the artilleryman magazine - vol. 37, no. 1, winter 2015

A Commitment to

Reflected in theFit & Finish

of OurProduct

Honor & Integrity

Historical Ordnance WorksP.O. Box 793 Woodstock, Georgia 30188

770-928-2298 • www.HistoricalOrdnanceWorks.com

Historical Ordnance Works are experienced, skilled craftsmen who have studied and have been trained in the nineteenth century methods of applying the crafts required. Every item produced meets or exceeds the original Ordnance Department specifications. Our knowledge, skill and attention to detail consistently exceeds customer expectations. We offer our services to museum professionals, as well as, serious collectors and other parties interested in the art of preservation.

Conservation • Restoration • ReproductionSpecializing in Civil War & Other

Historical Muzzle Loading Artillery

The Artilleryman | Winter 2015 | Vol. 37, No. 1

CONTENTS

4 PUBLISHER’S PLATFORM

6 U.S. HOTCHKISS PERCUSSION FUZE The 1863 patented Hotchkiss percussion fuze illustrated. By CW04 (Ret.) John D. Bartleson Jr. USN.

8 MORRIS ISLAND, SC – CONFEDERATE BATTERIES SILENCED IN 1863 The Confederate batteries on Morris Island, South Carolina. By Joan Wenner, J.D.

14 THE TALE OF A GUN – IX-INCH DAHLGREN FP NO. 513. It’s not just a cannon. It’s a story! By Lawrence E. Babits, Christopher F. Amer, Lynn Harris and Joe Beatty.

24 RAISING OF THE GUNS OF THE CSS PEE DEE The story of the guns of the CSS Pee Dee and the Confederate Navy Yard at Mars Bluff. By William E. Lockridge.

32 LOOKING FOR THE FRENCH 75 MM MODEL 1912 The story behind the quest to find the French 75 mm gun. By Thomas Batha and Glen Williford.

38 THE CASEMATE MUSEUM, ARTILLERY, AND THE LINCOLN GUN AT FORT MONROE, VIRGINIA Tour Fort Monroe with travel guide and photographer. By Roy Stevenson.

46 NEWS FROM THE U.S. ARMY ARTILLERY MUSEUM What’s new in the museum. By Museum Curator Gordon Blaker.

47 THE REFERENCE DESK C.S. 6.4-inch Brooke shell from the CSS Pee Dee. By Jack W. Melton Jr.

48 CLASSIFIED ADS

The Artilleryman2

© 2015 Jack W. Melton Jr. LLC, All Rights Reserved.

Printed proudly and responsibly in the United States of America. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, 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 dis-claim any responsibility for persons attempting to duplicate load-ing 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 rep-lica ordnance should not be undertaken without adequate training and experience in procedures and loads.

Founding Publisher: C. Peter JorgensenPublisher: Jack W. Melton Jr.Editor: Peggy M. MeltonBook Reviews: Peter A. FrandsenAdvertising: [email protected]: Carson Jenkins Jr.Graphic Designer: Squeegie StudiosInDesign Guru: Neil Stewart

Contact Information:Jack W. Melton Jr. LLC dba The Artilleryman

96 Craig St., Suite 112-333East Ellijay, GA 30540(706) 940-2673 (BORE)

Email: [email protected]: ArtillerymanMagazine.com

The Artilleryman is published quarterly by Jack W. Melton Jr. LLC. ISSN 0884-4747 (Print), ISSN 2380-8519 (Online). The office of publication is at 96 Craig Street, Suite 112-333, East Ellijay, Georgia 30540. (706) 940-2673. Contribu-tions of editorial material and photographs are welcomed at the above address.Subscription rates: $25 per year in U.S. and Canada; $42 overseas. U.S. bank checks or credit cards.

Subscribe online at www.ArtillerymanMagazine.com.

POSTMASTER:Send address change to The Artilleryman, 96 Craig Street, Suite 112-333, East Ellijay, Georgia 30540.

Consultants:Lawrence Babits, Thomas Bailey, (CWO4 Ret.) John D. Bartleson Jr. U.S. Navy, Craig D. Bell, Jack Bell, Jim Bender, Col.(Ret.) John Biemeck, Glenn Dutton, David Gotter, Butch & Anita Holcombe, Les Jensen, 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 and Matthew Switlik.

About the Cover: Glenn Dutton operates the excavator lifting and moving the Selma made Confederate VII-inch Brooke rifle to high ground. One of three cannon that were once part of the armament of the CSS Pee Dee gunboat. On this spread is the VI.4-inch Brooke rifle being raised from the Great Pee Dee River.Photography by Jack W. Melton Jr.

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.

ArtillerymanMagazine.com | Vol. 37, No. 1 3

Two Issues?Every subscriber was sent two cop-

ies of the Winter 2015 issue: one to keep and one to give to a friend who shares the same interest. What a great way to promote our hobby within a target audience. I appreciate that you, the subscriber, are my best marketers!

Please note that there is a subscrip-tion/renewal sheet included with your magazine in every poly bag. It will clearly state on the back of the subscription sheet in red when your renewal is due.

I would like to hear feedback from you regarding the types of articles, time periods and layout of the maga-zine. Since my interest and area of knowledge is about the American Civil War, I tend to focus on that time period. If you want articles on dif-ferent time periods, subject matters, battles and leaders, or anything else you’d like to read please email me at [email protected] or call at (706)-940-2673.

I had to leave the Letters to the Edi-tor and The Artillerist Bookshelf col-umns out of this issue to make room for the two articles on the current story of the CSS Pee Dee’s cannon recovery.

My wife, Peggy, and I were invited to participate in the recovery of the

guns of the CSS Pee Dee on Septem-ber 30, 2015. Hundreds of spectators, a few politicians, a team of archaeolo-gists and a group of reporters from local papers and TV stations were there to document the event.

Cannon Accidents

Lowellville, OhioPublished July 19, 2015, from

WKBN First News 27.Saturday was a night filled with

parties on East Grant Street in Lowell-ville, Ohio, not too far from the Mount Carmel Festival. But the fun was in-terrupted by a blast around 10:30 p.m. when someone set off a homemade cannon in the park across the street from Brock Donatelli’s house.

Police say the cannon was packed too tightly with black powder and that the explosion had the effect of a pipe bomb, blasting shrapnel across the street.

Three people were taken to the hospital with injuries, including one man who was grazed in the head and another who needed 39 stitches in his leg. Donatelli helped that victim by putting a tourniquet on his leg.

Jack W. Melton Jr., Publisher

Lamoka Lake, PennsylvaniaPublished September 7, 2015, from

the Star-Gazette.A Pennsylvania man has died after

a cannon exploded near Lamoka Lake.James D. Whitney, 81, of Austin

Pennsylvania, sustained fatal injuries after a homemade noise cannon was set off and exploded in Tyrone Sat-urday, Star-Gazette’s media partner WENY News reported.

