This six pound spherical shot still retains the original wood sabot and remains of the tin strap. There was only one battery that had a 6 lb gun present at Gettysburg. This battery was commanded by Captain Alexander C. Latham, who was in the Army of Northern Virginia, Longstreet’s Corps, Hood’s Division, and Henry’s Battalion.

Latham’s North Carolina Artillery, also known as the Branch Artillery, consisted of three Napoleon 12-pounders, one 12-pound howitzer and one 6-pound bronze gun.  At Gettysburg the battery supported the right of Longstreet’s line in its attack of July 2, 1863, and moved into position on the Confederate right center around 4:00 pm. The battery engaged in a duel with Smith’s 4th New York Artillery which was located on the Union line above Devil’s Den. During the duel two of Latham’s guns, the howitzer and the 6-pounder, were disabled.

This relic item was once part of the collection displayed at Lee’s Headquarters Museum, housed in the Thompson House on Route 30, west of Gettysburg. The museum was renovated in 1950, and over the next three decades some items from the collection were de-accessioned, although the bulk of it remained intact.  In January of 1995 the property and collection were sold to the Monahan family of Gettysburg. In the late 1990’s, the now-closed Lee’s Headquarters Museum underwent an extensive renovation, concentrating its interpretation on the First Days’ Battle. To raise funds to help defray the cost of this renovation, many duplicate and unrelated items were de-accessioned and placed on the collector’s market.  The Horse Soldier was the exclusive dealer of these rare and beautiful items.

In 2014 The Civil War Trust purchased the property with the goal of restoring it to its 1863 appearance. [ws] [ph:L]

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