In 1904 the Warrick Grand Army of the Republic Post #262 was granted permission to permanently place a cannon and flag pole on their lot at the Rose Hill Cemetery. The cannon was a model 1844 Civil War Flank Howitzer cast in 1846 by Cyrus Alger & Co. in Boston, Massachusetts. It was 69 inches long, weighed 1,470 pounds, and the bore was -5.82 inches. This Howitzer would fire a 24-pound cannonball 1,322 yards at five degrees of elevation with a two pound black powder charge. It was inspected and test fired by Maj. James Wolfe Ripley.
On April 5, 2008, the Rose Hill Cemetery Board along with the American Legion Kapperman Post #44 and the SUVCW, Department of Indiana, rededicated the cannon and memorial with approximately forty people in attendance.
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Left to right: Alan Teller, Mike Tomey, Larry Myer, Dennis Hutchinson, Mike Beck, Garry Walls, Tim Beckman -
Two black granite tablets behind the cannon detailing the history / specifications of the cannon and the Warrick GAR Post #262 -
Rose Hill Cemetery cannon rededication ceremony. The 27th Indiana, Co. D SVR is visible in the background.
The old Howitzer was cleaned and painted and placed onto a new half circle stone wall base with engraved black granite tablets affixed onto the half circle stone wall behind the cannon detailing its history and the history of the Newburgh GAR Post #262. There is a pass-through between the walls where stepping-stones could be placed to help finance the project. A beautiful new 20-foot flagpole bearing a Civil War era 34-star flag was also erected at the site of the new cannon memorial.
Members of the Department of Indiana conducting the ritual of rededication were brothers Tim Beckman (Camp #356 SVC) and Mike Tomey (Camp #356 Chaplain), and the SVR’s Mike Beck (Camp #356 CC), Garry Walls (Camp #356 JVC), Dennis Hutchinson (Camp #356), Alan Teller (Camp #1 PCC and PDC), and Larry Myer (Camp #1). Ben Harrison Camp member Rob Hall, who resides in Evansville, was also in attendance. Dennis Hutchinson and Tim Beckman have since joined Foster Camp No. 2. The Red Bank Reunion Band from Evansville participated in the ceremony playing Civil War era music and performing an excellent rendition of Taps to conclude the ceremony.