The Woodruff Gun
Acknowledgements
This article is the result of the contributions of dozens of people. The work of Dr. John L. Margreiter is foundational to any research on the Woodruff gun, and I am most grateful that he made his materials available at the Missouri Historical Society Archives and that the Archives provided easy access to them. Charles and John Berry made the pursuit of an authentic Woodruff carriage replica even possible with the sharing of their unique artifacts, and they have been essential partners in the research and replica project. Steve Cameron, who agreed to undertake this project without a real understanding of what it would eventually entail, took my many disparate discoveries and photographic analyses and made them real and delivered in time for the 2022 Company of Military Historians meeting in spite of a large backlog of current projects. Matt Switlik offered encouragement and advice all along the way and provided a sounding board for my many speculations. Jean Kay, Collections Manager at the Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County, always responded quickly to my many requests. The 1937 Fort D photographs shared by Scott House were key to nailing down several carriage details. When I first began to study the Woodruff, the late Leon Lovett generously shared his research. The late David Hagler, a fellow reenactor in my unit, provided valuable initial research in the Official Records that provided a solid basis for study and introduced me to Ken Baumann’s Arming the Suckers. I thank the publishers of Civil War Times for permitting me to reproduce Dr. Margreiter’s article online, which led many of the other contributors named in this article to contact me and share their observations and insight. The online article also led to contacts from about a dozen individuals seeking plans for a Woodruff carriage, which further encouraged me to pursue that goal. Bryan Bethel and Brick Autry at the Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site answered questions about Woodruffs at Pilot Knob and provided access to their collection of papers. Charles Tullock, my Woodruff replica co-owner, fellow reenactor, and good friend, generously tolerated first my plan to completely replace the gun carriage and then the resulting disruptions to his life and property. And I most thank my wife Pat for her unfailing support in allowing me to pursue this wild scheme with its attendant cross-country travel and expense.
