Mortar

In 1895 this 13-inch seacoast mortar was granted to Iowa by an act of Congress from a naval yard in Washington D.C. The 22,000-pound mortar was cast in 1861 at Fort Pitt, Pennsylvania. It was mounted on the North Atlantic Squadron gun boat "Matthew Vassar" and used in the bombardment of Forts St. Phillip and Jackson in 1862 and of Vicksburg in 1863 during the Civil War. The mortar was given to the state of Iowa as a reminder of the war.

Previous articles in the series:
Allison Monument
American Revolution
Bicentennial Fountain
Bicentennial Time Capsule
Centennial Time Capsule
Christopher Columbus Memorial
Cornerstone
Crocker Memorial
Daniel Cooper Memorial Tree
Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Flagpole
Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Memorial Bench
Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Sundial
Great Seal of Iowa
Japanese Bell and Bell House
Korean War Memorial
Liberty Bell
Lincoln and Tad
Martin Luther King, Jr. Tree
Memorial Bench