Vol. 40, No. 2 Spring 2019 $8.00
Russian Dahlgren Guns • A Withering Hail of Iron • U.S. Artillery in World War I A Tale of Two Guns • Hebe Incident • Lost Without Dishonor • Gatling Gun Shoot at Fort Ross
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The Artilleryman | Spring 2019 | Vol. 40, No. 2
CONTENTS
6
RUSSIAN DAHLGREN GUNS
Little known facts about Russian Dahlgren guns. By Yuriy Kirpichov.
12
“A WITHERING HAIL OF IRON” GRAPE AND CANISTER IN THE CIVIL WAR
16
U.S. ARTILLERY IN WORLD WAR I
24
Canister and grape award winning display. By David Gotter. A short history of World War I artillery. By Scott Cortese.
NEWS FROM THE U.S. ARMY ARTILLERY MUSEUM Recent events at the U.S. Army Artillery Museum in Fort Sill. By Gordon A. Blaker.
26
A TALE OF TWO GUNS: 7-INCH BROOKE S-19 AND 10-INCH COLUMBIAD
32
MAKING THE 3-INCH ORDNANCE RIFLE
42
HEBE INCIDENT
52
LOST WITHOUT DISHONOR – BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG, JULY 1, 1863
56
2018 GATLING GUN SHOOT AT FORT ROSS, LANCASTER COUNTY, PENN.
64
Two cannon and their story in Fort Powell, Mobile Bay, Ala. By David M. Smithweck.
From patent to production. The process for manufacturing the 3-inch Ordnance rifle. By Craig Swain. A blockade runner’s captured Whitworth rifle and other English guns. By Lawrence E. Babits. 3-inch Ordnance rifle, serial no. 1 and its history. By George H. Lomas. A fun time at the annual Gatling gun shoot. By Ericka Hoffmann.
THE ARTILLERY BOOKSHELF Civil War Artillery Projectiles – The Half Shell Book. .Reviewed by Peter A. Frandsen.
Subscribe by calling 800-777-1862 or online at www.ArtillerymanMagazine.com 2
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Consultants:
Lawrence Babits, Ph.D., Thomas Bailey, Craig D. Bell, Jack Bell, Jim Bender, Col. John Biemeck (Ret.), Stephen Davis, Ph.D., Leonard Draper, Glenn Dutton, David Gotter, Richard Hatcher, Butch & Anita Holcombe, Les Jensen, Gordon L. Jones, Ph.D., Mike Kent, Lewis Leigh Jr., William E. Lockridge, Donald Lutz, John Morris, Michael J. O’Donnell, Hayes Otoupalik, Bernie Paulson, Bruce Paulson, Lawrence E. Pawl, M.D., Charlie Smithgall, Craig Swain, Matthew Switlik, Bill Tracy and Mike Ward.
Black Powder Explosive Ordnance Assistance Col. John Biemeck, Ret.
Black Powder Explosive Ordnance Assistance (Identification, threat assessment, handling, storage, technical and deactivation assistance) for Government, State and Municipal Agencies. Contact Col. John Biemeck, Ordnance Corps, U.S. Army (Retired), cell 804-366-0562. This service is offered as a courtesy to government agencies by The Artilleryman in an effort to preserve antique explosive black powder projectiles for future generations. Printed proudly and responsibly in the United States of America. All rights reserved under International and PanAmerican Copyright Conventions. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic, digital or mechanical means, screen shots, phone photos, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. 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. Articles, Photographs and Image Submittals: The Author(s), Photographer(s) will indemnify the Publisher against any loss, injury, or damage (including any legal costs or expenses and any compensation costs and disbursements paid by the Publisher) occasioned to the Publisher in connection with or in consequence or any breach of the Author’s warranties and which the Publisher is not able to recover. Author agrees to allow Publisher to re-print any work submitted.
Publisher: Jack W. Melton Jr. Founding Publisher: C. Peter Jorgensen Editor: Larry Babits Book Reviews: Peter A. Frandsen Advertising: mail@ArtillerymanMagazine.com Webmaster: Carson Jenkins Jr. Graphic Designer: Squeegie Studios InDesign Guru: Neil Stewart
Contact Information: Historical Publications LLC The Artilleryman 520 Folly Road, Suite 25 PMB 379 Charleston, SC 29412 800-777-1862 Email: mail@artillerymanmagazine.com Website: ArtillerymanMagazine.com Hours 9-5 EST, Monday-Thursday The Artilleryman Magazine (ISSN: 088404747) Copyright © 2019, All Rights Reserved, by Historical Publications LLC is published quarterly by Historical Publications LLC, 520 Folly Road, Suite 25 PMB 379, Charleston, SC 29412. Quarterly. Business and Editorial Offices: 520 Folly Road, Suite 25 PMB 379, Charleston, SC 29412, Accounting and Circulation Offices: Historical Publications LLC, 520 Folly Road, Suite 25 PMB 379, Charleston, SC 29412. Call 800-777-1862 to subscribe. Application to mail at Periodicals postage prices at Charleston, SC, and additional mailing offices (if applicable).
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Subscription rates: $34.95 for a one-year U.S.A. subscription and $64.95 for a two-year in U.S.A. International subscriptions no longer accepted. U.S. bank checks or credit cards accepted. About the Cover: Cushing’s Battery A, 4th United States Artillery monument is flanked by four 3-inch Ordnance rifles. This battery is located at The Angle in front of the High Water Mark on the Gettysburg Battlefield. Lieut. Alonzo Cushing was finally awarded the Medal of Honor in 2014 “for acts of bravery above and beyond the call of duty.” This battery had six 3-inch Ordnance rifles during the battle. (Jack Melton) ArtillerymanMagazine.com
| Vol. 40, No. 2
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have pictures, stories or artifacts from Bannerman’s Island please bring it and share. Those of us who never got to see this magical place would love to hear more. Space is limited to 50. Time and price will be decided soon. When details are firm, information will go out.
