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The
Vol . 3 6 , N o . 2 Spring 2015 $5.00
Artilleryman
NEW ARTILLERYMAN PUBLISHER NORWICH U’S BRITISH 12-PDRS. BRITISH ARMSTRONG FUZE LIVE FIRE CANISTER TESTS www.artillerymanmagazine.com
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Notice The information contained herein is for the general history and background of our readers and The Artilleryman assumes no liability for loading or shooting data which may be published in this magazine. The circumstances surrounding the loading and discharge of firearms mentioned are beyond our control and are unique to the particular instance being described. We hereby disclaim any responsibility for persons attempting to duplicate loading data or shooting conditions referenced herein and specifically recommend against relying solely on this material. Readers are cautioned that black powder varies according to grain size, type, date of manufacture and supplier, and that firing of antique or replica ordnance should not be undertaken without adequate training and experience in procedures and loads.
Founding Publisher: C. Peter Jorgensen Editor and Publisher: Kathryn Jorgensen Book Review Editor: Peter A. Frandsen Advertising: Beth Godin Circulation: Linda Hoyt
New Contact Information:
The Artilleryman | Spring 2015 | Vol. 36, No. 2
C ONTENTS 2 NEW PUBLISHER Jack W. Melton Jr. is the new publisher of The Artilleryman
3 A LITTLE ROAR 4 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 8 BRITISH ARMSTRONG FUZE Sir William Armstrong introduced the breech loading (B.L.) Plain Percussion Fuze in 1870
10 LIVE FIRE CANISTER TESTS Burrough’s Battery fires canister from a 12-pdr. Field Howitzer and 10-pdr. Parrott to test impact of one-inch canister shot
14 TWO 19TH-CENTURY GUNS AT FORT JACKSON The Savannah, Ga., fort is raising funds to restore and mount an unmarked 18-pdr. and 24-pdr.
Jack W. Melton Jr. LLC, dba The Artilleryman
96 Craig St., Suite 112-333 East Ellijay, GA 30540 (706) 940-2673 (BORE) Email: mail@artillerymanmagazine.com Website: ArtillerymanMagazine.com The Artilleryman (ISSN 0884-4747) is published quarterly by Historical Publications Inc. The office of publication is at 234 Monarch Hill Rd., Tunbridge, Vt 05077. (802) 889-3500, (800) 777-1862, FAX (802) 889-5627. Periodicals postage paid at Tunbridge, Vt., and additional entry at Barre, Vt. Contributions of editorial material and photographs are welcomed at the above address. Subscription rates: $22 per year in U.S. and Canada; $38 overseas. U.S. bank checks or credit cards, please. POSTMASTER: Send address change to The Artilleryman, 234 Monarch Hill Road, Tunbridge, Vt 05077.
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HUNT’S INSTRUCTIONS ON FIELD ARTILLERY New Army of the Potomac Chief of Artillery Henry J. Hunt issued an order on tactics in September 1862
22 SURVIVING ARTILLERY UPDATE Jim Bender, keeper of the National Registry of Known Surviving Civil War Artillery, adds 11 guns to the list
24 NORWICH UNIVERSITY’S BRITISH 12-PDRS. The Vermont university displays three Armstrong-Whitworth rifled breech loaders
26 J.M. CURRIE’S IMPROVED PROJECTILE The U.S. Patent Office issued Currie’s patent for “improvement in projectiles for ordnance” on Oct. 16, 1866
28 CLASSIFIED ADS
Classified Ads: $12 for 25 words, 50¢ each extra word Display ads: $6.60 per column inch, full page $165, half page $88. Color: add $150 inside & outside covers, $125 inside pages Spot color: add $75
ABOUT THE COVER: Helen S. Schwartz of Artistry in Photography found this 1857 Napoleon 12 pdr. at Gettysburg National Military Park’s High Water Mark. Henry N. Hooper No. 24, cast in 1862, inspected by Thomas J. Rodman, is on a War Department reproduction carriage.
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Readers are invited to send high-resolution photos for consideration on the cover. If we use your photo you’ll get a free year’s subscription.
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New Artilleryman Publisher FROM THE PUBLISHER: I am pleased to tell readers that Jack W. Melton Jr. will be publishing future issues of The Artilleryman. Many of you already know Jack, his artillery books and his photographs. I know the magazine will be in capable hands and you will enjoy it. Jack’s contact information is at the end of his bio that follows. He will use the email address mail@artillerymanmagazine.com. Anyone who wants to reach me personally, for non-Artilleryman reasons, can use kjayvt@gmail.com. Thanks for your many years of support for my late husband, Peter, who founded and published The Artilleryman from Spring 1979 through Summer 2009, and me. Jack Melton is a life-long resident of Georgia, born in Columbus in 1960. He says he was destined through geography and heredity to be a student of the Civil War. He grew up adjacent to the Kennesaw Mountain National Military Park near Kolb Farm. Knowing that several ancestors fought for the South heightened his curiosity about the rich history in his backyard. His mother’s grandfather, Jefferson Love, was an artillery driver for Milton Light Artillery of Florida. His father’s great-grandfather, Samuel Troup Carter, was in the 14th Alabama Infantry. Jack’s interest in the history-rich area surrounding him spurred him to respond to the National Park Service’s need for a historical trail through Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. After constructing the trail for his Eagle Scout project he was awarded his Eagle Scout Badge, making him a Bicentennial Eagle Scout on July 4, 1976. He began metal detecting at age 14, and found his first Civil War 12-pdr. solid shot that same year with his dad. Thus began his interest in the field artillery projectiles of the War Between the States. Deeply affected by the death, in 1987, of artillery collector and author Thomas S. Dickey Sr., whose “Shell Fragments” features appeared in The Artilleryman, Jack was moved to continue Tom’s work researching, photographing, and
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Jack W. Melton Jr. stands by a 3-Inch Ordnance Rifle, cast in 1864, that is in the Atlanta History Center’s “Turning Point: The American Civil War” exhibition featuring the Beverly DuBose collection. (Peggy Melton)
studying the wide variety of projectiles and their patents. He became an authority on Civil War artillery known for his historical accuracy. He co-authored Field Artillery Ordnance 1861-1865, Melton & Pawl’s Guide to Civil War Artillery Projectiles, and In The Line Of Fire and Confederate Bowie Knives. Jack consulted on another 20 military artifact reference books on topics including accoutrements, uniforms and equipment, edged weapons, Bowie knives, belt buckles, firearms and artillery. He is photographer and Civil War artillery consultant to the Atlanta History Center. His photographs have appeared on almost 100 Civil War magazine and book covers. Publishers Jack has worked with include National Geographic, University of Georgia Press, The New York Times, Civil War Trust, Weider History Group,
Thomas Publications, North South Trader’s Civil War, McFarland & Co., O’Donnell Publications, Mowbray Publishing and Potomac Publishing Co. Jack is a member of the American Society of Arms Collectors, the Company of Military Historians and the Civil War Round Table of Atlanta. He shared the honor of holding the round table office of president as did Franklin Garrett, Tom Dickey and Beverly DuBose Jr.
