In a recent review of the Confederate Veteran, naturally on a totally unrelated matter, and in Vol. XVII, pg. 235, col. I, I came accross an article by a T. A. Wright, who in 1921 was living in Mobile, Ala. He wrote about a breech-loading cannon which apparently was in his battery of the MSG. He wrote:
"In 1861 I belonged to Capt. James W. Kneisley's Battery, Greens Regt, Harris's Division, Missouri State guards, and in the winter it was camped at Springfield, Mo. While there a man by the name of Harris or Harrison came to our camp, bringing a breech-loading cannon. It was about four and a half or five feet long, made of Brass, and the bore was three-quarters to one inch in diameter and carried a one-pound ball, very like a Minie ball. the powder was in a bag attached to the ball, and this was fired by the use of point fire on the friction primer, the same as an ordinary cannon. the gun mounted on two very light wheels and required only two men to work it. When we left Springfield, the Captain, as we called the owner, disappeared.

"The gun was invented by D. W. Hughes, the Corn Planter man of Palmyra, Mo., who a few years ago was living in Quincy, Ill., and a letter addressed to him there might gain some information worth having. About a year ago I saw an article in the Palmyra Spectator written by D. W. Hughes in regard to this gun and other patents the U.S. government confiscated because he was a Confederate sympathizer."

This piece immediately aroused my curiosity about D. W. Hughes and I ran into a blank wall. Anyone know anything about this man? Second question is the gun. It would seem to me that this was the first breech loading weapon of its kind to be found in the Trans-Miss. Furthermore, was this weapon used at all and if so where? I know that Kneisley's Battery was at Pea Ridge and then east with Price and was at Corinith. The battery was discharged in June 62. What happened to the Gun?