Jack W. Melton Jr. Publisher
The Gallant Pelham Long Range Artillery Match Sponsored by Burroughs’ Battery
April 5–7, 2019 General Concept: For our long range artillery shoot. We seek to pull quality artillerists together to enjoy our sport, fellowship and camaraderie. We have a spectacular site, located in southeast Tennessee. It is just northwest of Chattanooga. The site will allow us to shoot out to 1,000 Yards. It is very safe, with a Mountain rising 1,000 plus feet as the backstop. It is free of buildings for several miles. Our 2018 shoot was a great success. We had 15 guns and crews attend. We enjoyed good fellowship and made some new friends. We hope to build on the lessons we learned from the 1st shoot to make 2019 even better.
Course of Fire Friday night April 5: We will have a dinner at Simply Southern. The topic of discussion is Bannerman’s Island. We have a short presentation of pictures presented by Matt Switik. If you 4
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Saturday April 6: will consist of an open range session. We will shoot out to 1,000 yards. The targets will be 55 gallon barrels, lots of them, some filled
with water. This is open to rifles and smooth bores. We will schedule out the range in 45 minute courses, allowing you to practice engaging targets at various ranges. We will have a few surprises on the range. Lots of Fun. Sunday April 7: the Competition portion. Rifled guns will shoot at static targets out to 1,000 Yards. Space is limited. If we have sufficient preregistration we will have Field and Mountain Gun divisions. Course of fire will be 15
FOR SALE 2nd Model Prairie Carriage & Limber With Implements (Handspike, Worm, 4 Sponge and Rammers, Prolonge) By Historical Ordnance Works Also Includes: Two Limber Chests, Sponge and Tar Buckets Trailer Available / Delivery possible within 600 miles of Fayetteville, NC
$16,000
BARREL NOT INCLUDED
CONTACT RON BRYANT: 910-818-1763 rwbryant@embarqmail.com
rounds. If we have enough interest we will shoot smoothbore guns as well. Sign in / Registration: Friday April 5 from 12 noon – 8 p.m. and begin again at 7 a.m. on Saturday. For updates or more information: Send your email address to: akm556@aol.com. Follow us on Facebook, The Gallant John Pelham Competition and Shoot.
1.
Artillery Drawings Contact us for a catalog sheet. Drawings with dimensions of carriages, limbers, ammunition chests and more.
Antique Ordnance Publishers PO Box 610434 Port Huron, MI 48061
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Artillery Goodies For Sale
Traveling Forge for sale. IN STOCK, One of only a few in existence, ready for pickup. Made with removable side to see the workings of the Bellows. The crown jewel of any battery collection! $25,000 call for pictures. 2. Scale Steel CS Mortar, 3-inch Bore on wooden bed: $400 delivered 3. 12-Pdr. Steel Mountain Howitzer, bronzed barrel on carriage with implements: $9,000 4. Steel 12-Pdr.Mortar on stained wooden bed: $1,800 5. 6-Pdr. Solid Shot, Zinc: $15 6. CS Steel 12-Pdr. Mortar on oak bed, new: $1,600 7. Caisson, used excellent condition complete with boxes and spare wheel: $11,000 8. Blakely Split trail carriage, Excellent/New Condition, 50" Wheels: $7,000 9. 1st Model Prairie Carriage New in Stock: $5,000 10. 32-Pdr. Steel Shot Have 2 tons! $60 each Call or email for more 11. Steel Cannonballs 1", 1.25", 1.5", 2", 2.9", 6-Pdr., 12-Pdr., 24-Pdr., 32-Pdr. by the ton. 12. 10-Pdr. Parrott used VG condition SBR rifled tube on new #1 Field Carriage: $14,500 details and pictures.
Trail Rock Ordnance
1754 Little Valley Rd • Blaine TN 37709 • 865-932-1200 • Akm556@aol.com
www.trailrockordnance.com ArtillerymanMagazine.com
| Vol. 40, No. 2
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by Yuriy Kirpichov
Crew of the Russian frigate Osliaba docked at Alexandria, Va.,1863.
D
uring the fall of 1863, the darkest hour of America’s Civil War, part of the Russian fleet arrived at the ports of New York and San Francisco. The first group, under the command of Rear Admiral S. Lesovsky came in September; the second under Rear Admiral A. Popov in October. There were 11 ships in total. While the Russians never said why they had come, their arrival was interpreted by many Americans as a concrete expression of Russian friendship. “God bless the Russians!” exclaimed Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, and this sentiment was echoed throughout the Union. At a dinner with Mary Todd Lincoln and other American dignitaries, Mrs. Lincoln toasted the Russians for their kindness.
Russian gun patterns.
But the Russians were acting with far more self-interest. The Civil War had been going on for two and a half years, but earlier the Tsar was in no hurry to help. He solved tasks generated by the Polish insurrection and the negative reaction to suppressing the Polish insurgents by Britain, France, and Austria. Russia found an operational base for her fleet in the Northern United States; otherwise it would be locked in the Gulf of Finland as during the Crimean War. Balls were replaced by parades and gala dinners, Russian officers circled in waltzes with American beauties, congressmen visited their ships, the frigate Oslyabya was visited by the the U.S. president’s wife. At the same time Russian sailors left their decks en masse and the admirals had to stop shore leave for them.