Contact Information: Jack W. Melton Jr. LLC, dba The Artilleryman 96 Craig St., Suite 112-333 East Ellijay, GA 30540 (706) 940-2673 (BORE) Email: mail@artillerymanmagazine.com Website: ArtillerymanMagazine.com
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A Little Roar … As noted on the previous page, this is my final issue of The Artilleryman. My late husband, C. Peter Jorgensen, started the magazine in Spring 1979 when we were suburban Boston weekly newspaper publishers. Pete was a history buff and firearms enthusiast who had been shooting scale cannon for 12 years. He saw the need for a specialized publication because black powder publications paid little attention to artillery and he thought artillerymen needed a better way to share information and to educate newcomers to safety issues and reduce the number of cannon accidents. He found people to write articles and had 500 readers signed up for the initial issue of “the first national magazine devoted exclusively to black powder muzzleloading artillery.” Readers were invited to get involved with articles, photos, advertising, subscriptions and suggestions. A year later readers began what became the “Great Paint Debate” about the color of Civil War period field carriages and implements. It ended with the Winter 1984, Vol. 6, No. 1, issue featuring a sample of olive drab and Don Lutz’s explanation of how modern attempts to duplicate the 1860s paint formulas erred. As a result, yellow-brown national park cannon carriages were eventually repainted “liquid olive.” The word “muzzleloading” was removed from the magazine’s title in Summer 1985, Vol. 6, No. 3, to more accurately indicate that crew-served breechloaders were included. Pete went on to collect original cannon, 3-inch projectiles and artillery accoutrements and do competition shooting of period firearms, cannon and mortars with the North-South Skirmish Assn. (N-SSA). He published The Artilleryman until his death in September 2009 when I became editor and publisher. --The Battle of Richmond Association in Richmond, Ky., is raising funds to buy the site’s first artillery piece. The association wants to raise $20,000 for a nonfiring replica full-scale 3-Inch Ordnance
By Kathryn Jorgensen
Rifle. If funds allow, they will also buy a limber and chest. For information contact Phillip Seyfrit at 859-624-0013 or phillip.seyfrit@madisoncountyky.us. Donations may be sent to the association’s Cannon Fund, 101 Battlefield Memorial Highway, Richmond, KY 40475. --In Franklin, Tenn., a successful campaign raised enough funds to buy Steen Cannon & Ordnance Works carriages for four Federal M1841 6-pdrs. that sat for years on concrete pedestals on the Franklin Square. --What is thought to be England’s oldest cannon ball, fired during the 1460 battle of Northampton, was rediscovered at the War of the Roses battle site. The Eagle Drive Cannon Ball shows damage from two bounces and has local sand and ironstone in a gouge. A Northampton official said the ball supports the long-held belief that artillery was used in battle in England for the first time at Northampton. More information can be read at www.culture24.org.uk. Search “cannon ball” under History & Heritage. --The January 2015 issue of Bostoniano, the magazine of Boston’s Italian American Voice, reported recovery of a stolen cannon. In November customs agents found a 17th century Venetian swivel gun hidden inside a piece of heavy equipment. They needed torches and saws to uncover the tube which was brought on a container ship from Egypt. It was returned to Italian authorities in January. --Information about some historic cannon came to our attention. –Grant Park in Galena, Ill., has a 12pdr. Blakely rifle cast by Fawcett, Preston & Co. of Liverpool. The register of surviving cannon says it is a 3.75-inch type 1, while Field Artillery Weapons of the Civil War lists it as 3.5-inch and the Galena Historical Society as a 3.67-inch. It is the first Blakely sent to the Confederacy, where it fired on Fort
Sumter. A May 18, 1861, Harper’s Weekly illustration featured the gun. –The Kansas Museum of History’s main gallery displays an Ames howitzer that defended Kansas from proslavery forces in the mid-1850s. The howitzer was smuggled to freestaters in Lawrence, Kan., after being shipped to Kansas City. The gun was captured when Lawrence was sacked on May 21, 1856. Three months later it was recovered in an exchange of prisoners and served in Missouri during the war. –The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has a 12-pdr. Dahlgren boat howitzer that the Oyster Police Force acquired in 1868. It was mounted on the “Oyster Navy’s” original steampowered patrol boat. In 2010 the agency got the gun from Reisterstown American Legion Post 116, which had loaned it out for N-SSA shoots, and has displayed it since. --Rob Morgan in Wales sent an article about Fort Monroe from the current issue of Postern, a magazine devoted to castle studies and travels edited by Peter Presford (www.trekearth.com/members/postern pete/). Peter H. Hemfling (www.starforts.com) wrote the article. Presford asked him about a mount pictured with no gun. Hemfling correctly guessed a Rodman would have been mounted there and noted that the fort had many changes in armaments over the years. Rob Morgan thought some of our readers could weigh in. The Casemate Museum’s The Guns of Fort Monroe by Richard P. Weinert Jr. (1974) illustrates and describes fort artillery. Tubes and stacks of balls appear in old fort postcards. We understand many of those display pieces are gone. --The National Civil War Artillery Association (NCWAA) and Reynolds’ Battery L will host the 27th Artillery School at Old Fort Niagara in Youngstown, N.Y., on May 2 and 3. All branches of
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service, Federal and Confederate, are welcome. Reynolds’ Battery is a member of the NCWAA, the Artillery Reserve and the U.S. Volunteers. The charge is $7. Registration forms can be downloaded at www.reynoldsbattery.org. Contact John Beatty at 716433-5761 or at jrbeatty21@aol.com for information.
--The U.S. Army Artillery Museum (Fort Sill) Quarterly Newsletter reported it was successful bidder on a rare fractured “walking stick,” a M1819 6-pdr. gun sold at James Julia’s October auction. Director and curator Gordon A. Blaker also reported that a volunteer fabricated a bed for the museum’s new M1841 10inch Seacoast Mortar. It is the only
survivor of 10 cast at West Point Foundry before the Civil War. It threw a 92-pound shell nearly 2.5 miles. Blaker said an important part of the museum’s mission is answering questions about artillery history and military artifacts. They received 60 such queries from October-December 2014. Readers can receive the newsletter by email by calling 580-442-1819.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TO THE EDITOR: The cannon pictured in “What Is It?” in Vol. 35, No. 4, Fall 2014, is a yacht salute cannon probably made by Strong Firearms Co. of New Haven, Conn. It has a bore larger than a 1 gauge so it may be an 0 or 00. I don’t have my reference for those gauges handy. Strong made brass two-piece cases for these salute guns with a brass tube threaded to the brass head. I have a number of this make salute cannon in my collection ranging from 12 gauge through 3 gauge. John Stimson Indianapolis, Ind.
original, though similar to the originals. Most are on a yacht carriage with only two wheels at the forward end, though they were available with a four-wheeled carriage as well as a field carriage and all hardware was brass. The Strong advertising circa 1900 had a chart that told you the appropriate size gun you needed depending on the size of your yacht! They were very popular with GAR posts as well as the yachting crowd. Most of these seen today have barrels in the 10-16-inch range and fire 12- and 10-gauge shells. Bill Johnson Tehachapi, Calif.
TO THE EDITOR: As was stated in the Letters column Winter 2014, the “What Is It?” on page 9 of the Fall 2014 issue is a Strong Mfg. Co. salute cannon. However, it is not a conversion to breech loader but was in fact made that way. Strong was the largest producer of breechloading yacht/salute cannons from around 1880 to 1910. All had bronze barrels and the sizes range from a small, toy sized piece on a cast iron field carriage firing a .45-70 blank to a 54-inch behemoth using a size 00 gauge yacht cannon shell. The gun pictured is probably the size 1 and the loading recommendation was 1/2 pound of powder. There are about five or six different breech types on these guns and the one pictured is the last style circa 1890-1910. The carriage on the subject gun is not
TO THE EDITOR: Reference Rob Morgan’s question about hand mortars in Vol. 35, No. 4, Fall 2014: The accompanying photos shows a mortar a friend and I built some years ago. We built mine using pictures of an original as reference. This one is 23.5 inches long, with a 2-5/8 bore. We used an old original lock and screws, and the stock is from a piece of alder out of a
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scrap pile. We shoot beer or soft drink cans loaded with one inch of dirt to give the can weight. With 50 grains of FFF powder, the cans’ range will be about 100 yards, further with a heavier powder charge. When firing heavier loads, I do not fire from the shoulder. Instead, the weapon is held slightly less than arm’s length below and to my side to allow my arms to swing, taking up the recoil. My research, years ago, was that the hand mortar fired a hollow ball filled with black powder, and with an outward facing fuze in the ball that was lit first, then the gun fired. Needless to say, a soldier’s life span was rather short, as the guns’ ignition didn’t always work, leaving the shooter with a lit ball that was still in the gun. Later, they cut the fuze shorter, turned the ball so the fuze was facing in, i.e. no gun ignition, no lit fuze. The soldier’s life span became longer. These hand mortars were used to lob exploding bombs into fortifications and from ship to ship that were within range. Gary Klingbeil Ione, Wash.
Replica hand mortar that letter writer Gary Klingbeil made and shoots.