The Schuyler County Sheriff’s Office said the homemade device’s shrapnel hit and killed Whitney while at a Taylor Road residence, WENY News said.

Hardaway’s BatteryIn the NSSA Hardaway’s Alabama

Battery represents one of the two batteries from that state originally attached to the Army of Northern Vir-ginia. Here it is shown during the ar-tillery competition at the 2014 Spring National Match, and after winning that competition with a reproduction smoothbore 3-inch Ordnance rifle. The unit has been a very strong competi-tor, winning the smoothbore competi-tion at both the Spring and Fall NSSA Nationals in 2015.

The Artilleryman4

Photograph courtesy Hardaway’s member Fred Gaede.


Long Bay Salvage LLC specializes in the recovery and restoration of authentic Civil War Cannon with an emphasis on 10-Inch Columbiads, offering discerning collectors and museums the opportunity to own what has become a rare piece of Civil War history.

Long Bay Salvage also works with historical entities (government and private) to recover and conserve large historical artifacts with a specialty in large field and naval artillery pieces.

Glenn DuttonGlenn [email protected]

(770) 351-7565

Rufus PerdueRufus [email protected]

843-315-9818

PLEASE CONTACT US FORMORE INFORMATION

www.LongBaySalvage.com

Civil War photograph courtesy Library of Congress and colorized by CivilWarInColor.com

A fter struggling to under-stand the British Arm-strong E Metal Time Fuze

from my article in Vol. 36, No. 3, Summer 2015 issue of The Artillery-man magazine, I thought it was time for the simplified Hotchkiss fuze. This fuze was patented by Benjamin B. Hotchkiss on June 17, 1862, United States Patent No. 35,611, and also on February 24, 1863, United States Pat-ent No. 37,756. The final version that was delivered to the battlefield elimi-nated the solid lead plunger for a brass sleeve filled with cast lead that also secured the brass restraining wire and percussion cap nipple.

The bird’s eye view of the percus-sion cap nipple reveals the unique design. Made of brass it will not cor-rode as do the iron nipples and pro-vided a firm and stable mount for the percussion cap. The inventor, in his second patent admitted the failures of his solid lead plunger which at times would cant, if impact was not straight on the shell nose, and bind itself on the inside of the fuze body and would dud the fuze. The brass sleeve in the second patent provided a smooth sur-face and straight slide to the fuze’s anvil cap. Collectors will find single and double patent dates stamped on the fuze head.

The brass restraining wire suggests two purposes in the patent. It reduced accidental firing of the fuze while loading and handling. This is accom-plished by aid of a lead cone shaped plug that wedges the wire tight against the fuze body. Secondly the wire end that protrudes beyond the bottom of the fuze body could be bent outward toward the fuze body to provide addi-tional resistance to plunger movement during the downward angle to impact. The operation is simple; at firing the cone plug drops into the shell by set-back and at impact the plunger (also known as a striker or slider) strikes the percussion cap against the anvil.

The Artilleryman6

Body Threads Per Inch: 12Thread Diameter: 1.05 inchesHead Diameter: 1.17 inchesOverall Length: 2.24 inches

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.

B y the construction of the hammer [plunger] in the man-ner herein shown and described, I obtain the following advantages: First, in the invention patented by Smith

and Stetson, the hammer, being made entirely of soft metal, was liable, if soft enough to secure the effect desired, to be so changed in form as to become wedged in the fuse-plug, and thus defeat its object by not moving with sufficient freedom to cause an explosion on the impact of the shell; by the use of the surrounding tube I am enabled to secure all the advantages of the lead hammer without this liability to failure; second, for the same reason, I am enabled to use a heavier hammer in the same space than could be before used, as pure lead could not be used alone on account of the liability above referred to; third, my improved hammer is very simple and cheap, requiring no fitting, and holds the nipple and retaining wire very securely.

– Benjamin B. Hotchkiss, patent no. 37,756


Brass percussion cap nipple for the Hotch-kiss percussion fuze patent no. 37,756. The groove allowed the molten lead to bind it in the striker’s lead casting.

U.S. Hotchkiss brass percussion fuze for rifled field artillery projectiles.The brass anvil cap is .713 inches in diameter, .396 inches thick with a thread pitch of 18 threads per inch. Stamped on the face of the anvil cap is “JUNE 17.1862 FEB. 24.1863 PATENTED”. The brass slider is cut from a tube and has a brass safety wire that is .074 inches in diameter. A brass wire and nipple are inserted into the cylinder and lead is cast around them. A small per-cussion cap rests on top of the nipple. The slider is .629 inches in diameter and the brass cylinder is .860 inches long.

Before the Civil War, Morris Island, South Carolina looked much

like any other unused coastal port at the entrance of Charleston

Harbor. However in 1863, wrote one observer, “it became the

deadliest sandspit on earth and almost sunk by the sheer weight of explosives

and human misery.” For the North to win the war, Federal power had to take

Charleston since it was one of several important Atlantic gateways to the

Confederacy not only for its defense but regular resupply of its armies.

Charleston, South Carolina. View of Forts Wagner & Gregg on Morris Island, evacuated by Confederates, September 6, 1863. Wartime photograph by Sam A. Cooley. Courtesy Library of Congress.

T o do this large siege guns had to be placed on the nearest dry

land which was Morris Island that already had an abandoned fort, Fort Wagner. The Confederates a year later bolstered the fort with palmetto logs and sandbags and set up various defensive batteries (including the now famous Battery Wagner). It was

armed with a 10-inch Columbiad, its largest gun firing a 128-pound shell, a half a dozen 32-pounders, and some ordinary fieldpieces.

The heretofore ‘fort’ Wagner spanned an area between the Atlantic on the east and an impassable swamp on the west. The 1,700-man garri-son had its land face protected by a water-filled trench 10 feet wide and 5

feet deep, surrounded by buried land mines and sharpened palmetto stakes.

Union Rear Admiral Samuel Du Pont had launched a naval attack through the mouth of Charleston har-bor in April of 1863. His nine-ship squadron faced heavy fire from fortifi-cations that guarded the narrow chan-nel, and his ships sustained numerous hits. Du Pont turned the ships around.


10-inch Columbiad smoothbore cannon located in Confederate Fort Johnson, Charleston, S.C. This cannon was most likely manufactured by Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia. Note the ax marks that disabled the wooden carriage. Wartime photograph by George N. Barnard. Courtesy Library of Congress.

Rear Admiral Samuel Du Pont, United States Navy. Courtesy NARA.

U.S. Fleet offshore near Morris Island, South Carolina. Hass & Peale, photog-rapher. Created/published July or August 1863. Courtesy Library of Congress.

