Fort Bliss scrap drive claims general's hitching post, 'Blue Whistler' McGinty cannon

While researching last week’s column on the theft of a cannon from the Pershing Gate at Fort Bliss, I came across another interesting article. In September 1942, the post was holding a scrap drive to aid in the war effort. Among the items sent to scrap was Maj. Gen. Innis Swift’s hitching post and the "Blue Whistler" McGinty cannon that played a large part in the early history of El Paso and Mexico.

Even general’s hitching post taken up in Bliss scrap drive

Sept. 20, 1942, El Paso Times:

Five tons of posts went the way of all scrap last week at Fort Bliss – to the piles that will help keep steel mills running.

Scrap collectors even took up the hitching post used by Maj. Gen. Innis P. Swift, commander of the First Cavalry Division, for his horse, Reno Hawk.

Since Sept. 1, 20,000 pounds of ornamental pipe and fencing have been collected on the post.

Lt. I.L. Harper, in charge of the Fort Bliss drive, estimates that there are still about 10 tons of available scrap on the post in the form of ornamental fencing.

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1,750,000 pounds of scrap

Two antiquated light, Model 17 tanks, totaling 14,000 pounds have been brought in from Doña Ana Range for the scrap heap. The tanks, obsolete with engines pulled out years ago, have been used at the range for testing of armor-piercing arms.

Two bronze cannons, weighing 1,250 pounds each, have been uncovered in the ordnance and contributed to the drive.

Lieutenant Harper estimated that at present there are about 1,750,000 pounds of scrap in the Bliss collection.

Metal plumbing and electrical fixtures are being stripped from buildings in the abandoned town of Lynchville, near the post. All buildings in the town, popular with soldiers around 1910, are being wrecked.

McGinty cannon, colorful in El Paso’s pioneer history, goes back to war as scrap

A few days later, Sept. 24, 1942, an article reported that the "Blue Whistler" McGinty cannon would be added to the scrap:

The McGinty cannon, “Old Blue Whistler” of the Civil War and veteran of the Madero Revolution of 1911, is on the warpath again.

The pioneer brass gun, which with the caisson weighs a ton, is to be scrapped for the Big Scrap drive. McGinty today, with three World War No. 1 guns, 3-inch field pieces, was hauled to Fort Bliss from the American Legion Home at 519 North Santa Fe St. The guns are a gift to Uncle Sam’s war sale at the fort from the American Legion Post No 36, with the consent of Mayor Anderson for the city.

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Back in battle

“We are giving them back to the government,” said Henry P. Hanwick, commander of Post No. 36. “It’s time they got streamlined and did some more fighting.”

Lt. I.L. Harper, Fort Bliss salvage officer, today at the Legion Home with a soldier crew that hauled them away, received the guns with ceremony from Legion officers.

The McGinty cannon boomed its way into Southwest history on the Federal Forces’ side at the battle of Val Verde, N.M., in 1862.

It was one of eight cannons captured from the Yankees by forces under Capt. T.T. Teel, commander of the western artillery division of the Confederates. When reinforcements to the Yankees came, Captain Teel and his men retreated hastily, taking the guns with them. They buried four of the guns at Albuquerque and four at San Marcial, N.M.

Dig up guns

In 1889, Teel, who had emerged from the Civil War as a major, met Charles Crawford in Kansas City on legal business. Crawford had served with the Federal Army’s scouts in the Southwest and knew about the guns. The two veterans decided to go to Albuquerque and dig up the guns.

They found them, using an old map of Teel’s.

One of the four cannons was presented to St. Joseph, Mo., birthplace of Mr. Crawford, a second was left at Albuquerque; a third was sent to Denver for the Capitol grounds.

The fourth cannon was “Old McGinty.”

“I am going to keep this cannon,” said Major Teel. “The Federal soldiers called it Blue Whistler because of a peculiar sound it made when discharged. The Confederates adopted the name.”

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Disappeared from plaza

The cannon was given to El Paso’s famous McGinty Club, a social organization of prominent El Paso men. Blue Whistler was placed on the knoll known as McGinty Hill, amid a fanfare of publicity and public celebration. It was fired every July Fourth.

In later years, after the passing of the McGinty Club, the gun became the property of the Pioneer Club.

It was in the plaza when the Madero Revolution reached its zenith. On April 17, 1911, the cannon disappeared from the plaza, creating excitement and resulting in a wide search. It developed that prominent citizens, sympathetic to Madero’s cause, had smuggled it across the Rio Grande under a wagonload of hay and furniture. The cannon was used in the battle of Ojinaga, 200 miles south of Juárez.

Subsequently, Mexican citizens returned the cannon to El Paso. The city turned it over to the American Legion Post No. 36.

Lynchville returned to city of El Paso

A May 24, 1904, reported that “Mr. Lynch, owner of the Ft. Bliss stage line, at Lynchville near Ft. Bliss, is building a new chicken ranch. He is the owner of about 500 of the finest chickens in the County.”

Lynchville, a half mile north of the main Fort Bliss gate, was traded to the Army during World War II and returned to the city in 1955.

Trish Long may be reached at tlong@elpasotimes.com.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Fort Bliss scrap drive claims hitching post, 'Blue Whistler' cannon