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TO THE EDITOR: I was glad to read [Winter Vol. 36, No. 1 Roar] that C. Lee Noyes confirms my long-standing suspicion that George A. Custer was offered the poorest of the post-Civil War Gatling family and that his decision to not take the guns on his march had nothing much to do with his misfortune at the Little Bighorn. As Director of the Monroe County (Mich.) Historical Museum for 32 years I often had to handle this same question due to our heavy association with G.A. Custer. About all I knew for sure was that Sheridan’s 1876 publication, “Outline of the Posts in the Military Division of the Missouri,” only shows one .45-caliber Gatling west of the Mississippi, at Fort Concho, Texas. All other Gatlings listed are .5-inch or 1-inch. Considering that the U.S. Army took delivery in 1867 of 100 Gatlings — half were .50 caliber and half 1-inch — I have always wondered why there are so few survivors. I only know of about three of the 1866s in .5-inch which are still in their original caliber and configuration. Recently I found the first unmodified 1866 1-incher I have ever seen in the newly opened Royal Dutch Army Museum at Soesterberg, Netherlands. It was shipped in 1868 for test and evaluation. The Dutch never bothered buying any more Gatlings. Quite a few of the .50-caliber M1866s were apparently remanufactured to .45 caliber and now have a lot of features that are normally found in guns made in the 1880s. These are not too rare. I think it suggests that the M1866 Gatlings, as first issued, were far less than good performers. Those who have a lot of hands-on experience with the later Gatlings, when ammo feed problems are still common, will probably speculate that the simple M1866 straight tin magazine was a real handicap. I had the opportunity to stand by when a surviving M1866 in .50 caliber was dismantled for cleaning. I was amazed to learn that this early model did not have a bolt removal port which could be accessed without total dismounting. And the bolts were assembled with taper pins riveted in place. Replacing a broken firing pin required a very good gunsmith at his workbench. One advanced Gatling collector I know
Information is requested about the Heinz History Center’s arsenal model 15-inch Rodman.
is of the opinion that Dr. Gatling did little serious testing and evaluation, but improved his design probably based on customer complaints from the field. Matt Switlik Monroe, Mich. TO THE EDITOR: The Smithsonian-affiliated Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh recently purchased at a James Julia auction an “armorer’s model” of a M1860 Rodman cannon. Before placing the piece on exhibit we would like to take advantage of readers’ expertise in hope of learning more about this piece’s provenance and historical importance. Any assistance would be very much appreciated. We are looking for other artifacts and archival material related to Rodman’s guns or the Fort Pitt Foundry, which was located on the Allegheny River across the street from our History Center. The auction catalog description follows: “Arsenal model of 15-inch Rodman gun 1864. SN 4. This is the only surviving armorers grade model of the massive 15inch Rodman cannon. “The overall length of this model is 331/2 with bbl length of 18-1/2 . Bore diameter is 1.5-inches which makes this a 1/10 scale model. Muzzle is marked just like full size guns ‘No.4 50,000 LBS T.J.R. FT. PITT PA 1864.’ “Our consignor describes this gun in his notes, ‘Fine presentation model machined
and marked just as a full-sized Rodman seacoast gun of Civil War vintage would be. This piece was apparently actually made at Ft. Pitt Foundry, in Pittsburgh, where the full sized guns were made. “’The initials T.J.R. are those of General Thomas J. Rodman, designer of the weapon and Army Chief of Ordnance, whose initials appear on many full sized pieces which he inspected. The registry number ‘4’ indicated it was one of the first made, probably of a small lot of perhaps ten (or less) made for presentation to senior government officials. “’The piece is vented and could be fired as a salute gun. It is mounted on the correct type iron carriage. An old wooden tompion is provided to plug the muzzle.’ “The full sized massive Rodman cannons were manufactured under Rodman’s use of solid casting, among the first large cannon made with this technology which Americans excelled at during the Civil War era. “For a cannon this large the casting process took several days and involved many tens of thousands gallons of water for cooling the core of the casting to remove impurities. Ft. Pitt Foundry was the first to use Rodman’s patent for hollow casting guns. “The first prototype 15-inch cannon was cast December 23, 1859. During the Civil War only the 20-inch Rodman gun was larger weighing in at over 115,000 pounds. “A 15-inch Rodman at Ft. Monroe kept the Confederate iron clad CSS Virginia (The Merrimac) at bay during her struggle
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with the USS Monitor. “This model is in wonderful condition with great markings and the only one we are aware of in any museum or private collection. “Provenance: Hampton P. Howell Jr. Collection; Springfield Arsenal, LLC Artillery Collection. CONDITION: Fine overall with iron patina with good, crisp markings.” Any assistance from Artilleryman readers would be very much appreciated. Andrew E. Masich, Ph.D. President & CEO Senator John Heinz History Center 1212 Smallman St. Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412-454-6371 aemasich@heinzhistorycenter.org www.heinzhistorycenter.org
FROM THE EDITOR: John Morris told us the Yorktown Battlefield French mortar featured in the Winter 2014, Vol. 36, No. 1, issue is not a stone-throwing mortar, but a bronze, spherically-chambered mortier de 12 pouces [inches]. He wrote: “Stone mortars were made to fire baskets of either stones or grenades at very short range such that the small but heavy projectiles would fall on the enemy soldiers and horses. Stone mortars normally had bores of 15-17 inches, and thinner-walled barrels than other mortar types.” John supplied a reference source for information: The Armouries of the Tower of London by H.L. Blackmore (Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1976). Additional information can be found online. The Blackmore description of the Armouries’ mortiers de 12 pouces, which are nearly equal in size to the English 13-inch mortar, notes: “On each mortar the breech section is of rounded form, and the chamber is spherical with a short neck, the vent leading into a small hemispherical hollow in the base of the chamber. There is a lifting loop at the muzzle and a single dolphin placed transversely on the reinforce.” The arms of the Duc du Lude, GrandMaitre de l’Artillerie, appears on the reinforce. A shield with the royal arms of France backed by the scepter and hand of justice is on the breech.
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This Yorktown Battlefield French mortar identified in the last issue as a stone-throwing mortar is a mortier de 12 pouces. (Bob Ruegsegger)
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British Armstrong B.L. Percussion Fuze, No. 2 By John D. Bartleson Jr.
T
he B.L. Plain Percussion Fuze was introduced by Sir William Armstrong on Oct. 13, 1870, and was identified as Fuze, Percussion, Armstrong, “C Cap”, Field service. Its nomenclature changed to Fuze, B.L. Plain on May 15, 1873. The Royal Laboratory at Woolwich, England, realized that referring to fuzes by their inventor’s name was becoming confusing and started assigning numbers to each fuze in the 1870s. The number allocated to the B.L. Plain fuze was No. 2 on Jan. 31, 1878. Several of the older fuzes and shells were used into the 1900s and the No. 2 was declared obsolete on Feb. 26, 1921. This fuze is used with field service breech loading (B.L.) common and segment shells. This is a modification of the Armstrong C. percussion; the improvement was using a cap composition pressed and varnished. The body and top are made of gun
metal, and the body has a rim projecting at the top which ensures the fuze being placed in the correct position in the shell. Located top center, on the inside, is fixed a steel needle. The top cover is pierced with four holes to allow for the flame of the Armstrong E. time fuze No. 22, when used. A washer of thin sheet brass closes these holes (it is blown in by the action of the time fuze). The body is pierced for the safety pin. The guard is made of gun-metal and is pierced with two holes for the safety pin. The guard fits inside next to the top cover. It is recessed inside to receive the head of the pellet. There is a slight undercut at the top of the recess into which the pellet expands when the guard sets back; both are locked together and move forward at impact. The pellet is cast of equal parts of lead and tin. It is hollowed out to receive the
British Armstrong percussion fuze parts
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British percussion fuze, No. 2, Mk. IV B.L.. Plain copper cap, which is primed with cap composition (fulminate of mercury, sulphide of antimony, and chlorate of potash). The composition is protected by a very thin disc of brass. The cap is pierced with three small holes arranged in a triangular form around the center. These holes allow the flash to pass down to the lower part of the pellet. Its central hole is filled with
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pressed powder pierced and roughened so as to ensure ignition. On the pellet’s exterior are four feathers, or flanges, which are broken off at setback. Below the pellet a disc of paper is placed to prevent its adhering to the bottom of the fuze. The bottom consists of a gun-metal disc which screws into the base of the fuze; in the center is a small hole which contains pressed powder driven and pierced as usual. This hole is closed on the exterior by a thin brass disc. The safety pin is made of twisted brass wire. It has a piece of braid attached to it to enable it to be withdrawn readily; a little beeswax is applied to seal the hole, and the braid is secured by a paper strip shellacked around the fuze. At impact the guard and pellet together move forward to bring the cap to the needle. Numerous modifications were eventually made to Armstrong’s original design, resulting in the IV model. Text and illustrations by John D. Bartleson Jr., author and illustrator of the 1972 field guide for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel titled Civil War Explosive Ordnance 1861-1865 with radiographs.