Detail of Morris Island, Charleston Harbor, Charleston S.C., showing Confederate Fort Wagner being shelled by the Union fleet. Also shown is the daylight assault of Gen. George C. Strong against the heavily-defended fort. Strong’s forces were quickly repulsed and with great loss of life. Courtesy Library of Congress.

In the Spring of 1863 the Union ironclad flotilla failed to reduce the Confederate’s Charleston Har-bor defenses (despite the fleet’s best efforts and Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles’ “constant obsession” with Charleston) to force the city’s surrender much the same as New Orleans had

fallen. Interestingly when one of the Union ironclads was sunk, and adding insult to injury, its 11-inch Dahlgrens were salvaged and added to the Charleston Harbor defenses. The Confederate combined army-navy offensive would at that time not be cracked.

Map depicts the siege of Fort Wagner, Morris Island, Charleston Harbor, S.C. Details include the loca-tions of swamps, marshes, sand ridges and the elaborate earthworks and trenches constructed by Union troops under Gen. Q. A. Gillmore as they prepared to lay siege to the fort. Courtesy Library of Congress.

The Southern batteries, as indicated on the map, managed to fire 2,206 shots, 439 of which hit the various Federal ships, mostly monitors, that participated in the assault. Ninety of these shots hit the Federal fleet including 19 below the waterline while other hits jammed

their turrets. Only one broadside armored frigate remained after the engagement. The slow-firing Federal ships were only able to fire 139 rounds.

The Gregg and Wagner batteries would not be evacuated until September 1863.

Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren would shortly assume com-mand to pursue the capture of Charleston, which he accom-plished in a matter of a few days by a massive bombardment in September 1863. When at last the coastal fortifications were taken, Federal guns would also pound Fort Sumter “down to a heap of masonry.”.

On August 22nd a Union 8-inch Parrott rifle fired the first of sixteen rounds into Charleston after General P. T. Beaure-gard refused or ignored a notice to evacuate Morris Island and Fort Sumter. As considerable “Greek Fire” rained down, an embedded British illustrator and journalist spent a scary evening taking bets on where the next shell would land. A day to clear the city was given amid constant Confederate mortar shelling in reply though with reportedly too-long fuses it would be to no avail.

On September 5th, Britain had detained two unfinished ironclads being built in Liverpool for the Confederacy. Southern troops would evacuate Batteries Wagner and Gregg on Morris Island on September 6. The next day, Sep-tember 7, 1863, Union soldiers assaulted the batteries only to find them abandoned due to a combination of a massive Union naval bombardment, a lack of fresh water from a well contaminated by decomposing Union bodies from the pre-vious unsuccessful attacks on Battery Wagner, and no food supplies arriving by boat from the city. Most of the operable cannons were withdrawn in the movement.

Confederates on Morris Island for the most part had

wide experience in coastal warfare and the defense of Battery Wagner along with service on other nearby sea islands but were unable to respond to the overwhelming Federal force that would ultimately silence its artillery. The overall Union campaign had lasted some sixty days, with both sides having “learned valuable military techniques.” Southern forces shifted its military activities upriver out of range of the North’s guns.

Within twenty years of the War Be-tween the States, the remnants of the fort and batteries at Morris Island had been washed away by erosion. The May 9, 1985, Charleston News and Cou-rier reported it together with its ap-proaches had washed into the ocean.

Longtime history and maritime writer Joan Wenner, J.D. has been published sev-eral times in The Artilleryman as well as America’s Civil War, Military Heri-tage, Pennsylvania Heritage and others. Comments are welcomed at [email protected]

The Artilleryman12

Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren, U.S. Navy, standing by a Dahlgren rifle on the deck of the U.S.S. Pawnee in Charleston Harbor, S.C. . Courtesy Library of Congress.

Confederate General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard. Courtesy National Archives.

1754 Little Valley Rd., Blaine TN 37709 (865) 932-1200• [email protected]

www.trailrockordnance.com

T RAIL R OCK O RDNANCE � Carriage hardware for #1 and #2 Field Carriage, Field Limber & 1st Model Prairie Carriage �

� Complete Carriages – in stock & ready to ship �

� Implements �

� Artillery Ammunition �

� Sabots & Shooting Accessories �

� Ammunition Shipping Boxes �

� Artillery Harness �

� Other Artillery Goodies �

Our Paul & Silas Cadet 6 pdr. guns Our Paul & Silas Cadet 6 pdr. guns


Morris Island, South Carolina. Headquarters of field officer of the trenches, Second parallel. Note the barrel torpedo and scattered projectiles in the foreground. Haas & Peale, photographer. Courtesy Library of Congress.

D uring the early summer of 2009, the South Carolina Institute for Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA) at the University of South Carolina (USC) and East Caro-

lina University (ECU) investigated two cannon barrels and recovered VI.4 (6.4-inch) and VII-inch (7-inch) diameter Brooke rifle shells and friction primers from the Great Pee Dee River in Marion, South Carolina. These artifacts were found at Mars Bluff – the site of a Civil War Confederate navy yard immediately upstream above the bridges where the Wilmington and Manchester RR and modern route 301 crossed the Great Pee Dee. The gunboat CSS Pee Dee, built and armed at the Mars Bluff Navy Yard, was scuttled there on either March 15 or March 18, 1865.1 One cannon was an IX-inch (9-inch) Dahlgren smoothbore that, when traced through its career, sheds light on Confederate ordnance ac-quisition, ordnance personnel, and transportation networks.

John A. DahlgrenJohn A. Dahlgren invented and developed both rifled

and smoothbore cannon for the U.S. Navy. He entered the navy as a midshipman in 1826 and commenced his career as an ordnance officer at the Washington Navy Yard in 1847. In 1863, Dahlgren was promoted to rear admiral and assigned to command the Federal South Atlantic Blockad-ing Squadron.2.

Dahlgren created bronze boat howitzers and rifles, cast-iron rifles, and cast-iron smoothbores3. The Mars Bluff IX-inch Dahlgren falls into the smoothbore shell and shot category that Dahlgren first produced in early 1850. Even-tually, the IX-inch, and a bigger XI-inch version, would be-come the main smoothbore shell guns of the U.S. Navy4. Easily recognized by their “soda-water bottle” shape, Dahl-gren XI-inch cannon saw service aboard monitor ironclads, and the IX-inch broadside guns were on a variety of ships during the war5.

Dahlgren’s design and research are an important chap-ter in naval ordnance history, as he was the first to incor-porate shell guns on a large scale6. Dahlgren’s cannon were primarily shell guns, but they also fired solid shot, a key weaponry consideration for the ironclad warfare during the Civil War7. His guns were the product of an age of experi-mentation. The IX-inch Dahlgren was the typical broadside smoothbore utilized by the U.S. Navy during the war8.

