Living history with the Baltimore Light Artillery
SHARPSBURG, Md., 9 June 2013 – Back in the 1980s, during the heyday of breakdancing, Rubik’s cubes and MacGyver, Ross Kimmel came up with a better way to spend his free time: firing cannons.
“I just conceived of this idea of doing a Civil War artillery unit,” said Kimmel. “Twelve men and a cannon is quite eye-filling. I thought we could do something impressive for the public, by shooting cannons.”
Kimmel initially thought the group would last for just a few years. More than three decades later, the Baltimore Light Artillery CSA is still going strong, giving artillery demonstrations at national parks throughout the greater Washington, D.C. area, including Antietam, Harpers Ferry and Gettysburg.
A retired historian, Kimmel worked for the Maryland State Park Service. Although he studied American Colonial History in graduate school, the Civil War has been his lifelong interest. He began reenacting as a teenager, starting with the Civil War centennial celebrations in the 1960s.
Now, Kimmel uses living history to educate the public about the Civil War.
“We are interested in the details of Civil War soldier life,” said Kimmel, “the kind of clothes they wore, the kind of weapons they used, the kinds of things they used around the campfire and reading soldier accounts of the war.”
And according to Kimmel, when interpreting history, the one thing that always works is: “guys with guns.”
“It seems to bring in more public interest than any other segment of living history,” Kimmel said. “If all else fails, get a guy with a gun out in front of the public, they love it.”
The group includes about 18 volunteers from Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Ohio. However, the original unit that served during the Civil War was comprised of soldiers exclusively from Maryland.
“The Baltimore Light Artillery was a four-gun battery in Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia” said Kimmel. “Most of us are Marylanders, so we decided we would adopt the identity of a Maryland unit that had served at the various battlefields where we do our presentations.”
Artillery demonstrations are sponsored by the National Park Service. For a schedule of upcoming events, visit the Antietam National Battlefield, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and Gettysburg National Military Park websites.
Elizabeth M. Grieco
American University
June 29, 2013
Artillery Demonstrations at Antietam National Battlefield
The National Park Service sponsors artillery demonstrations at the Antietam National Battlefield. The Baltimore Light Artillery CSA is one of several volunteer groups that participates in these living history presentations. For a schedule of upcoming events, visit the Battlefield’s website.
The audience listens carefully as Ross Kimmel, founder of the Baltimore Light Artillery CSA, explains the different kinds of shot used by Civil War era cannons.
Firing a cannon — even without live shot — can be dangerous, but the members of the Baltimore Light Artillery CSA strictly adhere to rules and regulations to make it as safe as possible.
The model 1857 12-pounder gun-howitzer, commonly known as the “Napoleon,” was the favored artillery piece in both armies throughout the Civil War.