We are, however, interested in a purely technical question. The admiral’s flagship was the 50-gun frigate Alexander Nevsky, the last Russian wooden warship. She was commissioned, June 14, 1863, just before going on this tour. According to some Russian sources, this frigate was armed with 60-pounder “Dahlgren” cannon; one 23 “long” (#1), the other 28 “short” (#2). At elevations of 20°, they shot out to 3.8 km and 2.8 km, respectively. The American press also wrote about the guns. The Harper’s Weekly correspondent reported after visiting the frigate: The two largest of the squadron, the frigates Alexander Nevski and Peresvet, are evidently vessels of modern build, and much about them would lead an unpracticed eye to think they were constructed in this country. … The batteries of these ships are of formidable character, although all smooth-bored guns. They are of one caliber, throwing a solid shot of sixty pounds’ weight, and of two classes, the long and medium, weighing about sixty and eighty hundred weight. They are of a pattern peculiarly Russian, but are fitted in a similar manner to the broad-side guns of our own vessels. The locks and sight are different from ours, but no doubt answer equally as good a purpose. …Well, here we are, on board the Alexander Nevski, which looks, on deck, large enough to accommodate a fair-sized army, and with ordnance heavy enough to blow up Fort Sumter. The guns, we are told by an officer, are of American make, being cast at Pittsburg. They are modeled somewhat after the Dahlgren pattern. The New York Times noted She is well built, and very strong, and carries fifty 8-inch smooth-bore Dahlgren guns. All the guns in the Russian fleet are of the same size. The designer of the Russian smoothbore guns, Rear Admiral John Dahlgren, was an American. Is it true that foreign guns armed on Russian ships? It’s curious. When designing the Alexander Nevsky and Peresvet, the blueprints of the powerful General-Admiral frigate, which was built in New York, were
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| Vol. 40, No. 2
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FOR SALE
3-inch Parrott Rifle, M1863 1 of 6 in private hands
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3-inch Ordnance Rifle Dated 1862
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Contact Glenn Dutton at: glennjdutton@aol.com or 770-351-7565
ArtillerymanMagazine.com
| Vol. 40, No. 2
11
by David Gotter
M
y first interest in the Civil War came in the early 1960’s with the 100th Anniversary. At the time, I was in my early teens and unaware of collectors or collecting opportunities in my part of Ohio, so I read everything I could get my hands on. After college, I moved back to Ohio, to the Ashland/ Mansfield area, and in 1977 I learned about the Ohio Civil War show. I missed the first one and missed another one 4 or 5 years later. I haven’t missed one since. My initial shell collection ranged from 6-pdr. cannonballs to 100-pdr. Parrott shells and about anything in between. Around 30 years ago, I purchased a 2.6-inch Wiard canister at a show adding it to my collection. It’s difficult to imagine how many pieces a shell might burst into, but it’s not hard at all to imagine what’s going to happen when the artillery starts firing canister.
I started with a few of the basic rounds; 6-pdr., 12-pdr., and a few of the common rifle rounds; then I wanted more. At first I knew what calibers I didn’t have, which ones I wanted next, and began filling that list. After I found most of the basic examples, the oddball ones usually weren’t available ready to buy and display. There were few reliable shell books, and even fewer with canister information in them, so I was pretty much on my own. I found a lot of parts in the “anything for a dollar” boxes on dealer tables, began buying parts, and learning what shot went with what plates. In those days, dealers and diggers were after shells, and canister parts were “scrap.” It has taken me 30 plus years to acquire 65 or so different canister specimens. In the early 2010s, I decided to add grape to my collection. I had pretty well exhausted canister as
a pursuit; adding grape shows the difference between grape and canister. Army grape can be found from time to time, but quilted grape is almost impossible to find. I have two original quilted grape stands, a 6.4-inch and a 7-inch. The larger sizes are almost non-existent; the 15-inch, as far as I can learn, does not exist anywhere. I found the specifications and built one so that my collection was complete. With the addition of 14 stands of grape to the display, I have a total of 80 specimens, weighing around 1,500 pounds. This is probably the most complete collection of its type in existence, and at this time in the world of collecting, probably could never be duplicated. This collection is parts of all of us, and I owe a huge Thank You to all the collectors, dealers, diggers, and friends who supplied me with complete stands, parts, and assistance throughout the years.
David Gotter standing with his impressive display of canister and stands of grape shot.
by Scott Cortese
A
s Gen. John Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) surveyed the French battlefields after arriving in June 1917, there must have been a look of disgust upon his face. What he saw were miles of trench lines weaving along the French countryside. These trench lines had barely moved a hundred yards in either direction since autumn of 1914. Several attempts by the French and British to break the stalemate resulted in obscene casualty figures. Worse still, Pershing saw first-hand the toll the years of trench warfare had taken upon soldiers in the trenches. The muddy, filthy, rat-infested holes were manned by degraded men. It was incredible to Pershing that the French and British commanders had seemingly lacked the aggressiveness to change the
situation and consigned their men to this horrible deadlock. He also felt that the Allies’ over-reliance on heavy weapons, particularly artillery, exacerbated the circumstances. Determined to make America’s participation significant and help bring an end to the war, Pershing and his staff desperately desired to show the Allies the “American” way to fight a war. Pershing held strongly to the battle doctrine outlined in the U.S. Army’s Infantry Drill Regulations and Field Service Regulations and coined the term “open warfare” to describe the American way to fight. This doctrine was centered upon the concept that infantry needed to be self-reliant so that, …the rifle and the bayonet remain the supreme weapons of the infantry soldier and that the ultimate success
of the army depends upon their proper use in open warfare. The regulations also stated that heavy weaponry, artillery, existed solely to support the infantry. If brought out of the trenches and into the open, Pershing was confident the Germans would be decisively defeated. Previous attempts by the Allies to bring about “open war” failed because they just simply lacked the capability to break the stalemate due in part to the ineffectiveness of its artillery against the German fortifications and the low quality of their artillery shells which sometimes failed to detonate upon impact. Pershing also believed that many years of trench warfare had taken away the Allied soldier’s aggressiveness and led them to accept an artillery-centered doctrine he considered to be futile.
