More Phantom Cannon Fire

Saturday, April 12, 2008, 4:06 a.m.

As a student of the Battle of Gettysburg for the past fifteen years, I have participated in countless tours, viewed numerous artillery displays and personally spoken to many Licensed Battlefield Guides about the events that occurred on July 1-3, 1863.

On this date, at 4:06 a.m., I heard what I perceived to be three successive, loud cannon blasts.  I immediately ran outside to the front of the hotel and looked at the sky to see if perhaps we were having a thunderstorm.  The night was clear and brilliant with stars.  I then looked to see if any of the guests were peeking through their windows or opening their doors to look out to see what that loud noise was.  No one appeared at their doors and no curtains moved.

On the afternoon of the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, six artillery pieces from Battery "B" of the 4th U.S. Artillery, commanded by Lieut. James Stewart, were heavily engaged against Confederate infantry in the defense of their position on Seminary Ridge.  The hotel sits on Seminary Ridge and three of those artillery pieces sat where the west wing of our hotel sits today.

Just across the road (Rt. 30)  from the hotel, also sat Lieut. Benjamin W. Wilber's section of Battery L, 1st New York Light Artillery (cannon).   Just south of these guns were the six Napoleons (cannon) of Captain Greenlief T. Stevens' Fifth Maine Battery B, 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery.  Also, interspersed were four other cannon of Battery L, 1st New York Light Artillery, under the command of George Breck.


All in all, there were 21 cannon pieces lined up across the road from the hotel and on the hotel grounds.  It is not unusual for the night staff and/or guests to hear, in the middle of the night, phantom cannon fire.  Those staff working normally feel the vibrations through the floor and hear and/or watch the windows shaking at the time of the thunderous sound.