea; “when they put their hand on it, it ain’t there,” in other words, when they turn the fire of their batteries on the Railroad Battery, our boys hitch on to the car and run it along out of the line of fire, and commence pegging away again. By the time the “Johnnies” find out where the Railroad Battery is, and get the range to smash it, “it aint there” again; the boys run it along to a new stand for business. [Taylor & Huntington stereo card] 

Abdill, Civil War Railroads, p93: During the advance on Richmond in 1864, the Union forces used at least two rail batteries,  in addition to the big mortar used at Petersburg. A flat car was outfitted in the Atlantic & North Carolina R.R. shops at New Bern, mounting a field piece behind a barrier of oak planking sheathed with iron. The second car, shown here, was similar in design but mounted a naval howitzer.

Princeton University Library credits Timothy O’Sullivan.

Anthony No. 1171.