New Ulm Mayor Kathleen Backer and Dan Groebner read the engraving on the front of the cannon on display in city hall’s sally port. Information on barrel provides the year the cannon was manufactured and the calibre of the barrel.

NEW ULM – On Thursday New Ulm Mayor Kathleen Backer and local historian Dan Groebner got a closer look at 1862 cannon on display near city hall.

The 8-pound rifled barrel cannon is one of several guns used in by the New Ulm Battery in its 163-year history. The New Ulm Battery has the distinction of being the only Civil War-era battery unit in the county that is still in existence. Though the battery’s role is now ceremonial, it was original formed in 1863 to defend the city following the U.S-Dakota War.

The majority of the New Ulm Battery’s guns are kept at battery headquarters, but one cannon remains on display in at city hall in a former a sally port from the building’s days as a police and fire station.

Garage doors to the sally port were replaced with glass panels to allow visitors to view the cannon all day. In the evening, the display is illuminated with interior lighting and is temperature controled with a heater in the winter.

Though the gun is visible year round, it is rare for visitors to get inside the former sally port to view up close. Groebner visited the cannon for research on a new book he is writing on the New Ulm Municipal Band. Groebner is a member of the municipal band and decided to document its history, which includes the New Ulm Battery.

He explained that technically, the New Ulm Battery performs alongside the New Ulm Municipal Band every year during the Thunder in the Valley performance at HermannFest. The New Ulm Battery and other historic artillery use cannon fire as the percussion during the musical performance.

Groebner said the highlight of Thunder in the Valley is playing “The 1812 Overture” with the battery serving as backup.

In researching the battery, Groebner said the most interesting aspects was where the guns came from. Not long after the two battles of New Ulm, residents began requesting artillery to defend the community but appeals to Congress and the military did not work. However, a private group stepped up. The Cincinnati Turner group agreed to donate a 12-pound howitzer to the city.

Groebner said this howitzer is still in New Ulm and is currently on display at The Brown County Historical Society (BCHS) museum.

The howitzer would not arrive in New Ulm until April 1863, but by February 1863 Oscar Malmros, Adjutant General for Minnesota formally accepted the New Ulm Battery as a uniform company and a 6-pound field gun was sent to New Ulm.

Groebner said the 6-pound field gun is believed to have come from Fort Ridgely and may have been used in its defense during the U.S.-Dakota War.

The cannon on display at city hall was added to the New Ulm Battery decades later. In 1905, the battery pushed the Governor to supply it with decommission cannons. In 1908, the battery received two 3-inch muzzle loaded rifled guns.

Mayor Backer joined Groebner in examining city hall because it was the first chance she had to see the field gun up close.

Backer was impressed with this history of the artillery piece and its connection to the New Ulm Battery.

“There are several organizations that represent New Ulm, but few do it as well as the New Ulm Battery,” Backer said. “There are few organizations like it. It is my hope to champion them however we can. We want to promote them and encourage others to join the battery.”