In 1860, there were five major cannon-producing facto-ries in the United States. Two were located in what became the Confederacy: Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, and Bellona Foundry in Chesterfield County, just south of Rich-mond, Virginia. The three major Union facilities were: West Point Foundry at Cold Spring, New York; Fort Pitt Foundry at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Cyrus Alger Works in South Boston, Massachusetts9. While all five produced a great many guns, Fort Pitt is the foundry that produced the IX-inch Dahlgren recovered at the Mars Bluff Navy Yard.

Fort Pitt FoundryMost Dahlgren cannon were cast at the Fort Pitt Foundry.

The foundry, under various owners, had been in opera-tion since 1803 and was possibly the largest foundry in the United States. By September 1864, the foundry had pro-duced more than 3,000 cannon since the Civil War began. Included in that total were some 600 IX-inch navy guns of circa 9,200 pounds, among which was number 513, the Mars Bluff Dahlgren. At the time of its manufacture, John M. Berrien was the navy inspector at Fort Pitt Foundry, a position he held from 1862 to 1864. Berrien’s initials went onto the left trunnion, a typical place for Union inspectors to mark a tube10.

The IX-Inch DahlgrenThe IX-inch Dahlgrens, as a class, were 131.5 inches

overall, with a bore length of 107 inches. The trunnion di-ameter and length was 7.25 inches. The tube weighed from 9,000 to a little over 9,200 pounds11. Throughout the war, when some 1,185 IX-inch guns were produced, not one burst: a remarkable testimony to a well-designed and use-ful weapon12.

The Mars Bluff IX-inch Dahlgren was not fully recorded, because it was still partially embedded in the river bottom


Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren, U.S. Navy. Courtesy Library of Congress.

Left trunnion of No. 513 stamped with inspectors initialsJ M B, IX-inch Dahlgren, Mars Bluff, South Carolina.

IX-inch Dahlgren gun crew on USS Miami, 1864. Photograph by Matthew Brady. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

FP No 513 is stamped on the breech.

The first USS Miami was a side-wheel steamer, double-ender gunboat in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.She was launched at Philadelphia Navy Yard on November 16, 1861, and commissioned there on January 29, 1862, Commanded by Lieutenant Abram Davis HarrellHer armament consisted of one large Parrott rifle, one IX-inch Dahlgren smoothbore and four 24-pounder smoothbore guns.

and any excavation was subject to rapid filling. The poor visibility and rapidly moving river water were other obsta-cles. This particular gun is marked “J M B” (for John M. Ber-rien) on the left trunnion and “FP No 513” on the breech13. Both marks are consistent with a late 1862 production date at the Fort Pitt Foundry14. Precise measurements of the can-non must wait until the tube undergoes conservation. The gun number was initially reported as 573 but corrected to no. 513 after recovery.

There is an additional number found stamped on the visible (left) lock clevis. The number is stamped on brass, which filled a slot that accepted the hammer lock. The stamp reads, “IXIN No 513.” Again, this number was first re-ported, as 518. The Dahlgren shell guns had two vents and associated hammer, only one being used to fire the charge at any one time. The vent and lock clevis on one side, usu-ally the left, was filled with brass, while the other held the hammer lock and was used to fire the charge. When the active vent became sufficiently enlarged because of blow back, the left vent was opened, a hammer lock fitted to the clevis, and the right vent, and presumably clevis, sealed with brass16.

Interpretation, or How Did theIX-Inch Dahlgren Get to Mars Bluff?

While the presence of Confederate-manufactured Brooke cannon makes sense on a Confederate site, how did an IX-inch Dahlgren, the typical Union gun, get to be there?

One answer is, by capture. The marking on its breech, “No 513,” suggests that the gun tube was probably cast in late 186217, while the initials “J M B” on the left trunnion indicate that it was inspected by John M. Berrien. This dat-ing leads to several questions, because the production date means that this tube was not one of over 1,000 guns cap-tured at Norfolk when the Federals abandoned that navy yard on April 20, 186118. While these captured guns were shipped all over the Confederacy19, the Mars Bluff barrel was manufactured at least a year after Norfolk was aban-doned by the Federals.

The date suggests that this barrel was issued to a U.S. Navy ship after mid-1862. The ship was eventually cap-tured, abandoned, or sunk, and Dahlgren No. 513 was re-covered by the Confederates. Only three U.S. Navy vessels meet these qualifications: USS Eastport, USS Indianola, and USS Southfield20. Each vessel has its own interesting story that includes IX-inch Dahlgrens, destruction, or capture by Confederate forces.

USS Eastport was a steamboat built at New Albany, In-diana, in 1862. In initial service, the Eastport was described as “fast and powerful”21. The vessel was captured at Cerro Gordo, Tennessee, by Federal forces on February 6, 1862, while being converted to an ironclad by the Confederates22. After conversion, the vessel was armed with four IX-inch Dahlgrens, two rifled 60-pounder Dahlgrens, and two 100-pounder Parrott rifles and served as an army gunboat until January 9, 1863. On April 1, 1864, while participat-ing in the Red River expedition, the Eastport was damaged by a torpedo placed by crewmen of CSS Missouri. It sank but was refloated and moved some 60 miles downstream, where it sank again23. Machinery and guns were removed before the vessel was blown up on April 26. Some Eastport cannon were captured when USS Champion No. 5 was taken by Confederate forces on April 2725. Two Eastport Dahlgrens were later issued to CSS Missouri, including one marked “F. P. 572”26, the cannon barrel produced immediately prior to what was thought to be the Mars Bluff Dahlgren. The Missouri was launched at Shreveport, Louisiana, on April 14, 1863. Remaining above the Red River obstructions, the eight-gun vessel never saw action, but its crewmen were instrumental in sinking the Eastport. The Missouri surren-dered on June 3, 1865 – the last Confederate ironclad to sur-render in home waters27.

USS Indianola was built for the U.S. Army and launched September 4, 1862. After a transfer to the navy on January 12, 1863, the vessel served on the Mississippi River. After a gallant fight, the Indianola surrendered on February 24, 1863,


Left hammer lock with IXIN No 513 stamped in brass of hammer lock clevis, IX-inch Dahlgren, Mars Bluff, South Carolina.

and was destroyed by Confederate forces to avoid recap-ture eight days later. As a U.S. Navy vessel, the Indianola was armed with two XI-inch smoothbores and two IX-inch smoothbore Dahlgrens28. While Confederate salvage at-tempts were under way, a riverboat altered to appear as a Union ironclad warship approached the Indianola on Febru-ary 25, 1863. The Confederates panicked and blew up the ship. After almost two years of intermittent attempts, the Indianola was refloated by the U.S. Navy. No specific re-cords about the Indianola’s weapons have been found, be-yond noting that the XI-inch guns were fired at each other to disable them. It is a very remote possibility, given the date of sinking, that one IX-inch Dahlgren was salvaged and sent to South Carolina29.

