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Name: Thomas Gifford
Location: Falmouth, MA
Date: 1807
Carver: Nathan Fobes
The stone says Gifford died at 27 "of the wounds he received from the bursting of a cannon."
That doesn't tell the whole story though. From the May 6, 1937 edition of the Falmouth Entrprise (quoted in the book Epitaph & Icon by Diana Hume George and Malcolm Nelson):
"Young Mr. Gifford was the victim of Falmouth's herring war. The disputeed question was whether herring should or should not be kept out of Coonamesset River. When the quarrel was at its hottest the anti-herring party loaded a cannon on the Green with herring. Presumably they intended to pepper their opponents with fish. Instead, the cannon exploded, killing the gunner."
Location: Falmouth, MA
Date: 1807
Carver: Nathan Fobes
The stone says Gifford died at 27 "of the wounds he received from the bursting of a cannon."
That doesn't tell the whole story though. From the May 6, 1937 edition of the Falmouth Entrprise (quoted in the book Epitaph & Icon by Diana Hume George and Malcolm Nelson):
"Young Mr. Gifford was the victim of Falmouth's herring war. The disputeed question was whether herring should or should not be kept out of Coonamesset River. When the quarrel was at its hottest the anti-herring party loaded a cannon on the Green with herring. Presumably they intended to pepper their opponents with fish. Instead, the cannon exploded, killing the gunner."
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