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Event Inspires Burrough’s Battery To Conduct Live Fire Canister Tests By Steve Cameron
B
urrough’s Battery attended last year’s 150th Reenactment of Resaca, Ga. We fielded nine horses, four for our caisson and four for our 12-pdr. Field Howitzer. During Sunday’s battle reenactment we were advanced upon by about 20 Confederate infantry from the 6 o’clock. We shifted our horses and pivoted our fire 180 degrees and fired a round of “canister” at the foe. They were 50-75 yards from our piece. Somehow our Kevlarcoated foes came on anyway. Not one of them fell. They then gloated that they had “got us” and went back to their side. We then continued to fire upon the Confederate infantry now massed in our front and left. We were on the Federal right. As the gray lines came on we were in perfect position to send out our imaginary rounds. Verbal calls for canister reverberated as we fired five or six rounds at the Confederate line of battle. They were to our oblique, stretching before us for a couple hundred yards, the nearest elements 50-75 yards away. We shot their lines with our blank rounds time after time. We delivered a very fatal fire of canister at one point almost entirely enfilading their line. At this point case shot with the fuze cut to the maximum length would be the round of choice for our field howitzer. It would act as solid shot penetrating several men per
From foreground, Joshua, Caleb and mother Dawn Cameron help father Steve paint the silhouette targets for the canister testing.
shot. We really poured it on, gave it our all and we would have cut them into pieces had we really been firing at them at that range. We looked out over the battlefield. No one fell. No one at all. I realize these sham battles are lame in so many ways, but this experience was the genesis of an experiment. What would the effect of canister be at these ranges, fired from this howitzer at life-sized targets?
We decided we would conduct a live fire experiment and find out. I have shot many rounds of field howitzer canister and am familiar with its effects. It is a thing of beauty. The round itself contains 48 one-inch iron shot arrayed in tiers of 12 packed in saw dust. They are contained in a tin can. The tin is attached to a wooden sabot with a thick bottom plate and a thinner plate crimped in at the top. This is the standard 12-pdr. Field
Both blue an gray silhouettes were set up as targets for the canister test firings at 100 and 200 yards.
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Howitzer canister used during the U.S. Civil War. For my business, Trail Rock Ordnance, I have made hundreds of these in various calibers. Propelling charge is the standard 1 pound of powder which gives a muzzle velocity of 900 feet per second. We needed targets to shoot at — an army of plywood soldiers. I experimented with silhouettes. I settled on an International Practical Shooting Confederation-type torso shape and calculated the height of the soldier to be 5 feet 7 inches tall. The silhouette is 18 inches wide at the chest. This is smaller than your average modern reenactor, shorter and well, ummmm, narrower. The shape was a little blocky, but served the purpose. We would need many of them to shoot. I started with quarter-inch plywood, but as I only got three per sheet switched over to cardboard, which is less than half the cost of the plywood. I thought they looked very plain, so I decided to paint them. I vacillated for days and finally decided to paint them gray, on one side, and blue on the other. I made a total of 21 plywood targets and 80 cardboard ones. I experimented with stands and made a design that hangs on a piece of half-inch round bar driven in the
Harry Uffalussy sights an 1838 12-pdr. Field Howitzer. ground. This would be quick and easy. Since I have a couple of rifled field guns, a 10-pdr. Parrott and a 3-inch Blakely rifle, this would be an excellent opportunity to test the effects of canister from a rifled gun as well. I have heard over and over that rifled guns are less effective at firing canister than smooth-bored ones. The rifling spins the
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mass of shot and it leaves the bore in an erratic pattern. What a great opportunity to test this piece of conventional wisdom. Our canister rounds for 3 inches were the same type of sabot and plates, but were made from softer aluminum to protect the rifling. The shot was .69 lead for the same reason. The rounds only weighed about 6 pounds and contained 88 .69 shot each.
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We located a local shooting range where it would be safe to fire canister and even solid shot from the Parrott. It has a meadow about 150 yards wide and 300 yards long that is relatively flat. It rises slightly farther back and terminates on the side of Clinch Mountain. It is long and wide enough to conduct our test. We made two groups of targets, 24 in one and 25 in the other. We set the guns up in battery at 100 yards. The gray targets were lined up in front of the field howitzer — visions of Resaca danced in our heads. The blue host was arrayed in front of the 10-pdr. Parrott. We fired one round at 100 yards from each cannon. The first blast from the field howitzer blew five or six of the targets down entirely, broken from their target stands. The initial shot had inflicted serious wounds on 18 of 24 of the targets. The results from the Parrott were quite surprising. We had also hit 18 of 25 with the initial shot. So our platoon of 25 was reduced to seven and our Confederate unit was reduced from 24 to six. Many of the targets were struck three to six times each. The group seemed to be concentrated in the center, meaning the respective captains leading their men forward had each been struck multiple times. The targets in the center were peppered more than the periphery. That moment of reflection was reached surveying the carnage of our initial shot. These lifeless forms represented real flesh and blood men, brave men that gave their all for their country. During the war how many times was this scene replayed? How many were mowed down like the grain on the Lea, mowed down by the light artillery? For the field howitzer, the following hits per target were noted for the first shot only at 100 yards: Targets 1-3, unhit; 4 & 5, two hits in legs; 6, one leg, two chest; 7, unhit; 8, four chest, three leg; 9, four leg; 10, three leg hits, one in chest; Target 11, two leg; 12, one in chest/neck; 13, three leg; 14 & 15, one leg; 16, one abdomen; 17, one chest; 18, one each leg and shoulder; 19, two leg; 20, one leg; 21, unhit; 22, one chest; 23, unhit; Captain, one hit in abdomen and one in chest. Looking at this data indicates the following: 41 of 48 one-inch shot hit a target. That is an 85% hit rate. That broke down to: leg-66%, chest-27%, abdomen-5%, shoulder-2%. Eighteen of 24 were hit — 75% were
12 The Artilleryman
Gray “soldiers” were mowed down by canister. direct casualties. The hits seem to be generally concentrated in the center. The group size is roughly one-tenth of the range. The canister shot for a 12-pdr. Field Howitzer are 1-inch iron shot. These shot weigh 1,120 grains and leave the muzzle at 900 feet per second. This generates 2,015 foot pounds of energy. This is the equivalent energy of 5.75 rounds of .45ACP. I am disappointed I did not get pictures of every target fired at with the Parrott. We fired three more rounds, one more
from each gun at 100 yards and two more at 200 yards. The effect at 200 yards seemed to be no less diminished. Several of the plywood targets that we propped up fell yet again. The sound as the shot tore through them was very interesting. It is the sound of many impacts in the same instant, each one splintering and cracking, then the sound continues for what seems like a couple seconds, as each tier arrives in turn. It is very a distinctive sound. I numbered the targets
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so that they can be examined and even reassembled for review or display. Total results from the four rounds of 12pdr. Howitzer were: 20 of 24 targets hit — 83%; 61 of 192 shot hit their targets — 31%: leg, 34 hits, 55%; chest, 22, 36%; head, 3, 5%; shoulder, 1, 1.6%; abdomen, 1, 1.6%. I believe our point of aim for the shots at 200 yards was too low. This was borne out by the fact that one of the targets was hit in the face by what looks like the sabot, which normally hits quite low. The shot had hit the ground and bounced over the targets. We fired at 100 yards at 0 degrees and aiming at the feet of the target. The total results for the four rounds of Parrott canister, two at 100 yards and two at 200 yards were: Target 1, one leg hit; 2, unhit; 3, two leg, four chest, one head; 4, one shoulder; 5, one leg; 6, five leg, two chest, two head; 7, one leg, four chest; 8, one leg, three chest; 9, five leg, one head; 10, two leg, four chest; Target 11, five leg, three chest; 12, three each leg and chest; 13, six each leg and chest; 14, five leg, three chest; 15, two each leg and chest, one head; 16, three leg, one chest; 17, five leg, two chest, one head; 18, three leg, one chest; 19, two each leg and chest; 20, two leg, four chest; 21, one leg; 22, unhit; 23, one each chest and head; 24, two chest; Captain: six leg, four chest So, for four Parrott rounds, 23 of 25 are casualties, that is 92%. There were 115 hits out of 352 shots which is 33%: leg, 61 hits, 53%; chest, 47, 40%; head, 7, 6%. The canister shot used with the 10-pdr. Parrott rifle were the .69 lead shot. This is the same as for the smooth bore musket. There are 88 of them in my canister rounds. They weigh 412 grains and leave the muzzle at 1,300 feet per second. They each generate 1,546 foot pounds of energy. This is the equivalent of 4.4 rounds
Spray patterns and body hits were counted after the test firings, which made holes in many silhouettes.