USS Southfield was a Staten Island ferry converted to a warship by the U.S. Navy. When taken into service on December 16, 1861, the Southfield was armed with a 100-pounder Parrott rifle and three IX-inch Dahlgrens. Later, at least two more IX-inch Dahlgrens were added to the vessel30. Although the vessel was armed early in 1862, later upgrading took place in the North Carolina sounds, most probably after Union forces learned of CSS Albemar-le’s construction and launching in 186431. The Southfield was sunk on April 19, 1864, by CSS Albemarle as part of the at-tack on Plymouth, North Carolina, that led to retaking the town32.

The Confederates were unable to raise the Southfield, so it was used as a guard post in the river and then as an ob-struction blocking access to Plymouth. During the interval, the Southfield was subjected to salvage, and all guns were reported as raised33. Commander J. W. Cooke, the officer in charge of raising the pieces, requested orders for their disposition because, he stated, “I have no projectiles for them”34. Federal forces reported that the Southfield’s guns had been raised by May 24 and that one had already been sent to another location while two were still on the dock,

indicating that they were almost certainly being shipped upstream35, either to Fort Branch or to a railroad depot, possibly at Weldon, for trans-shipment elsewhere. Surviv-ing records and archaeological recoveries suggest that no IX-inch Dahlgrens arrived at Fort Branch36, so the South-field guns must have gone elsewhere. Although the dates of initially arming Southfield decrease the likelihood that its original cannon were manufactured after 1862, the later armament upgrading suggests that cannon manufactured after mid-1862 were probably utilized. Because it was a probable source of the Mars Bluff Dahlgren, a search of the Southfield’s records should be made to determine the Dahl-gren foundry numbers.

Both Eastport and Indianola present problems as the source of the Mars Bluff Dahlgren. These vessels were stationed in the trans-Mississippi West, which would have required getting a 9,000-pound cannon tube across the Mississippi River to an operating rail line. After Vicksburg was captured in July 1863, no Confederate-controlled rail lines connected the western and eastern rail networks. The two Brooke rifles, delivered to Mars Bluff, South Carolina, in late 1864, had a circuitous trip from their birthplace in Selma, Alabama, to the deck of CSS Pee Dee. The route presumably used to transport these cannon to Mars Bluff involved shipping by riverboat to Montgomery and then by rail to La Grange or Columbus, Georgia, where transfer to a different width track was necessary. From La Grange, the next stop would be Atlanta and then Augusta. There was no direct line from Augusta to Mars Bluff, so the cannon would have been sent to Charleston or Branchville, South Carolina, and put on the Manchester and Wilmington Railroad, which crossed the Great Pee Dee River at Mars Bluff 37.

The difficult trans-Mississippi western logistics make it seem far more likely that Dahlgren Fort Pitt No. 513 came from the Southfield. After being landed at Plymouth, it then likely went by river to Weldon, then south on the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad to Wilmington. From there, the Wilmington and Manchester line brought it to Mars Bluff. While this scenario has the benefit of a less convoluted journey, Confederate abilities to move war materiel to even isolated locations should not be underestimated.

ConclusionsThe story told by any artifact is never complete. Instead,

the artifact serves as a mnemonic device that provides clues beyond a single artifact or class. Such is the case with the Mars Bluff IX-inch Dahlgren. Instead of being just a cannon, it tells a story that led researchers trying to trace its origins to the study of Confederate rail networks, Union artillery production, and Union naval vessels captured or sunk by the Confederacy.

For several reasons, Dahlgren No. 513 was not initially

The Artilleryman18

Rudimentary muzzle sight used only in setting up the rifle on the IX-inch Dahlgren gun.

removed from the site, among them the facts that the high water and fast current made any recovery effort danger-ous and that recovery and ensuing conservation would be expensive during a financial recession. The cannon’s infor-mation was recorded; in conjunction with documents relat-ing to its manufacture, the information provided a fairly complete history of the gun, narrowing its probable origin down to one of three Union vessels. Because the universe of IX-inch Dahlgrens is known with some certainty, the cannon could be used to provide baseline information that increased knowledge without jeopardizing the artifact. In this case, the ability of a single artifact to shed information on the past without removal from its archaeological context demonstrated the value of in situ preservation, despite the incorrect rendering of the numbers.

After the USS Southfield was proposed as the source for Dahlgren No. 513, Jim Spirek, now South Carolina State Un-derwater Archaeologist went to the National Archives and inspected the records for the USS Southfield, in part because his MA thesis dealt with excavating the ship. The ship’s records confirmed that Fort Pitt No. 513 was assigned to the Southfield as part of an upgrade in 1864. On 29 September 2015, Spirek guided Dahlgren No. 513 out of the Great Pee Dee River during recovery operations. Tube No. 513, along

with the Selma VI.4 and VII-inch Brooke rifles are now un-dergoing conservation at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center, Charleston, South Carolina.

AcknowledgmentsThe authors would like to thank the following,

without whom development of this information would not have been possible. First were the students in East Carolina University’s Program in Maritime Studies 2009 Field School, who at times worked alongside staff of the Maritime Research Division of SCIAA in the wildly dynamic Great Pee Dee River. The students excavated and drew the artifacts, often recording data in zero visibility in this hostile environment. The project was developed by staff of the Maritime Research Division and Office of State Archaeologist at the University of South Carolina’s South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology through a grant from the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation of Florence, South Carolina. Finally, there are those far more knowledgeable than the authors who helped with artifact identification and artillery history. Four stand out: Bill Lockridge of Mint Hill, North Carolina; Glenn Dutton of Mars Bluff, South Carolina; Les Jensen of the United States Military Academy Museum, West Point, New York; and

Just raised IX-inch Dahlgren smoothbore shell gun cast atFort Pitt Foundry, No. 513, Mars Bluff, South Carolina.From the CSS Pee Dee gunboat.

Jeff Johnston, Mariners Museum, Norfolk, Virginia. Also I would like to thank Meredith Babb of University of Presses of Florida for allowing the reprint of this article “From These Honored Dead” and Jim Spirek for his checking on the numbers at the National Archives. Any errors are those of the authors.

LAWRENCE E. “Larry” BABITS received his BA and MA from the University of Maryland and his Ph.D. from Brown Uni-versity and has extensive experience in military and maritime archaeology. He was named George Washington Distinguished Professor of History by the NC Society of the Cincinnati in 2003. Babits, a Fellow of the Company of Military Historians, taught classes in method and theory of nautical archaeology, material cul-ture, archaeological field schools, living history, and various mili-tary topics. Among the numerous publications that he co-authored are: “Long, Obstinate and Bloody” the Battle of Guilford Court-house; Fields of Conflict: Battlefield Archaeology from the Roman Empire to the Korean War; “Fortitude and Forbearance” The North Carolina Continental Line in the Revolutionary War 1775-1783; Southern Campaigns; A Devil of a Whipping – The Battle of Cowpens; Maritime Archaeology – A Guide to Theoretical, and Substantive Contributions; and Underwater Archaeology 1998.

