day that he died in combat at the Battle of Chancellorsville on May 28, 1863. The name then was extended to first the valley in which the battery was built, subsequently to the present National Park Service campground administrated by the GGNRA. Battery Kirby saw service from 1898 to March 30, 1934, when it was placed in an abandoned status as obsolete. Historical Information: Kirby Battery was equipped with two 12-inch shell B.L.R. (breech-loading rifle) Rifles Model 1895 nos. 12 and 16 The artillery pieces were manufactured at the Watervliet Arsenal in Watervliet, New York – near Albany Upon de-commissioning of the battery, the guns were sent to Ft. Mills, Corregidor, Subic Bay, Manila, Philippines in 1933(#12)and 1941(#16) Originally, very few trees grew in the windswept and steep valley at Kirby Cove. Today's present forest was planted over the years as Battery Kirby was developed and occupied. It is dominated by cypress, eucalyptus and pine trees. Image gallery References External links Kirby Cove Information on the NPS Official Site for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Trails and Trailheads of the Marin Headlands Kirby Cove Information on the web site of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, a non-profit membership organization Kirby Cove Campground at GGNRA Golden Gate National Recreation Area Closed installations of the United States Army Forts in California