The four Parrott Rifles stand silently in the Civil War soldiers’ plot at Woodland Cemetery in Ironton.

Monday, May 29, 2000

The four Parrott Rifles stand silently in the Civil War soldiers’ plot at Woodland Cemetery in Ironton.

For more than 75 years, they have served as a mute memorial to our fallen war heroes, from the young men whose lives were cut short during the Civil War to those who valiantly perished in World War II.

The four rifles weigh around 1,700 pounds each, and most cemetery visitors probably assume they are cannons because of their size.

The Civil War-era rifles were donated to the cemetery in 1922 by American Legion Post 59, which has since been disbanded. In the 78 years that followed, the rifles have become a familiar backdrop to Memorial Day activities at Woodland, with most visitors almost overlooking them.

Now, a grassroots effort has been established to refurbish and remount the rifles, thus saving them for generations to come, said Common Pleas Judge Frank McCown.

"A rumor surfaced a few months ago that some of the war memorials in the cemetery were going to be sold," McCown told about 40 Ironton-area residents invited to the group’s first meeting. "A gentleman from Ashland, Ky., was most interested in acquiring some of the memorials, most notably the four Civil War Parrott Rifles.

"I’m pretty passionate about not selling our war memorials, so several people approached the cemetery trustees."

During that initial meeting, Woodland trustees expressed concern about their physical and financial abilities to maintain the rifles as well as a World War II 75-mm. howitzer also in the soldiers’ plot.

Because the project had multiple possibilities ranging from historic preservation to tourism, McCown and others decided to hold a community meeting to invite input and to determine if residents were interested in taking on the project.

The four Parrott rifles ­ named for their inventor, Robert Parker Parrott ­ currently are mounted on concrete forms, many of which are cracked and crumbling.

"All four were made in 1861 at the West Point Foundry in Cold Springs, N.Y.," said Martin Smith, who is compiling research on the four guns. "That same foundry produced the famous Swamp Angel, which was manufactured using iron from our own Hecla Furnace. We suspect that the iron used to make these gun barrels came from Lawrence County."

There were 338 Parrott Rifles made during the Civil War, but most were subsequently melted for scrap during World Wars I and II. Today, only 57 are known to remain in the United States.

"These truly are national treasures," McCown said.

West Point Foundry numbered each Parrott Rifle individually, with the four in Woodland Cemetery bearing the numbers 3, 6, 12 and 24.

"These are early guns, so they probably were in major engagements," McCown said. "They could easily have been used at Antietam or Gettysburg."

The U.S. Park Service recommends vintage artillery be mounted on an aluminum carriage that duplicates the type of wooden carriage that originally would have been used.

"Aluminum will last a long time," McCown explained, adding that the group’s work would be appreciated and cherished by generations to come.

"Imagine how they (the four Parrott Rifles) would look if they were in their appropriate carriage with an appropriate monument. Two could be on carriages guarding the cemetery entrance near the flagpole. Another idea is to put two on carriages overlooking U.S. 52 with lights on them. This is our heritage, and we need to preserve it and take pride in it. These four rifles and the howitzer have great meaning as a memorial."

The howitzer needs two 20-inch tires to rescue it from sinking into the ground.

The cost of special aluminum carriages could range as high as $15,000 each.

"I think we as a community could do this project," McCown said. "I don’t think we ought to go begging to the state or to Washington. This is doable by the 2001 Memorial Day if we all work together. This is going to take hard work and time, but things don’t happen by themselves.

"However, if we’re going to do it, we need to do it right. This is not a nickel and dime project."

The finished project could be "one of the finest memorials this county has ever seen," historian Smith said.

The group tentatively plans to meet again at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 6, at the VFW in Ironton.

For more information, call McCown at 533-4332. The group needs volunteers willing to assist with historical research, monument/memorial planning and fund-raising.