End Notes:1. Leah Townsend, “The Confederate Gunboat ‘PeeDee.’ South

Carolina Historical Magazine, 50, no. 2 (1959).2. Eugene B. Canfield, “Civil War Naval Ordnance,” in U.S. Navy,

Naval History Division, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (Washington, DC: GPO, 1968). 798. (hereafter cited as Canfield).

3. Warren Ripley, Artillery and Ammunition of the Civil War (New York: Promontory Press, 1970), 87-88 (hereafter cited as Ripley, Ar-tillery); Spencer Tucker, Arming the Fleet (Annapolis, MD: Naval In-stitute Press, 1989), 200-201, 203. (hereafter cited as Tucker).

4. John C. Reilly, The Iron Guns of Willard Park (Washington, DC: Naval Historical Center, 1991), 53 (hereafter cited as Reilly).

5. Canfield 1968: 800; Ripley 1970: 92; Reilly 1991: 53.6. John A. Dahlgren, Naval Percussion Locks and Primers (Philadel-

phia: A Hard, 1853, repr. Bloomfield, Ont: Museum Restoration Service, 1995); John A. Dahlgren, Shells and Shell Guns (Philadelphia: King & Baird, 1857, repr., Kessinger Publishing, n.d.) (hereafter cited as Dahlgren); (Tucker, 1989), 214.

7. Tucker 1989: 215.8. John M. Coski, Capital Navy: The Men, Ships, and Operations of the

James River Squadron (New York: Savas Beatie, 2005), 78 (hereafter cited as Coski); Tucker 1989: 218, 254.

9. Jack Bell, Civil War Heavy Explosive Ordnance (Denton, TX: Univer-sity of North Texas Press, 2002), 3 (hereafter cited as Bell)

10. Ripley 1970: 358; “A Great Cannon Foundry.” Scientific Ameri-can 1011 no. 11 (10 September 1864): 105 (hereafter cited as Scientific American).

11. Ripley 1970: 370; Field Notes, 2009 Summer Field Project, Ms. n File, Program in Maritime Studies, East Carolina University, Green-ville, NC [hereafter cited as Witting 2009].

12. Tucker 1989: 223, 233.13. Field Notes, 2009 Summer Field Project, Ms. n File, Program in

Maritime Studies, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.; Wittig 2009.

14. Ripley 1970: 358–59.15. See Borgens, Amy, Robert Gearhart, Sara Laurence, and Doug

Jones, Investigations and Recovery of USS Westfield (Site 41GV151) Galveston Bay, Texas. Draft report prepared for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by PBS&J, Austin, TX, 2010: 176, fig. 63.

16. Canfield 1968: 800.17. James C. Hazlett, M. Hume Parks, Edwin Olmstead, Field Artil-

lery Weapons of the Civil War, (University of Delaware Press, et al. 1997): 243.

18. U.S. Navy, Civil War Naval Chronology 1861-1865. (Washington, DC: Naval History Division, GPO, 1971), 1: 9 (hereafter cited as CWNC).

19. George M. Brooke, Jr., Ironclads and Big Guns of the Confederacy (Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina, 2002), 40 (hereafter cited as Brooke).

20. W. Craig Gaines, Encyclopedia of Civil War Shipwrecks (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2008), 63-64 97, 128 (here-after cited as Gaines).

21. Gaines 2008: 63–64; U.S. Navy 1971, vol. 2: 27.22. U.S. Navy 1971, vol. 2: 18, vol. 6: 223.23. U.S. Navy 1971, vol. 4: 33, 43–44.24. Gaines 2008: 63–64; U.S. Navy 1971, vol. 6: 223.25. U.S. Navy 1971, vol. 4: 48.26. J. Pearce, P. Frazer, T. Dunlop, “List of all stores found aboard

CSS Missouri,” ORN, vol. 27: 241-242. 27. U.S. Navy 1971, vol. 3: 66, vol. 5: 103, vol. 6: 271.28. Paul H. Silverstone, Warships of the Civil War Navies (Annapolis:

Naval Institute Press, 1989), 155 (hereafter cited as Silverstone).29. U.S. Navy 1971, vol. 3: 34, vol. 5: 8.30. USS Southfield: An Historical and Archaeological Investigation

of a Converted Gunboat. MA Thesis, Program in Maritime Stud-ies, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC., 55 [hereafter cited as Spirek].

31. Silverstone 1989: 102.32. Robert G. Elliott, Ironclad of the Roanoke: Gilbert Elliott’s Albemarle

(Shippensburg, PA: White Mane Publishing, 1994), 179 (hereafter cited as Elliott); Silverstone 1989: 102.

33. Spirek 1993: 98.34. Cooke. J. W., Letter from Commander J.W. Cooke 1864. In Official

Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion Series 1, volume 10:86

35. Elliott 1994: 222.36. Philip Shiman, Fort Branch and the Defense of the Roanoke Valley

1862-1865 (Hamilton, NC: Fort Branch Battlefield Commission, 1990), 51; Brooke 2002: 184; Elliott 1994: 190, 222.

37. Robert Black, The Railroads of the Confederacy (Chapel Hill: Univer-sity of North Carolina Press, 1952); Selma “Records of Operation,” Selma Naval Gun Foundry, Book I and Book 2, Naval Records Col-lection of the Office of Naval Records and Library, Record Group 45, National Archives Building, Washington, DC: National Archives Building,

The Artilleryman20

CIVIL WAR HERITAGE PRESERVATION

The North-South Skirmish Association held its 132nd National Competition October 2-4, 2015 at Fort Shenan-doah near Winchester, Virginia. Member units competed in live-fire matches with original or authentic reproduction Civil War period muskets, carbines, breech loading rifles, revolvers, mortars and cannons. It is the largest Civil War event of its kind.

Despite the continuous rain of hurricane Joaquin, the stalwarts who braved the storm competed with their usual gusto and enjoyed the competition and camaraderie.

The 9th Virginia Cavalry won the musket match with a solid time of 462.2 seconds for the five-event program, beating the reigning national musket champion 110th Ohio Volunteer Infantry by just 13.5 seconds. A total of 98 soggy eight-member teams participated in this N-SSA signature competition. The 111th Ohio Volunteer Infantry triumphed over 62 other teams in winning the carbine company match. Harlan’s Light Cavalry won both the smoothbore musket match and the breech loading rifle match. The 21st Virginia Cavalry won the four-event revolver team match and the Washington Blue Rifles finished first in the single shot rifle match. In the artillery competitions, 26 guns braved the weather and participated in the cannon matches. The winners included Hardaway’s Alabama Battery (gun #1) in the smoothbore class; the 6th Virginia Cavalry in the rifled class; the 3rd U.S. Infantry in the howitzer class and the 1st Maryland Cavalry in the rifled howitzer class. Twenty-three mortars competed in that match with the Hazelwood Volunteers taking the gold medal.

