Canons and Halos

This video was taken at our visit to Shiloh National Military Park. (Read this post for the story of some of the days events.)

At Shiloh there was a live artillery demonstration and we had an explanation of how the canons you will see in the video were utilized in battle. Some things to note in the video is that the command to fire at five second intervals was carried out with precision and the smoke halo at the end was a crowd pleaser.

Many applauded the demonstration and the neat halo effect after the second canon fired. To me it was a bit eerie because I visualized over 100,000 troops engaged in a bloody battle that left over 24,000 dead and/or wounded with many men missing. We heard shots fired with only a pound of gunpowder, in battle the norm was 2.5 pounds which made it even louder and more percussive.

I could only imagine the noise of that battlefield, guns and canons firing, men shouting and groans of men wounded and dying. I could see the terror and ferociousness of the fighting in my mind's eye. The battlefield sights of silohettes, shadows, smoke and blood. The stench of gunsmoke, sweat, burning flesh and death.

Then I saw those halos softly rising above. Seeing that wispy, white halo that I followed with my eyes peacefully escaping the agony of the war below. Wandering off as if it has no care in the world. Floating there above us I envisioned the entire area canopied by these halos during the battle in 1862.

Oh, the many souls that wandered away in those two days because they no longer had a care in this world.

See video here.