Gen. John Pershing Ironically after the AEF’s initial battles, Pershing and his field commanders would realize the Allied command wasn’t really so over-reliant on artillery. In fact, as the AEF tactics evolved in the use of this critical asset, artillery would become essential to victory. At the outbreak of World War I, the U.S. Army was utterly ill-prepared to enter the war. It lacked experienced junior leadership, trained soldiers, weapons, and equipment. Little emphasis was given to the Army during the first three years of war as the nation debated between neutrality and getting involved. By April 1917, the active Army’s ranks had only 137,000 men with another 181,000 more soldiers in the National Guard. This was hardly the million soldiers Pershing felt were required to defeat the Germans. The artillery reflected these and other shortcomings as well. In August 1914, the artillery branch contained only 266 officers and 4,992 enlisted men. By the time Pershing first viewed the French battlefields, artillery numbers had grown to 1,130 officers and 21,874 enlisted men. By November 1918, the artillery’s ranks had swelled to 22,393 officers and 439,760 enlisted men. It’s important to point out that this huge increase occurred during
German Spring 1918 offensives.
French officer (far left) instructing AEF artillerymen.
the last nineteen months of the war. By the time the AEF artillerymen entered combat they were largely raw recruits under inexperienced junior officers even though training had begun during the fall of 1917. Because time was of the essence, training the Americans received in the U.S. was very brief and taught only the artilleryman’s minimum skills necessary. Addressing an incoming class of artillery officers at The School of Fire for Field Artillery at Fort Sill, Ok., Col. A.S. Fleming made it clear that, The need of even partially educated field artillery officers is so urgent that the School term has been reduced to a minimum. Tactics and broad knowledge necessary for the proper emplacement and use of artillery you must learn elsewhere…And since the ultimate reason for the existence of artillery is to shoot, our primary and final object is to teach you the technique of shooting. The Americans wound up being instructed in the French manner of shooting and, due to the lack of trained American artillery officers, the AEF relied upon French instructors. Some seventy to eighty French artillery officers were in America and one or two of them were assigned at each field artillery camp. The French, obviously, were well-versed in trench warfare artillery techniques, but woefully ignorant of Pershing’s concept of open warfare. Maj. Gen. William Snow, Chief of Field Artillery for the U.S. Army, observed that the French instructors, had been but a little time in the service, were not well grounded in field artillery, had left France at the height of stabilized warfare, and consequently knew no field artillery except the trench phase. To further compound these problems, severe equipment shortages left the AEF little to train with. When the U.S. entered the war, it was decided not take up precious cargo space on troop ships with artillery pieces; instead the AEF would use French guns in Europe. The U.S. stopped producing its own artillery piece, the M1903 3-inch gun, to produce a gun that 18
The Artilleryman
would chamber French ammunition. As it turned out, this new gun was not produced in significant numbers nor was it readily available for training. Guns were available once every three days and then for only an hour and a half for soldiers to train on. To make up for this equipment shortfall, a rather resourceful artilleryman, Capt. James Fort, instead of waiting, had a local college, the Georgia School of Technology, build a wooden replica. The gun was complete with a spare sighting mechanism and iron wheels. Fort noted that this training aid worked rather well as, The gun has inspired great enthusiasm on the part of the men and is proving to be of considerable value in their training. As 1917 drew to a close, and with little instruction conducted in the States, the AEF shipped off to France. Arriving in Valdahon, France, in January 1918, the first AEF artillery units began training on their newly assigned French artillery pieces, the 75mm and 155m guns. Brig. Gen. George Irwin commanded the 2nd Field Artillery Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division. Contrary to the way in which his counterparts in the U.S. regarded French trainers, Irwin noted that, “The French instructors were
U.S. Marines at Belleau Wood.
