| Whistling Dick | |
|---|---|
| Type | Model 1839 18-pounder (presumed) |
| Place of origin | United States of America |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1863 |
| Used by | Confederate States of America |
| Wars | American Civil War |
| Specifications (based on Ripley's identification as an 18-pounder) | |
| Mass | c. 4,913 pounds (2,228 kg) |
| Length | 123.25 inches (313.1 cm) |
| Caliber | c. 5.3 inches (13 cm) |
| References | [1] |
Whistling Dick was a cannon used by Confederate forces during the Siege of Vicksburg in the American Civil War. Named for the sound made when it fired, the cannon is believed to have been a rifled 18-pounder gun, which may have had banding on its breech as reinforcement. Historian Warren Ripley believes that Whistling Dick was most likely a Model 1839 gun, which would have been mostly obsolete by the time of the siege. The cannon believed to have been Whistling Dick dueled with Union Navy ships on May 22, 1863, before being transferred to a different location on May 29. The piece would have been captured by Union forces when the siege ended on July 4, 1863, and its fate is unknown. A cannon at the United States Military Academy was incorrectly identified as Whistling Dick, but historian Ed Bearss demonstrated that the USMA piece was actually another Confederate cannon from Vicksburg, the Widow Blakely.