The N-SSA is the country’s oldest and largest Civil War shooting sports organization with over 3,200 individuals that make up its 200 member units. Each represents a par-ticular unit or regiment and proudly wears the uniform they wore over 150 years ago.

The 133rd National Competition is scheduled for May 20-22, 2016 at Fort Shenandoah, just north of Winchester, Virginia

For more information about the N-SSA, contact Public Information Officer, Bruce Miller, at (248) 258-9007 [email protected] or visit our official website athttp://www.n-ssa.org.

Photo by John Parker-NRA. Crew members of the 3rd Mary-land Artillery load their six pound smoothbore in preparation for firing during the cannon match-es at the North-South Skirmish Association’s 132nd National Competition held in October. In the foreground is a 3-inch Ord-nance rifle of the 15th Indepen-dent Battery, Ohio Light Artillery. Twenty-six guns braved the weather and competed in that match. The 133rd National will be held May 20-22, 2016 at the Association’s home range, Fort Shenandoah, near Winchester, Virginia.


ConsignmentsWe are now accepting consignments for our Upcoming March 2016 Sale. Over the past couple of years, we have generated some tremendous successes for consignors of quality artillery and are currently looking for prime examples to include in our next auction. Our company has handled more fine artillery in recent years than any other auction firm in the world. We are also the world’s leading auction house for high-end, rare and expensive firearms. We do not sell the greater number of arms in a year, we sell the greater number of expensive arms in a year. Whether you have a single item or an entire collection, please contact us to learn how our firm can serve you.

We are the world’s leading auctioneers of rare, high-grade, quality firearms. We do not sell the greatest number of firearms in a year, we sell the greatest number of expensive firearms in a year.

Extremely Rare Confederate New Orleans Made 12-Pound Bronze Napoleon on Carriage with Limber (est. $200,000-250,000)

For Our Important March 2016 Firearms Auction

(A New World Auction Record for Most Expensive Piece of American Artillery sold at auction and a New World Auction Record for the Most

Expensive Confederate Arm of Any Variety sold at auction.)Sold for $350,750

Rare Colt Mod 1875 Gatling Gun on carriage w/limber(est. $200,000-300,000)

Sold for $201,250

10-28-15artilleryfull.indd 1 10/20/15 9:31 AM

ConsignmentsWe are now accepting consignments for our Upcoming March 2016 Sale. Over the past couple of years, we have generated some tremendous successes for consignors of quality artillery and are currently looking for prime examples to include in our next auction. Our company has handled more fine artillery in recent years than any other auction firm in the world. We are also the world’s leading auction house for high-end, rare and expensive firearms. We do not sell the greater number of arms in a year, we sell the greater number of expensive arms in a year. Whether you have a single item or an entire collection, please contact us to learn how our firm can serve you.

We are the world’s leading auctioneers of rare, high-grade, quality firearms. We do not sell the greatest number of firearms in a year, we sell the greatest number of expensive firearms in a year.

Extremely Rare Confederate New Orleans Made 12-Pound Bronze Napoleon on Carriage with Limber (est. $200,000-250,000)

For Our Important March 2016 Firearms Auction

(A New World Auction Record for Most Expensive Piece of American Artillery sold at auction and a New World Auction Record for the Most

Expensive Confederate Arm of Any Variety sold at auction.)Sold for $350,750

Rare Colt Mod 1875 Gatling Gun on carriage w/limber(est. $200,000-300,000)

Sold for $201,250


Contact Francis Lombardi or Wes Dillon Email: [email protected] | 203 Skowhegan Rd., Fairfield, ME 04937 www.jamesdjulia.com | Tel: (207) 453-7125 | Fax: (207) 453-2502 | Auctioneer: James D. Julia Lic#: ME: AR83

Wanted

Hotchkiss 2-Pounder Breech Loading Mtn. Gun (est. $20-30,000)

Rare & Historic U.S. Navy Light Bronze 12-Pounder Dahlgren Boat Howitzer and Orig. Carriage (est. $50-60,000)

Ames Model 1841 Bronze 6-Pounder Gun on Original Carriage (est. $50-70,000)

Rare Civil War 8” Siege Mortar (est. $15-25,000)

Ames 1861-Dated Bronze 12 Pounder Mountain Howitzer Registry Number 1 (est. $30-50,000)

Elegant Spanish 1803 8-Pound Bronze Field Gun (est. $35-45,000)

Below are just a few of the successes from the Springfield Arsenal, LLC Collection amassed by John Morris

Sold for $46,000Sold for $92,000Sold for $92,000

Sold for $34,500Sold for $63,250 Sold for $63,250

Dahlgren Heavy 12-Pounder Boat Howitzer on Original Carriage (est. $60-90,000)

Model 1906 Krupp 50 MM Mountain Cannon (est $35-45,000)

Spanish Siege Mortar Dated 1750 Captured By Dupont at Fernandina Florida 1862 (est. $90-125,000)

Sold for $97,750 Sold for $92,000 Sold for $70,800

Remember:

0%Seller’s Commission

Rates on High Value Items as

low as...

1. Sterling reputation: Developed over the past 45+ years. 2. Superior Expertise: We employ a great number of well

known firearms experts to vet and catalog all consignor’s goods.

3. Aggressive Marketing and Promotional Plan: We use one of the most aggressive marketing and promotional plans in the industry; involving print ads, internet, telemarketing division, generous distribution of catalogs and more.

4. The Finest Auction Catalog in the Industry. Replete with lavish color images, detailed, guaranteed descriptions.

5. Guarantee: We guarantee our catalog descriptions against major problems which have a major impact on the value

We Offer: of the item, provided we are notified within 45 days. To our knowledge, we are the only firearms auction house in the world to provide this extensive a guarantee. Our unique guarantee gives buyers maximum confidence and thus results in stronger sale prices for our consignors.

6. Strong Sales Results: We consistently generate strong and sometimes record prices for our consignor’s quality goods.

7. “Sporting and Collector Auction” Session: With the addition of this new auction session featuring moderately priced arms (generally within the $2,000-8,000 range) it allows us to take a much wider range of goods from our consignors.

8. 0% Seller’s Commission: Our seller’s commission on high end goods is the lowest in the industry at 0%.


Confederate VI.4-inch Brooke double-banded rifle, No. 53. Cast at the Selma Naval Gun Foundry on April 29, 1864. The weight is 10,620 pounds.