officers of experience, devoted to their profession, and eager to render every assistance to their allies.” However, he also noted that, It became apparent to me, as the instruction proceeded, that the long period of stationary or trench warfare had caused a very palpable disregard of the methods necessary in a war of movement. This was just a precursor to the training they would receive over the next several months. Adding to the difficulty, the AEF lacked the horses required for mobility. Horses were obviously instrumental in transporting artillery around the battlefield. The lack made it extremely complex, if not impossible, for the men to rehearse the movements required by Pershing’s open warfare concept. As a result, the 2nd Field Artillery Brigade spent six to eight weeks becoming quite adept at firing pre-arranged defensive and shifting barrages. Upon completion, the brigade worked jointly with French artillery batteries in a “quiet” sector south of Verdun. The final phase of their training would culminate in a month-long exercise emphasizing the concepts of open warfare. Unfortunately, a major German offensive in May 1918 cut their training to only six days. The entire AEF
News from the U.S. Army Artillery Museum
The last quarter of 2018 we have been doing two things: a lot of tours and working on the new addition’s exhibits and dioramas. Total attendance for 2018 was 35,763 of which 8,668 were Soldiers, Marines, and Airmen for their Field Artillery history and heritage training. Some 2,836 Basic Trainees received their U.S. Army history and heritage education. The Korean War diorama now includes six mannequins bundled up in winter uniforms in the M5A1 High Speed Tractor. The M-41 five man howitzer crew mannequins are dressed and ready for installation. One of our primary volunteers, SSgt. Jaycob Turner, USMC, has been doing great work on getting the dioramas done. The primary pieces of the Vietnam War firebase diorama are now all in place. Exhibits Specialist Zane Mohler raised the 31-ton M-107 175 mm Self-Propelled Gun onto its ramps and constructed the firing pit and two bunkers for the M-102 105 mm Howitzer position. He assembled the firing pit flooring using Pressed Steel Plate (PSP), the same material used to construct airstrips in the Pacific Theater during World War II. There is one bunker for ammunition and a second for the howitzer crew, each made of corrugated drainage pipe. The diorama portrays the M-102 crew conducting a high-angle fire mission as the M-107 drives up the road into the firebase. Progress on dressing the eighteen new forms that will be housed in the nine new uniform cases continues. These new, original uniforms include U.S. and enemy uniforms from the Korean War to the present. Our metal master volunteer, Harry Shappell, completed fabricating the spade missing from our rare World War II German 15 cm sFH 13/1 (Sf) Lorraine Self-Propelled Howitzer.
200 trainees of C/1/19th drop in for lunch prior to their training. 24
The Artilleryman
Gordon A. Blaker Director/Curator U.S. Army Artillery Museum 238 Randolph Road, Fort Sill, OK 73503 Phone: (580) 442-1819 http://sill-www.army.mil/FAMuseum Gordon.a.blaker.civ@mail.mil
North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC) original uniforms.
Crew of the M-107 175 mm Self-Propelled Gun.
A Tale of Two Guns 7-inch Brooke S-19 10-inch Rifled Columbiad by David M. Smithweck
Maps of Fort Powell, Fort Gaines and defenses of Fort Morgan from the Official Records Atlas, plate 63.
W
ith the fall of New Orleans on April 25, 1862, Mobile, Ala., 150 miles to the east felt the influx of 10,000 refugees from Louisiana. With the realization that Mobile might be attacked next, local commanders scrambled to build and update existing fortifications around the city and at the entrance to Mobile Bay. Fort Morgan on the eastern shore at Mobile Point, and Fort Gaines to the west on Dauphin Island were the main defenses of Mobile Bay at the time. Another route into the bay, called Grant’s Pass, was through Mississippi Sound that passes Grant’s Island. A 7-inch Brooke rifle, Selma S-19, and a 10-inch Columbiad (cast as a 10inch Columbiad and bored and rifled to 6.4-inch caliber) played a vital role in the defense of Fort Powell. The Columbiad was recovered but the Brooke was lost in the destruction of the fort.
Fort Powell
A small battery of three 32-pounders and a magazine were originally constructed in the summer of 1861, and manned by a company of the 1st Alabama Artillery Battalion. Colonel William L. Powell was in command of Forts Morgan, Gaines, and the fort at the pass. After Colonel Powell died Sept. 25, 1863, the fortification was named Fort Powell in his honor. The fort was built on a shell-bank that was partly submerged at high tide. The terreplein had to be raised 3 feet above high tide; for this reason a row of cribs, 5 feet wide, 10 feet long, and 6 feet high made of 12 inch diameter pine logs, was placed along the outside line at the base of the work. The cribs were filled with sand and protected by rocks on the outside. The west parapet was 8 feet high and 25 feet thick.
On Sept. 23, 1861, Engineer Danville Ledbetter reported that, The battery at Grant’s Pass mounts three 32-pounders, which will soon be rifled; garrison, one company. This was the beginning of many changes that were made in a short period of time. Five months later, in Feb. 1862, the 21st Alabama Regiment stationed at Fort Gaines was sent to Fort Powell to close the pass, however, it was against the wishes of the Confederate Navy. The hulk of an old vessel was heavily ballasted and anchored there to block the passage. Thomas A. Millinton, a civilian engineer, designed the work at Fort Powell and began work on Dec. 7, 1862, by removing sand from nearby Dauphin Island and Mobile Point to construct the fort. Millinton, however,
discovered it more practicable to use the sand and oyster shells already on site. By the 13th the defenses were ready to receive their guns; one 10inch Columbiad (rifled to 6.4-inches), one 8-inch Columbiad, and a rifled 32-pounder. The structure was completed on December 17, and in January, the Confederates constructed a casemated storeroom for foodstuffs and water tanks to hold thirty-eight hundred gallons. A report stated that two 8-inch guns and one 32-pdr. rifle were mounted in early 1863. This was just the beginning of the constant movement of heavy guns and field pieces from the city defenses, to the upper Bay, to the lower Bay, up the Tombigbee and Alabama Rivers. Eventually, Selma gun S-19 was located in the southeast salient, a 10-inch Columbiad in the center, and one 32-pdr.