of .45 ACP. The targets in the middle sustained more hits than the periphery. This indicates the shot are not spinning in an irregular pattern at all. For both cannon firing canister there is plenty of energy to penetrate men in a line of battle from any angle. The second rank would be wounded by the shot after it passed through the front rank. These results were fired straight on. When the line is oblique to the gun the effects are much better. A look at the stats indicate that a majority of the hits are in the legs. The victims would be grievously wounded laying in front of the battery crying in agony. The more than a third who were hit in the chest
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or head would have been killed outright. This is a far cry from the zero casualties our friends sustained at Resaca. We can conclude shooting canister is a lot of fun. We can conclude that the effectiveness of both cannon was similar in this test, at this place with these gunners. I was very impressed with the Parrott. The howitzer I expected to work well, but the Parrott exceeded my expectations. If possible I intend to set up our plywood targets at a reenactment in a sutler area or somewhere similar. Maybe then the infantry will pay a little more attention to us next time we call for canister and fire at them. I also would be interested in conducting additional tests with perhaps a comparison of canister fired from the 3-Inch Ordnance Rifle and 10-pdr. Parrott, or Hotchkiss versus conventional canister. Steve Cameron is owner and operator of Trail Rock Ordnance in Blaine, Tenn. He served in the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps, attaining the rank of captain. For information about Burrough’s Battery, horse-drawn artillery or what they are up to next email him at akm556@aol.com, or go to the Burrough’s Battery Facebook page. Steve’s article about their horse-drawn artillery was in Vo. 34, No. 1, Winter 2012.
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Old Fort Jackson Seeks Funds To Restore Two 18- & 24-pdrs. By Brian Lee
I
n 2014, Old Fort Jackson in Savannah, Ga., launched the Support the Fort campaign, an effort to raise funds to restore two 19th century artillery pieces. They were recovered from an old gas works site in the northeast corner of Savannah where Fort Wayne once stood. The smaller of the two cannon is an 18pdr. siege piece, cast sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. The larger was originally cast as a 24-pdr. To date, we have found no identifying marks of any kind on the 18-pdr. to give us a better idea of when or where it was made, or exactly where it had been prior to being found at the gas works. We hope that some kind of markings may be found during restoration. During the initial inspection when acquired, a 6lb. solid shot was found inside the barrel. Eighteen-pdrs. similar to this one were used in Savannah as far back as the American Revolution. An earlier battery built in 1777 known as the “Mud Fort” was located where Old Fort Jackson now stands. It is unlikely the Mud Fort ever acquired such heavy artillery as an 18-pdr. in the short time it was active.
Eighteen-pdrs. were used in the Battle of Savannah, 1779, the current Battlefield Memorial Park, by both the British and the Allied (French and American) forces. After the battle, a French officer described their use: “2 [British] 18-pounders, upon field carriages, charged with cannister & placed at the head of the road [Augusta] caused terrible slaughter.” Eighteen-pdrs. were also in use in Savannah during the War of 1812, although no battles took place here during that war. A report, “Return of Ordnance & Ordnance Stores for Savannah” issued on Dec. 31, 1813, shows six 18-pdrs. mounted for use, and an additional 18-pdr. unmounted. Fort Jackson did have an 18-pdr. in its garrison, although we cannot be sure if this particular 18-pdr. served here. The fort was abandoned due to unhealthy conditions in 1826, and the cannon inside were removed. By the Civil War, 18-pdrs. were being replaced by larger models. A report by A.T. Cunningham, First Lieutenant Artillery and Ordnance, on Oct. 28, 1862, places a lone 18-pdr. at Old Fort Jackson. It does not appear in a similar report in 1863.
Eighteen-pdrs. were more likely to be found in the inner ring of defenses of Savannah during the Civil War. For example in the same report, 18-pdrs. are found at Fort Brown, which was located near the Catholic Cemetery, on present-day Wheaton Street. A reserve battery of two 18-pdrs. was located near the Central of Georgia Railroad Depot, which was located on the 1779 battlefield of the Siege of Savannah. The second cannon, the larger of the two, has a series of holes drilled into the rear. This cannon was originally cast as a 24-pdr. The only distinguishing feature on it is the number “50” on the top, near the vent. This number indicates the overall weight of the cannon in hundredweight, a British system of measure which equals 112 pounds, so (50 x 112) equals 5,600 pounds. Although this is a British system of measuring, early American foundries used it as well. It does help us point to an early 1800s manufacture date, however not much more can be identified to date. At some point in its life, the bore was enlarged to fit a 30-lb. projectile. The date of that event is
Old Fort Jackson is raising funds to restore, and hopefully find markings on, this 24-pdr. and 18-pdr. found in Savannah, Ga.
14 The Artilleryman
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unknown, but may have happened prior to the Civil War. Twenty-four pdrs. were in use in the Savannah area during the War of 1812 and the Civil War. The Dec. 31, 1813, report mentioned above indicated that there were eight 24-pdrs. mounted on carriages and another two that were unmounted. It is highly probable that Old Fort Jackson had some 24-pdrs. in its arsenal at that time. However, they were removed along with the other cannon in 1826 when the fort was abandoned. Very few 24-pdrs. were used in the Savannah area during the Civil War, but six 30-pdrs. are listed in the records. In a report dated March 31, 1863, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Huger, Inspector Artillery and Ordnance, states that these 30-pdrs. were in fact old 24-pdrs. that had been reamed up for 30-pound ordnance. Because the process thinned the cannon barrel, it was believed that these modified 24-pdrs. could not safely fire solid shot, and used canister and grape projectiles instead. There are no indications that these modified 24-pdrs. were ever used at Old Fort
Jackson. Instead, they were used in the inner line of defenses, along with the 18pdrs. In the Oct. 28, 1862, report previously mentioned, Cunningham notes that a single modified 24-pdr. was located at Fort Brown. During road construction on Wheaton Street, a Civil War era canister shot was discovered that matches almost exactly the bore of the modified 24-pdr. cannon. The use of canister and grape severely reduced their effective range, down to only a few hundred yards. Old Fort Jackson intends to repaint the guns, construct appropriate carriages, and then display the guns as part of its museum. Donations can be made on Old Fort Jackson’s Facebook page under the Support the Fort tab, in person, or by sending a check to: 1 Fort Jackson Rd., Savannah, GA 31404. Brian Lee Can be contacted at the Coastal Heritage Society: 912-232-3945; blee@chsgeorgia.org; www.chsgeorgia.org; Facebook.com/OldFortJackson/SupportTheFort
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Col. Henry J. Hunt’s 1862 Order On Civil War Field Artillery Use, Tactics EDITOR’S NOTE: Transcriber Robert Huddleston found the order featured here at the National Archives in a large collection of miscellaneous uncataloged Army of the Potomac documents. He suspects the papers were left at headquarters in the summer of 1865 and randomly boxed “when everyone was trying desperately to get discharged.” Maj. Gen. George McClellan named Col. Henry J. Hunt his chief of artillery on Sept. 5, 1862. Three days after issuing the following Sept. 12, 1862, order from McClellan’s Army of the Potomac Headquarters in Frederick, Md., Hunt was appointed brigadier general of volunteers. The following instructions will, so far as circumstances admit, be observed in the Artillery of this Army, and the Commanders under whom it serves: I. The responsibility of choosing the position for action devolves upon the Commander of the Artillery. If assigned to his position by the General Officer under whose orders he is placed, he will, to relieve himself from the responsibility, report to the latter its objectionable features, provided a better one can be found, and suggest the means necessary to improve or secure it. II. In taking up a position, four points require especial attention: 1. The efficacy of fire of the battery. 2. Cover for the pieces from the enemy’s fire. 3. The position of the rest of the troops. 4. The facility of movement. 1. That fire should be effective, is in all cases the most important consideration, to which—as far as may be necessary—the second consideration must be sacrificed. For this purpose a clear view of the enemy is necessary, and judgement must be used in the selection of the different projectiles, according to the nature of the ground and the object to be attained. The concentration of fire rather than its distribution is of importance; hence
16 The Artilleryman
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the guns should be as much as possible so placed, that their fire may converge on important points, and should not be too much scattered over the field. In a hilly or undulating country, a moderate elevation which gives a good view of the ground is the best position for Artillery. Too much elevation should be avoided, since the fire is more
effective in proportion as the projectiles pass more closely to the ground. Ground covered by bushes, trees, or other obstructions is not favorable to the use of artillery. It is advantageous, under all circumstances, to fire at lines obliquely, and at columns in the direction of their greatest depth.
