Missing Civil War Cannon Returned to Illinois National Guard After 30 Years

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Lt. Col. Mark Whitlock, Director of the Illinois State Military Museum stands with the Civil War cannon that has been missing for more than 30 years.

• More than 30 years ago the Civil War cannon went missing from the Illinois State Military Museum. On Sept. 15 the cannon returned to the museum.

SPRINGFIELD, IL (09/16/2010)(readMedia)-- A long-lost Civil War cannon has found its way back to the Illinois State Military Museum in Springfield after more than 30 years.

"I feel a sense of victory," said Lt. Col. Mark Whitlock, Director of the Illinois State Military Museum. "I feel that the cannon is an important piece of Illinois military history and it makes me feel good that we got it back."

The cannon was originally donated to the museum in 1865 by Lt. Col. Edward Kitchell, Regiment Commander of the 98th Illinois Mounted Infantry. Kitchell and his Soldiers discovered the cannon buried near a small pox hospital in Georgia. Then in the late 1970s the cannon was borrowed for a Civil War reenactment and was never returned to the Illinois State Military Museum.

In 1997, Whitlock discovered a picture and an article regarding the missing cannon. Whitlock started digging through files to find out what might have happened. In 2001, he wrote an article seeking information in case someone came across the missing artifact.

"I was looking into something that no one else had any knowledge of," said Whitlock, a Springfield native. "I was disappointed that we had a Civil War cannon once and we let it get away and may never see it again. It is an artifact that belongs to the state of Illinois, not in private hands."

Whitlock put the file away in hopes that someday it would resurface.

Then on Aug. 17 Whitlock received a phone call from a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent in Georgia stating they found the cannon.

"I was in disbelief and absolutely excited," said Whitlock about receiving the phone call. "It was exciting to see the cannon for the first time in person. I had only seen it in black and white photos and had no idea what color or the condition it was in."

The cannon was returned to the museum on Sept. 14 and is now on display at the Illinois State Military Museum on the first floor for public viewing. Once the museum can raise enough funds, the cannon will be treatedand conserved and placed on the second floor of the museum as the feature artifact for the Civil War where it originally began.

Whitlock will be available for interviews at the Illinois State Military Museum at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 17. The Illinois State Military Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday from 1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. or by appointment. The museum is at 1301 N. MacArthur Blvd., Springfield and can be reached at 217-761-3910.

If you are interested in doing an interview, please contact the Public Affairs Office at 217-761-3569 or ngilstaffpao@ng.army.mil.