June 13, 2020
A NAPOLEON SMOOTHBORE CANNON RETURNS TO REDOUBT NO. 1 AFTER 155 YEARS
The Napoleon that once stood sentinel on the summit of Shy’s Hill is now back on duty, this time at Redoubt No. 1 — the first of its kind to guard the Redoubt since the battle there on December 15, 1864.
On June 13, 2020, a small contingent of the BONT Board moved the reproduction smooth-bore from its interim position at the home of Jim Kay, president of BONT, to the Redoubt. There, it joined up with the reproduction field piece, a 3-inch ordnance gun, that has stood at the wall for many years.
Above photos by Sidney McAlister
The Napoleon is more representative of actual conditions at the redoubt, which was designed to hold a battery of four of the big smoothbores. This area of the Confederate line was under the command of Maj. Gen. William Loring in Lt. Gen. Alexander P. Stewart’s Corps. The Redoubt was manned by approximately 200 troops, about half of which would have included artillerymen managing the guns. About 100 infantry were present to support the battery and defend the fort.
The Napoleon had been an important attraction at Shy’s Hill for more than a decade, but eventually deteriorated due to weather and had to be removed. It has now been rebuilt and was too heavy to replace on the summit. In addition, its original placement had been symbolic only, as there was no artillery at the summit during that battle on Dec. 16, 1864.
After the Napoleon was removed for rehab, BONT placed two replica field Howitzers on a flat “plateau” near the bottom of the eastern slope of Shy’s Hill, accurately reflecting the position of the few guns that could be readied for action on December 16. The Howitzers were part of the command of Capt. Rene T. Beauregard, son of Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard, and were later supplemented by several other field pieces.
The cannon was the inspiration behind graphic artist Elizabeth Harbin’s design of the new logo for the Battle of Nashville Trust in 2020.
Above: BONT Board members Jim Kay, Bobby Whitson, Sidney McAlister, and Mark Zimmerman (taking photo)