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Against walls the most effective projectile is solid shot, Shot and shell should be used against log stockades, barricades, etc., and for sweeping a wood, to which latter purpose, shrapnel and canisters are not well adapted—and also against deep columns of cavalry taken in the prolongation of the column. There has been too much neglect of solid shot fire from the smooth bore guns. Canister is to be employed at close quarters. It is effective both from the wide spread of its balls, and from the rapidity with which it may be fired; accurate aiming not being necessary. Canister may be fired with great advantage into the edge or skirts of a wood which is about to be charged by our infantry, and against the flank of an enemy’s battery at close quarters, under which circumstances the canister shot are very destructive to both men and horses. The prevailing tendency to the use of canister is too great. Shrapnel may be considered as a long range canister, the iron case or shell carrying the bullets safely over the ground before distributing them. It should be chiefly used against troops which are stationary or not moving rapidly; or directed against fixed points over which an enemy is passing. Distances must be accurately judged, the projectile carefully prepared, the fire slow and deliberate, and its effect well noted, with a view to the correction of errors. Shrapnel is too often wasted. Artillery officers should recollect that, although it is the most effective and powerful of projectiles if well used, it is also the most harmless and contemptible if used badly; that the elements of uncertainty in its effect are numerous, and, therefore, in its use, nothing should be left to chance which can be made certain by care and attention. Shrapnel should never be fired rapidly, except against large and dense masses. An intelligent officer or non-commissioned officer should be detailed to watch the effect of each shot, and to report what correction appears necessary. When time presses, and observation of the shrapnel fire is difficult, canister is preferable if the range is such as to admit of its use. Shrapnel fire is very effective against
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lines of troops, columns, or batteries which are stationary upon open ground. It is not to be used against troops which are covered from view by the conformation of the ground, or by obstacles of any kind,— except only when it is known that the enemy is stationed within a certain distance in the rear of a given obstacle, as in the case of field-works, against the defenders of which shrapnel is effective. Batteries should be as much as possible protected from sudden attack, either by their position, or by troops posted near them. A position within the rifle range of a wood or other cover, which is not held by our own troops is a bad one, and should not be taken if possible to avoid it, since the enemy can occupy the cover, if only with sharp-shooters, and pick off men and horses. Woods and other places of cover within the range of small arms, must therefore be occupied by our own troops. Even on perfectly open ground, the flanks of a battery must be protected from assaults. Its front can take care of itself, and hence it follows that the supports of batteries should never be placed behind them, nor amongst the carriages, but always on the flanks, either on the prolongation of the line of the battery, or, if ever can thus be secured, in advance or rear of that prolongation, but always within easy supporting distances, and no closer, so that the fire directed on the battery may not injure its supporting troops. Although Artillery, as a rule, must protect itself against attacks from the front, yet if such attacks are made by a heavy force, either in successive lines or in column, and with determination and persistance, the supporting troops should, if practicable, wheel forward their outward flanks, so that their crossfire may sweep the ground in front of the battery; and may then charge vigorously with the bayonet, the Commander of the supports having previously arranged with the Commander of the Battery for a suspension of the Artillery fire. The enemy having been driven off, the supports will at once fall back towards the flanks so as to unmask the fire of the battery. 2. Artillery should, whenever practicable without undue detriment to its
18 The Artilleryman
offensive powers, seek positions in which it may be protected from the enemy’s fire, or concealed from his observation. The best natural cover is that afforded by the crest of hills which slope gently towards the enemy; the guns should be placed behind them with their muzzles looking over the top. The limbers and caissons will thus be entirely concealed. Cover which makes splinters when struck by shot, such as masonry, wood stacks, &c., is objectionable. Artificial cover may be obtained by sinking the piece. This is done by making an excavation for it to stand in. The excavation should be 1½ feet deep in front, and should slope gently upwards towards the rear. This earth is to be thrown up in front to the height of about 1½ feet. Ditches are dug at the sides for the men. This system of sinking the piece is used with advantage behind the edge of a hill, as it permits the piece to be brought closer to the crest, and enables it the better to sweep the ground.
Next to the protection of the guns, that of the caissons and limbers is of importance. Where the batteries are frequently moving, the limbers cannot be put under cover, but must remain close in rear of the pieces. Caissons must not, in any case, be so far separated from their guns, that they are beyond the prompt control of the Commander of the Battery. 3. The third consideration in posting Artillery, is that of the position of the rest of the troops. In general, the advance and positions of the Infantry and Cavalry determine the position for action of the Artillery, which usually places itself on the flanks of the other troops, or between their intervals, where it is secure itself, and can fire for the longest period of time. A position in advance of other troops is very objectionable, especially in advance of Cavalry; cases occur, however, in which it cannot be avoided, those cases being, in general, when the action
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of the artillery is of primary importance, and there is not suitable position for it elsewhere. It may be laid down as a rule that Artillery should not fire over our own troops. For this there are three good reasons. Accidents are liable to happen to the troops from the projectiles. It embarrasses their advance by battering the ground in front of them, and obliging them to hold back until the fire can be stopped or its range extended. It makes the men over whom the projectiles are passing uneasy, and may demoralize them. When it becomes necessary to fire over troops, solid shot, and in rare cases, shell should be used, and not canister, nor shrapnel; the latter projectile being liable to burst too soon, and to carry destruction among those over whose heads it was intended to pass. 4. It is of importance that every position assumed by Artillery should afford facilities for free movement in every direction, in order that such new positions may be taken up as circumstances may require. When this is not the case, care must at least be taken that the safety of the guns is not compromised. When the position is to be held to the
last extremity, strong supports should be furnished and the guns fought to the last, so that if lost is shal1 be with honor. If the position is not to be so held, and the nature of the ground will permit, prolonges must be fixed, that the Battery may be fought retiring with the other troops. When it is likely that a position will be carried, and its defense will not justify the loss of guns, they must, if the nature of the ground will not admit of the use of the pro1onge, be limbered up and retired in due season, under the protection of their supports. A Battery may often be retired by sections and half Batteries, under the protection of its own fire alone. Whenever a Battery takes post, the means of moving it to the front, the flanks or the rear must be studied by its commander, and, if necessary, walls and fences torn down, and ditches filled up, so that no unexpected obstacles may hinder its freedom of movement in any direction. It is a disgrace to an Artillery officer if a gun, or even an opportunity of rendering service, should be lost, through a neglect or want of forethought on his part. Guns may be honorably lost, if their sacrifice is necessary to the safety
of other troops,—provided the enemy is made to pay dear for them—and not otherwise.
III. Objects of fire. It is too much the tendency of Artillery to fire at Artillery. In the beginning of a battle, the Artillery should direct its fire wherever the enemy seems most exposed to danger. When the battle is further advanced, if our own troops are about to repel an attack, that portion of the enemy’s force is to be fired on whose attack is the most dangerous for the time being. If we are acting on the offensive the guns must fire on that portion of the enemy whose resistance is most formidable. When acting on the defensive the enemy’s infantry and cavalry are the most proper objects of fire.