northeast salient. On April 24 Grant’s Pass (south of Fort Powell) was ordered opened but on May 6, threatened with a possible Federal attack, the order, you will stop up the opening you have just made, without delay. In Sept. 1863, Ledbetter reported that the battery was being enlarged by mounting six heavy guns and building a bombproof. Sixteen torpedoes were placed south of the fort. Fort Powell was assaulted by the Union Navy from Feb. 8 to 29, 1864. The intensity of the bombardment shows their determination to destroy the post. On Feb. 8, 1864, six Union mortar boats began the shelling. Three days later, six additional mortar boats arrived. By. Feb. 15, eight mortar boats and four steamers prepared to attack Powell. The bombardment flotilla was
Fort Powell 32-pdr. 10"
8"
rf
wha
7" 6.4"
7" S-19
7" 7"
ten mortar boats and two gunboats by Feb. 20. Between Feb. 23 and 29, two mortar schooners, Port Royal and Calhoun, fired 169 rounds of various types of projectiles at the fort. The 7-Inch Brooke rifle S-19 exploded Feb. 29, as Lt. Charles Simms, C.S. Navy reported to Commander Catesby ap Jones, On Monday last a shell burst in it and broke a piece of the muzzle, not, however, injuring it so much as to prevent it from being used. On March 7, Lt. Col. James M. Williams added, The 7-inch Brooke gun at Fort Powell burst on the 29th. About 10 inches was broken from the muzzle, the fracture irregular, but its general direction perpendicular to the axis of the bore…The Brooke 28
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gun had been fired fifty-five times during the bombardment, at elevations of 21 ½°, 15°, 10°, and 8°; charge, 12 pounds powder; shell 130 pounds. Seven shells burst in the gun. The shells were made at Selma.
7-inch Brooke rifle long shell with Archer percussion fuse (removed), ratchet Brooke disk sabot, and weighs 99 pounds (loaded). Recovered from the site of Fort Powell. After removing the percussion fuse the interior was found to have been filled with sand by the Confederates. This is one of three 7-inch Brooke shells recovered from Fort Powell site.
On March 23, Major Truehart reported to Admiral Buchanan, In reply to your letter received today, I beg to state that the number of the gun which burst is S-19. John M. Brooke had written Admiral F. Buchanan, March 8, 1864, The army Columbiad powder is much stronger than the navy powder of large grain. The charges of army powder for VIIinch rifles should be from 8 to 10 pounds with shells and from 10 to 13 pounds with bolts. The charge for 6.4-inch rifle will be from 7 to 8 with shells and from 8 to
Base view of the Selma made 7-inch Brooke shell with the attachment bolt securing the copper sabot to the ratchet base.
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ArtillerymanMagazine.com
| Vol. 40, No. 2
29
by Craig Swain
The longitudinal bars form the interior surface of the bore, and the fibers of these bars remain in a direction parallel with the bore, and thus give smoothness to the bore, while the fibers composing the enveloping-coils run nearly at right angles to the direction of the bore, and thus give transverse resisting strength to the cannon, and the coils are wound one above another, so as to cover the joints, and thus additional strength is given. The features of my improvement are the employment of a series of longitudinal central bars to form the bore, (these may be made of cast or other steel, if desired, and thus the wear or injury to the bore by the ball be greatly diminished,) in combination with a series of comparatively-thin overlapping bands wound around the central bars, and the welding of the entire mass at one operation between rollers, instead of by a series of blows under the tilt-hammer. – John Griffen, U.S. patent number 13,984, dated December 25, 1855.
Four 3-inch Ordnance rifles surround the John Buford Monument located on the Gettysburg National Military Park, Penn. The gun directly under his feet is the “First Shot” cannon used in Gettysburg.
by Lawrence E. Babits
Blockade runner Teaser off Fort Monroe, Va. (Library of Congress)
O
Introduction
n June 27, 1862, the blockade runner, Modern Greece, a British-owned steamer (Wise 1988:71, 313), was run aground on the North Carolina coast above Fort Fisher by two Union vessels, the USS Cambridge and the USS Stars and Stripes. The ship was carrying, among other cargo, four Whitworth rifled cannon that were later employed as a Flying Battery protecting blockade runners around Fort Fisher. Just over a year later, on Aug. 18, 1863, the blockade runner Hebe was forced ashore by the USS Shokokon (Wise 1988:277) and underwent salvage despite Union efforts. The Federals returned five days later and damaged the vessel; more importantly for this story, the landing party captured the Flying Battery trying to protect the Hebe, and took the guns north as trophies (ORN 9:170-74).
The Guns The Whitworth rifle (#46) was one of a shipment of four 2.75-inch breechloading cannon that came in on the Modern Greece. The ship was laden with “1,000 tons of gun powder,” rifles, tools, and the four Whitworths (Bright 1977:9; Ripley 1970:152-53). When the vessel was salvaged in 1862, at least 4,000 rifles, liquor, and clothing were recovered, plus the Whitworth rifled cannon, their implements, and projectiles. The ship was buried in the sand until exposed by a storm and salvaged again in 1962 (Bright 1977). During the 1962 salvage, 70 lead ingots averaging 140 pounds each were recovered as well as 49 Whitworth bolts and 49 Enfield rifles. Fawcett, Preston #136 was part of Fawcett, Preston’s shipment number 66 that included five other 18-pdrs. numbered consecutively from 134-139. The order is dated March 27, 1862, so the shipment followed closely on the gun’s manufacture. What ship brought these cannon into the Confederacy is still unknown but, given the North Carolina associations for two of the guns, they were almost certainly landed in Wilmington.