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Artillery fire is to be concentrated on single points rather than divided between numerous objects, notwithstanding that such a division or distribution of the fire may cause a greater or absolute loss to the enemy. It is not the number of killed and wounded that decides a battle, but the panic and demoralization of those who remain; and this panic and demoralization are much sooner created and spread by concentrating the Artillery fire on successive points, than my distributing it over a wide space. The general rule is, that Artillery should concentrate its fire upon that part of the enemy’s force which, from its position, or from its character, it is the most desirable to overthrow. Against an enemy’s Battery the fire should be concentrated on a single piece until that is disabled, and should then be turned upon another, and an analogous plan should generally be followed in firing upon Infantry and Cavalry. When firing upon a hostile column,
the guns are to be directed at its centre. If the column is in the act of deploying, the flank toward which the deployment is being made is to be fired on with canister or shrapnel. As a general rule, Artillery should not fire upon skirmishers or small groups of men. IV. The fire of Artillery is not to be commenced until the enemy is within effective range; that is, so near that at least one quarter of the shots are hits. Firing at too great a distance wastes ammunition which will be wanted at the critical moments of the battle, and emboldens the enemy’s troops by giving them a contemptuous idea of the effects of our fire. Certain remarks of Frederick the Great may here be borne in mind. “It sometimes happens,” he says, “that the General in command, or some other General, is himself forgetful, and orders the fire to be opened too soon, without considering what injurious consequences may result from it. In such a
case the Artillery officer must certainly obey, but he should fire as slowly as possible, and point the pieces with the utmost accuracy in order that his shots may not be thrown away. Such a fire is only pardonable when the General wishes to attract the enemy’s attention to one point, so as to make movements in another.” In the fire of Artillery accuracy is of far more importance than quickness. The fire should be slow while the enemy is at a distance; it is to be quicker as the distance diminishes, and is to become rapid when canister shot is being fired at effective ranges. “The proper expenditure of the ammunition is one of the most important duties of an Artilleryman. An officer who squanderers the whole of his ammunition in a short engagement proves himself incapable of appreciating the due effect and use of his arm, and incur the heaviest responsibility. There are moments in which we should not fire, or only very slowly, and others of a critical nature in which there should be
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no question of saving ammunition; but the latter are only of short duration and do not lead to a lavish expenditure of ammunition; while the inefficient, constant fire at long ranges always has that effect.” After an engagement, the commander of each Battery must use all diligence in putting it into a condition to march and to fight. As soon after the action as possible, a return of the losses of men and material and a report of the fight will be presented to the proper staff officer. The return should contain a specification of the men and horses killed and disabled; of whatever has been made unserviceable or injured; of whatever has been expended, lost, or damaged; and of all defects of material and ammunition noticed, and should suggest proper remedies. The report should briefly describe the participation of the Battery in the engagement, as far as may be necessary for understanding the part taken by the Battery; the special instructions communicated; the position of the Battery, with a statement of the neighboring
troops; the nature of the enemy’s troops against which the projectiles used; the effect remarked; the reasons why positions were changed; the behaviour of the men; and, without regard to rank, who distinguished himself; lastly, all important circumstances observed in the neighborhood of the Battery. If Sections or half Batteries were detached, it is to be specified by whose order and for what purpose they were so detached.
Separate reports should be prepared by the commanders of pieces so detached. There are to be annexed, in original; to the narrative of the commander of the Battery. Robert Huddleston is a retired teacher, now an independent historian studying the Civil War. His transcription can also be read at www.gdg.org/Research/Hunt/hasept12_18 62.html
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6-pdr. Napoleon-type Gun For Sale Cannon is fireable Cast barrel with 1/2” steel liner 3.4” bore 65.5” length 850 lbs #2 carriage with 56” wheels All metal parts are hand-forged $15,000 You pick up - Fort Plain, N.Y. or shipping available within 150 miles
Call Robert: 518-568-5558 Email: alicehammond@frontiernet.net www.artillerymanmagazine.com | Vol. 36, No. 2
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Update Of Surviving Artillery By Jim Bender
S
ometimes you wonder if your efforts go unnoticed. On two separate occasions in 2014 two individuals commented they look forward to the annual Registry updates in The Artilleryman. So, please forgive me for my shortcomings. For the years 2013 and 2014 eleven cannon have been added to the National Registry of Known Surviving Civil War Artillery, bringing the grand total of documented survivors to 5,772. The first report is that of a privately owned 32-pdr. shell gun of 4,500 pounds, Alger No. 152, dated 1865. Most people I correspond with I have never met. Such is the case with Tom Batha who reported two 24-pdr. Flank Howitzers at Fort Morgan, Ala. Each was made by Cyrus Alger & Co. in 1847. The only other readable markings are the weights at 1471 & 1474 lbs. On a very warm Sunday in May I had the opportunity to visit Vicksburg National Military Park and did my best to view all 147 cannon within the park. For my efforts I was able to log two new finds. On Union Avenue is 6-pdr. bronze field gun M1841, Ames No. 6, dated 1842 and weighing 880 lbs. On Confederate Avenue, approximately a quarter-mile before Stockade Redan and Old Graveyard Road, is what I believe is an unmarked
The number of this 3-Inch Ordnance Rifle in Berlin, Conn., is unknown.
John Clark 12-pdr. Confederate bronze howitzer which resembles a truncated 6pdr. field gun, M1841. The bore measured 4.70 inches and the tube is heavily pitted. It is nearly identical to one documented on Ruggles’ line at
Shiloh National Military Park. Another discovery at Vicksburg NMP, this one made by Tom Batha, is a 12-pdr. bronze howitzer, M1838 Alger No. 2, dated 1839 and weighing 697 lbs. In August 2013 an 1863 dated Cyrus
This Alger 6-pdr. was discovered on the Amoskeag Auction website.
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Alger 6-pdr. bronze “insurance” gun of 522 lbs. was discovered on the Amoskeag Auction website. Credit for the next new discovery is given to none other than Kay Jorgensen, The Artilleryman publisher. What appears to be an unfinished 3-Inch Ordnance Rifle is at the Soldiers Monument next to Kensington Congregational Church in Berlin, Conn. If not for the provenance I would likely have dismissed it as Wayne Stark did when it was reported to him by Steve Coffey. It was somehow concluded to be a reproduction or some sort of “special” cannon and so at that time not officially entered in the Registry. Based on some documentation provided during my inquiry about the cannon it was first documented in a newspaper article Feb. 10, 1913. Other documents state: “The description of the 1863 Kensington Soldiers Monument includes: A cannon was placed near the apex of the triangular plot as part of the 50th anniversary program in 1913. It is supported by two boulders. Cannon balls which formerly were stacked on the boulders are now set in concrete on the boulders.” “The piece is a 3” cannon given by the War Department at the request of US Senator George P. McLean of Simsbury. It was delivered with 80 shells.” Credit for obtaining the cannon is also provided in another article: “The cannon and shells were secured through the influence by vice president William C. Skinner of the Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company of
Jeff Stafford
Jim Bender believes John Clark made this unmarked Confederate 12-pdr. howitzer at Vicksburg National Military Park. Hartford and the kindness of Colonel J.P. Thompson of the ordnance department. William Luby set the cannon and boulder.” The first report for 2014 is a clearly marked 3-Inch Ordnance Rifle, No. 4, which was discovered as part of an estate. It was subsequently auctioned and remains in private hands. Nos. 1-6 were initially issued to 1st New York Light Artillery, Reynolds’ Battery L. Nos. 2, 3 and 6 are not known to survive.
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Next is another discovery on a web auction site, a nicely marked 6-pdr. iron gun, Pattern 1834, No. 8 manufactured by McClurg, Wade & Co. PPF, what we may better recognize as the forerunner to Fort Pitt Foundry. Aft of the breech ring on the cascabel it is marked “U.S. RESERVE Corner No 3” along with 806, the weight. In June 2007 I discovered 12-pdr. bronze Napoleon, M1857, Hooper No. 73, in a photo on the Internet. It would take nearly seven years and an email from Roger Warden to discover Hooper No. 72 sits next to it at a monument in Palmyra, Va. To bait you, as Joe Gluskert has baited me, IX-inch Dahlgren shell gun, Alger No. 258, presumably dated 1859, which exists as a former bollard at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, is the new find for 2015. He says “Remind me to send you one in January every year. . . “
Jim Bender is keeper of the National Registry of Known Surviving Civil War Artillery. He can be reached at m1861artillery@yahoo.com
www.artillerymanmagazine.com | Vol. 36, No. 2
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Norwich U’s Three British 12-Pdrs., The USS Albany & USS New Orleans By Thomas Batha & Glen Williford orwich University in Northfield, Vt., is the oldest private military academy in the United States, founded in 1819. The campus is situated about 10 miles south of Montpelier, former home town of Adm. George Dewey, the “Hero of Manila.” Visits to the campus on numerous occasions, for various reasons over the past 40 years, have been enjoyable. Like all readers of The Artilleryman, we have a fascination with historic artillery and a number of pieces reside on the Norwich grounds. One group of cannon has always been intriguing. Two rather derelict small field guns on iron carriages with wooden wheels guarded the entrance to Plumley Armory. A third gun, similar but in far better condition, was used as the salute gun on the main quadrangle by the flagpole. Early examination revealed that they were in fact 12-pdr. Armstrong-Whitworth rifled breech loaders. And there were only three. Thinking that cannon usually come in pairs or batteries of four or six, a search was on for a fourth gun. No one approached on campus knew anything about them. Finally, an inspection tour with Glen Williford and some follow up research by him in National Archives shed some light. The guns themselves are, in fact, British Ordnance QF (quick-firing) 12-pdrs. of 8 cwt. That translates to a breech loading gun that fires a projectile of a nominal 12lb. weight from a tube and breech weighing 846 lbs. It was made by Sir W.G. ArmstrongWhitworth & Co. in Elswick, England, in the 1896-1900 time frame. The bore is 3 inches and was supplied with 12.5-lb. Shrapnel, common Lyddite shells. With a muzzle velocity of 1630 fps, a maximum range of 5,100 yards was attained. The rated barrel life was 2,000 rounds with Cordite Mk 1 or 6,000 rounds with Cordite MD.
N
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A total of 387 were produced, according to The American Steel Navy by John D. Alden (U.S. Naval Institute 1972). These are naval landing guns, normally assigned to a ship to be used on shore by a landing party consisting of sailors or marines. Landing guns typically have smaller, lighter weight carriages than field guns so that they may be more easily man-handled in the defined absence of horses. The next question, obviously, is where did they come from — or how did they get to Vermont? The only other foreign gun on campus is a Spanish War trophy, acquisition undoubtedly arranged through Admiral Dewey. At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, the United States military was
caught woefully unprepared. This always happens to us and 1898 was no exception. There was widespread fear, if not outright panic, that the Spanish Armada was ready to attack the mainland at any time. The modernization of the navy and coast defenses had just begun and would not be up to standards for a number of years. In response to this perceived threat, temporary coastal batteries were built and ships were obtained from non-traditional sources and commissioned. In this latter category, two ships under construction in England were purchased and commissioned into the U.S. Navy. The first was the Amazonas, a 3,437 ton protected cruiser being built for Brazil by W.G. Armstrong, Whitworth and Company in New Castle. The ship’s original
Ordnance QF [quick-firing] 12 pdr. of 8 cwt [counterweight] Armstrong-Whitworth No. 9856, cast in 1899, can be seen at Norwich University.
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equipment included two naval landing guns, Nos. 9857 and 9858, made in 1896. It was commissioned the USS New Orleans on March 18, 1898, and sailed for the New York Navy Yard. It carried these guns during fleet operations of Cuba and Puerto Rico. Upon return to New York in late 1898, the two landing guns were removed and placed in storage there. The New Orleans appears to have carried no landing guns until a recommissioning in 1909. At that time standard U.S. Navy 3-inch Mk1 Mod 1 landing gun(s) were issued. The second ship obtained from the same source was the Almirante Abreu, again a Brazilian naval vessel. It was not completed until 1900 and missed the war entirely. Commissioned May 29, 1900, as the USS Albany, it appears to have sailed from England directly to the Philippines in 1900 without her landing guns. They were later shipped separately to the New York Navy Yard aboard the USS Baltimore when it stopped in England on its way home from the Philippines. The assigned Armstrong landing guns for the Albany were Nos. 9862 and 9866, both built in 1899. Records of the Naval Bureau of Ordnance, RG-74, Entry 118, reveal the final connection with Norwich. In June 1904, guns Nos. 9858, 9866 and 9857 were delivered to Harry G. Mosely in Northfield, Vt. No. 9866 is specifically annotated “For Norwich University.� All were shipped with their limbers. It appears that the guns were sold, as opposed to being donated. The Norwich guns are scheduled for restoration. It was unclear how extensive that would be, but, at a minimum, rebuilding the wooden wheels would
The cruiser USS New Orleans, above, was originally built in England for Brazil and came with two Armstrong naval landing guns which are at Norwich University. appear to be urgent. The fourth gun? Well, the same records indicate that it was shipped to a veterans group in West Chester, Pa., on Nov. 14, 1911, also with its limber.
AAA MUNITIONS Tom Batha, a retired federal employee, has been a student of military history with emphasis on ordnance for over 40 years. He has published one book on the subject. Glen Williford is a long time historical researcher of American field and coast artillery who has written extensively on the subject including nearly a dozen books.
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www.artillerymanmagazine.com | Vol. 36, No. 2
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CLASSIFIED ADS CANNON FRICTION primers: 95 cents. Lanyards $12. Gimlets $15. Bronze vent picks $10. Bronze vent brush, wood handle $10. Primer extractor $7. Shipping $15 up to 100 primers, $1 each additional 100. UPS Ground. Phil “Boom Boom” Sieglein, 5026 Mile Stretch Dr., Holiday, FL 34690. 727-9344330. WANTED: COMMEMORATIVE “Remember the Maine” cannon. Contact Steve Kapp, 704 West 5th St., Grove, OK 74344. Cell: 918791-1262; kalbosjk@sbcglobal.net REPRINTED EARLY 20th century U.S. Army coast artillery ordnance manuals for sale. For list send two first-class postage stamps to Peter A. Frandsen, 9900 Georgia Avenue #302, Silver Spring, MD 209025242. 128 ISSUES of The Artilleryman for sale. Vol. 1 through Vol. 35, $650 postpaid. Email bckindig@msn.com
12-PDR MOUNTAIN Howitzer blueprints barrel plans $42. Carriage plans $52. Both sets $87. 12-pdr. plans $42. Prices include USPS priority postage. Helmut Sakschek, PO Box 3, Neenah WI 54957-0003. www.buckstix.com TRAIL ROCK Ordnance offers metal parts for the #1 and #2 Field Carriages, Field Limber and 1st Model Prairie Carriage. We also offer 1st Model Prairie Carriages for $5,000, and #1 Field Carriages for $7,200. We offer an ever growing line of shooting accessories, implements, ammunition and other goodies for the artillerist. Color catalog available for $7 ppd. Steve Cameron, 1754 Little Valley Rd, Blaine TN 37709, 865-9321200, akm556@aol.com, www.trailrockordnance.com. TWO SPONGE buckets, close reproductions, $95 each postpaid. 1841 Mountian Howitzer pendulum sight, $75 postpaid. Call Len, 1st St. Paul Artillery 651-799-6299.
CIRCA 1862 three-barrel Norwich Arms Gatling type gun. One-inch rifled barrels. All complete with original carriage $61,000. Confederate manufactured Memphis cannon with original carriage $61,500. Circa 1700-1750 Dutch bronze VOC cannon with museum-copied carriage $15,500. Additional Dutch carriages available $2,000 each. Gatling/Gardner style gun with original carriage $36,500. Museum quality Dahlgren carriage $12,500. Hotchkiss 1.65 mountain cannon as carried on mules $36,500. Other cannons available. Email for pictures: zanzibar22@windstream.net; 859-983-3911. LONGTIME ARTILLERY buff needs to downsize his collection. A variety of black powder shooters. Half-scale iron Napoleon on naval carriage; full scale coehorn mortar on oak bed; small carronade on oak bed; misc. small cannons; Kentucky percussion long rifle replica; Kentucky percussion pistol replica; cannon tools; more. For detailed descriptions, pics and prices: 603-431-3173; rodglord@comcast.net STATE OF NY original Delafield Rifle 3.67in No. 3 1862. Excellent condition, fired in N-SSA competition. Only rare Delafield with shootable bore. $8,500. Fits No. 1 carriage. Ken: 845-831-1170
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Sponge Bucket ($15 shipping). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $200 + $15 UPS Tar Bucket ($15 shipping). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $150 + $15 UPS Ask For Our Free Cannon Part List
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BUILD YOUR BATTERY! Artillery for sale
12-pdr. Bronze Confederate Mountain Howitzer - $9,000
Original 1870 Indian Wars Ordnance Cart - $5,000
This is a reproduction cast by Birmingham Brass and Copper. The pattern was taken from Library of Congress documents and the gun was based on an original pattern. There is an ammunition chest fabricated to these plans.
Limber - $7,000 12- pdr. Iron Confederate Napoleon - $20,000
Built specifically for the 12-pdr. Napoleon and the trailer.
Reproduction piece cast as a Bicentennial project in 1976. The carriage and limber were built in late 1980’s.
Complete camp accoutrements also available Trailer - $6,000
All prices negotiable Call Miki Heaton: 256-453-6434 (Brierfield, AL)
This trailer was specifically designed to carry both cannons and limber. 4 wheel trailer with two 7000 lb. axles with brakes.
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PAULSON BROTHERS ORDNANCE CORP.
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ALL METAL NO. 1 CIVIL WAR GUN CARRIAGE Fits The Following Cannon Barrels: 6 Pdr. Gun 12 Pdr. Field Howitzer 3-Inch Ordnance Rifle 2.9 & 3-Inch Parrott
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