Their use The four Modern Greece Whitworths were initially used as a flying Flying Battery operating from Fort Fisher when blockading ships came close to shore, either in pursuing blockade runners, survey duties, or landing a raiding party. This was noted in an account by the fort’s commander, Col. William Lamb who wrote: I recovered from the wreck of a blockade runner, the British Steamship Modern Greece, four 12 pounder Whitworth rifle guns, with a range of five miles. With these guns, we made the U.S. Blockading fleet remove their anchorage from two and a half miles to five miles from the fort. So many vessels were saved with these guns that they soon had a reputation throughout the South, and three of them were transferred to other commands, two going to Virginia (Bright 1977:14-15). Three Flying Battery Whitworths were sent to the Army of Northern Virginia and at least two were then assigned to field artillery batteries. Two newly arrived Whitworths were present in the gun line that covered the Army of Northern Virginia’s Potomac crossing back to Virginia after the Battle of Sharpsburg, Md. At least one gun then went to Hardaway’s Alabama Battery that fall, and a second was assigned to the same unit in the spring. Those two guns participated at Gettysburg. Where the third gun went is unknown.
12-pounder Whitworth rifle showing open breech and a Whitworth bolt in the foreground. Reduced to one rifled gun, the Flying Battery was augmented with a 4-inch, 18-pounder Fawcett, Preston rifled cannon (#136) at some time to form the artillery battery captured by the Federal landing party. It is unknown when this gun and its five sisters came into the Confederacy but two other survivors from the same shipment are known. Be that as it may, the reconstituted Flying Battery continued to operate along the beach around Fort Fisher. The “Blakely” and “Armstrong” designations are not surprising given the confusion that has surrounded this
OR Atlas map of Federal Point, N.C., the site of the Union Naval bombardment of Fort Fisher, the Flying Battery’s base. 44
The Artilleryman
Hebe Incident Fawcett, Preston 18-pounder #136 on display, Raleigh, N.C. (Lawrence Babits)
Diameter: 3.92 inches Bore Diameter: 4 inches Gun: 4-inch Fawcett, Preston Rifle Length: 9.28 inches Weight: 17.6 pounds Construction: Shell Fusing System: Percussion Fusing Material: Brass, Britten This Blakely projectile was recovered from Buffalo Bayou, Houston, Texas, and is courtesy The Atlanta History Center. Captain Theophilus Alexander Blakely patented this cannon’s rifling and corresponding projectile on May 22, 1863, English Patent No. 1286. There are six vertical flanges that fit the 4-inch Fawcett, Preston rifle bore. Diameter across the outer flanges is 4.21 inches. This projectile did not perform well and most fired excavated specimens did not explode. Several 4-inch Blakely projectiles were recovered in the Roanoke River in front of Fort Branch, N.C., along with the 4-inch Fawcett, Preston rifle #138. (Jack Melton)
Hebe Incident Fawcett, Preston #136 rifling. ArtillerymanMagazine.com
| Vol. 40, No. 2
47
by George H. Lomas
Wartime photograph of Chambersburg Turnpike, Gettysburg, Penn. Mathew Brady is standing on the right side of the road.
T
his cannon is the 3-inch Ordnance rifle, serial no. 1, that was part of Lieutenant Wilber’s section, Reynolds Battery L, First New York Light Artillery, assigned to the First Corps Artillery Brigade, under the Command of Colonel Charles S. Wainwright. Serial no. 1 was manufactured by Phoenix Iron Company, Phoenixville, Penn., in the fall of 1861, under the U.S. Ordnance Contract of July 24, 1861. It was delivered to the government in November and issued from Washington Arsenal to Reynolds Battery at Camp Barry.
In May 1862, the battery was sent to join General Banks in the Shenandoah Valley. It was first assigned to General McDowell’s command. It was in reserve, though under fire, at Cedar Mountain. The battery’s first engagement was at Rappahannock Station, where two were wounded; White Sulphur Springs, Gainesville (Groveton), and Second Bull Run followed. In the latter engagement, the battery bore a prominent part; had a number of men wounded, and eight horses killed. It was here assigned to a position opposite a rebel battery, with another volunteer battery on their immediate
right. Owing to the severe firing of the Rebels, the other battery withdrew. Battery L retained its position, returning the sharp fire of the Rebel artillery, and also repulsed an infantry charge using canister, while still retaining their position until directed to retire by a general officer. The battery was ordered to join the First Corps, under General Hooker, at Antietam, South Mountain, and Fredericksburg. It fought at Chancellorsville, and made the memorable march from Virginia to Gettysburg. Around 3:30 p.m. July 1, 1863, Capt. Gilbert H. Reynolds, Battery L, First
at Fort Ross, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Ericka Hoffmann • Photography by Ericka Hoffmann
Tim Christ, the donor of the target Chevy Venture, pulls the lanyard to fire the first cannon shot at the minivan. This original 12-pdr. Napoleon was manufactured by Ames Manufacturing Company in 1864 for the State of New Jersey, one of the last batches of Napoleons made by Ames during the Civil War.
Curt Wolf deftly aims the M1877 Bulldog Gatling gun that he made. The M1877 Gatling is an especially handsome gun with the barrels fully encased in brass.
An early Maxim machine gun adds to the variety of guns at this event. A British, belt-fed, automatic machine gun invented in 1884, the Maxim was the first recoil-operated machine gun, which therefore did not require mechanical cranking, making it less labor-intensive than the Gatling, Gardner, and other early rapid-fire guns.
ArtillerymanMagazine.com
| Vol. 40, No. 2
59
One of the participants fires a more modern version of the Gatling gun, which shoots .30 caliber carbine ammunition at a very high rate.
Charlie Smithgall steadies the magazine while spectator Nadine Schimp fires his reproduction 10-barrel M1877 Bulldog Gatling gun. A memorable and entertaining aspect of this event is that spectators are allowed to fire some of the rapid-fire guns.
An 1862 series 2 Model Gatling gun is fired down range at pumpkins, plastic jugs, and other reactive targets.
60
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Anniversary Oration at the 154th Address of the Gettysburg
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Buying, Selling and Brokering Purveyor of Original Artillery Items Let me help connect you with a buyer or seller. I specialize in cannon, projectiles, fuses and wrenches, implements, sights, gunnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s equipment, tools, and other artillery related equipment. From single items to collections. Finders Fees Paid.
Jack Melton 520 Folly Rd, Suite 25 PMB 379 Charleston, SC 29412
jack@jackmelton.com 843-696-6385 ArtillerymanMagazine.com
| Vol. 40, No. 2
61
By Peter A. Frandsen Civil War Artillery Projectiles – The Half Shell Book, by Jack W. Melton Jr. Historical Publications LLC 392 pages, ISBN 978-1-61850-133-2 2018
What immediately strikes the reader who opens this fabulous book to virtually any page is the graphics. The illustrations are large, sharp, clear, detailed, and most importantly, highly informative. At the same time they are almost works of art and are the best yet in any artillery book. What is amazing is that the majority of the photographic illustrations consist of artillery projectiles expertly cut in half showing the working contents of the mean part of the artillery weapons system; a subject one might have presumed to be somewhat boring. Not so and not so after reading this book. The projectile is the real working part of artillery and from the outside most Civil Warera projectiles look pretty much the same—stained brownish-black balls or pointed cylinders with maybe a fuse opening, a joint line, and some other odd bits and markings—to the uninformed viewer. Cleanly bisected, one can see how complicated these projectiles were; thus providing real insight into not only how artillery works, but the materials, design, and manufacturing science of the mid-19th century America. It shows the amazing variety of products and ingenuity of American, and some European, inventors to increase the efficiency of an artillery system designed to control battlefield 64
The Artilleryman
space from a distance using firepower. The focus here is on what is inside the projectile, especially the all-important payload. This information clearly validates the book’s promotional tag line that is no puffery: “hidden evidence, a look inside.” Usually, but not always, each projectile gets a page with one or more illustrations and text; however, the more important projectiles receive several pages with multiple illustrations, lengthier text, and a copy of the original patent filed with the government as appropriate. Obviously the obscure, the simple, or the repetitive get correspondingly less making efficient use of space. The late Cleveland “Corky” Huey of South Carolina cut most of the projectiles over a twenty year span. He used a band saw and very carefully cut the projectiles in half, sanded, and then coated the exposed surfaces to protect them. Although the appropriate warnings were not repeated nearly as often as author Col. John F. Biemeck, (Ret.) does in his massive multi-volume Encyclopedia of Black Powder Projectiles recently reviewed here, dissecting or playing with loaded projectiles is extremely dangerous and should be undertaken with only the greatest caution. To be sure, many people are deservedly credited with assisting at some time in some manner with advancing the study of these projectiles, but Jack Melton has brought it all together. There are a total of 850 modern and historical photographs, drawings, radiographs, and original patents. The author, and his indefatigable wife Peggy, took the photographs with studio quality results. Reproduction is of high quality. The photographs, with the captions and tags, impart more information about the projectile than almost any other format. The
accompanying text only adds to the information transmitted to the reader. The primary source material for this book is the subject of the book, the actual shot, shell, fuses, and associated implements. Secondly, copies of the original patents are used to enhance and explain the projectiles. Thirdly, published accounts including manuals, official reports, and histories of the designers, manufacturers, and end users are used to add further detail. Finally, some battle histories and secondary sources round out the story. All is reflected in the extensive footnoting and bibliography. Full disclosure must be made by the book reviewer and the magazine publisher. The extensive bibliography was reviewed by the author of this column and the author publishes The Artilleryman magazine. That Jack Melton writes the book and publishes the magazine now publishing the book review is no conflict and only serves as a positive endorsement for both. The author modestly entered the artillery projectile writing business with Melton & Pawl’s Guide to Civil War Artillery Projectiles (1996) by, not surprisingly, Jack W. Melton Jr. & Lawrence E. Pawl, along with their earlier Introduction to Field Artillery Ordnance, 1861–1865 (1994). None of these works have ever been reviewed in the near twenty years of this column so now is a propitious moment to make amends. This new work clearly surpasses the earlier ones in both detail and weight of material. This large size, weighty (literally) work is printed on glossy paper further insuring high fidelity reproduction of photos and artwork. The book is essential to anyone interested in Civil War-era artillery or armament engineering. It raises the bar for serious illustrated military reference works.
By Jack W. Melton Jr.
Hidden Evidence A Look Inside Civil War Artillery Projectiles
"Through Jack’s superb photography; the collector and professional can now view an extensive exposure to sectioned projectiles. This is new for the average person in that for the first time since radiography; one can examine the internal makeup of a shell." CWO4 John D. Bartleson Jr., U.S. Navy EOD Author of Civil War Explosive Ordnance 1861–1865
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• • • •
392 pages of full color photographs with descriptions Covers projectiles, fuses, canister, grapeshot and more 850 photos, drawings, radiographs, patents and maps A must for every serious artillery enthusiast
$89.95 for the Standard Edition • $125 for the Deluxe Limited Edition Published by Historical Publications LLC Order your copy at: www.ArtillerymanMagazine.com