Confederate VII-inch Brooke double-banded rifle, No. 46. Cast at the Selma Naval Gun Foundry on April 12, 1864. The weight is +/- 14,500 pounds.

Union IX-inch Dahlgren smoothbore shell gun, No. 513. Cast at Fort Pitt Foundry in June 1862. The weight is +/- 9,200 pounds.

THE SHIPYARDThe story of the guns of the CSS Pee Dee and the Con-

federate Navy Yard at Mars Bluff, near Florence, South Carolina, begins in late fall 1862 when representatives were directed by Confederate Secretary of the Navy Stephen Russell Mallory to identify sites suitable for such purposes and to take such action as necessary to construct vessels for the use of the new nation’s navy. The requirements for a navy yard were relatively few. First, there had to be rea-sonable access down the Great Pee Dee River leading to the Waccamaw River opening into the Winyah Bay for ac-cess to the Atlantic Ocean. Second, there had to be a good supply of timber suitable for the construction of ships e.g. pine, cypress, oak, etc. Third, there had to be a sufficient supply of labor available to meet the needs of a shipyard, and lastly there needed to be sufficient infrastructure (land, rail, roadways, communications, mail, etc.) to facilitate the work anticipated. Flag Officer D. N. Ingraham, the CSN commander at Charleston, ordered Lt. Alphonse Barbot to undertake the task of identifying suitable sites along the rivers of South Carolina.

Eventually, Barbot determined that a 10-acre site known as Bird’s Landing would become the new Mars Bluff Ship-yard. It not only met the needs of the navy, but it was avail-able. The land itself was owned by Joseph Bird. Bird was more than willing to lease the property to the navy and ne-gotiated an agreement that included the use of timber, con-struction of numerous buildings, a sawmill, waterwheel, a rail spur and numerous other improvements needed to con-struct period vessels. An agreement was signed by CSN Lt. William M. Dozier, Captain S. Thomson and Bird in March 1863 providing annual rental to Bird in the amount of $200. To reconcile the fact that work had been underway on the shipyard since January, the agreement was backdated to the 1st of that month. By letter dated 16 December 1862 Dozier had been ordered by Mallory “to complete the gun-boat from the construction of which you are ordered in the shortest possible time”. Effectively that order arguably des-ignated Dozier as the shipyard’s first commander. By April 1863, the new shipyard had progressed to the point where actual construction of vessels could begin and the build-ing of the ship to be named the CSS Pee Dee commenced. Ultimately the shipyard served in the construction of four vessels (to one degree or another) including the CSS Pee Dee, two torpedo boats between 60-80 feet in length (likely of the Graves design) and a side wheel steamer about 128 feet in length.

CSS PEE DEE COMMISSIONEDThe gunboat was designed by Acting Naval Construc-

tor John L. Porter, CSN, in 1862, from a design originated by Matthew. F. Maury. Lt. Edward J. Means, second com-mander of the naval yard, supervised initial construction. Lt. Van Rensellaer Morgan superseded Means and it was

during his tenure as the third commander of the shipyard that the new gunboat was fitted out and placed into ser-vice. The new vessel was placed under the command of Lt. Oscar F. Johnston, CSN. The gunboat never ventured far from the place of her creation. From her commissioning in April up to the end of her service life the CSS Pee Dee was more of an exercise in doing something rather than fighting anything. Never challenged nor even exchanging fire with anyone or anything representing the Union she spent most of her time in service fighting seasonal discomforts, insects and boredom.

The new gunboat was commissioned on 20 April 1863, eventually entering service on the 15th of January 1865. Specifications for the gunboat were those for a Macon-class wooden-hulled gunboat. As commissioned, the new gun-boat was to be used for the defense of the waters along the southern coast of the state. The Union Navy had already proven that it was capable of landing troops and engaging naval vessels at coastal locations ranging from the waters of Virginia to distant Texas. The Confederate Navy was hard pressed to maintain control of the many harbors, bays, in-lets and rivers along the Carolinas. These waterways were vital to blockade runners providing critical war materials to the ever struggling southern war machine. Failure to pro-tect the critical points of marine access would hasten the already inevitable defeat of the new nation.

The gunboat now known as the CSS Pee Dee was to be 150 feet in length, have a beam of 25 feet, and draw about 9 feet of water when loaded according to some early accounts. The motive power for the gunboat came via two steam engines. These were manufactured by the Confederate Naval Ironworks in Richmond, Virginia, and turned a pair of iron propellers. The speed of the boat would have been limited to about 9 or 10 knots – about average by 1865 standards. Built primarily for use in shallow coastal waters her accommodations were sparse for the crew of approximately 91 men. Like those serving on so many of the vessels of the Confederate Navy, much of their time would likely have been spent ashore or on an adjacent purpose-built tender in quarters more practicable to their needs.

GUNBOAT ARMED & PROVISIONEDVarying accounts indicate that originally the CSS Pee Dee

was to be armed with four 32-pounder smoothbore guns in broadside while other sources indicate these were to be augmented by two IX-inch (9-inch) Dahlgren smoothbore guns on deck pivots. The weapons were to be obtained from those captured in place at the outset of the war or repurposed after seizure from Union ships. Eventually this plan for arming the boat was superseded by one that called for a much upgraded armament package employing a pair of John M. Brooke-designed double-banded rifles made at the Confederate Naval Gun Foundry and Ordnance Works

The Artilleryman26


S 53 stamped on top of rear sight base.

Confederate VI.4-inch Brooke rifle, S-53, cast at the Selma/Confederate Naval Gun Foundry and Ordnance Works, Selma, Alabama.

Right trunnion is stamped: VI.4IN / 10620 / S 53

Left trunnion is stamped: VI.4IN / 1864

Rudimentary muzzle sight used only in setting up the rifle.

The Artilleryman28

Confederate VII-inch Brooke rifle, S-46, cast at the Selma/Confederate Naval Gun Foundry and Ordnance Works, Selma, Alabama.

Left trunnion is stamped: VII IN

Breech showing the double reinforcing bandsand rear sight base.

Right trunnion is stamped: VII IN / 1864

CSS PEE DEE GUN DATA

TYPE BORE FOUNDRY CAST DATE TUBE # WEIGHT LBS.

DAHLGREN IX-INCH SB FORT PITT JUNE-1862 FP-513 +/- 9,200

BROOKE VII-INCH RIFLE SELMA 12 APRIL 1864 S-46 +/- 14,500

BROOKE VI.4-INCH RIFLE SELMA 29 APRIL 1864 S-53 10,620

Artillery DrawingsContact us for a catalog sheet. Drawings with dimensionsof carriages, limbers, ammunition chests and more.

Antique Ordnance PublishersPO Box 610434

Port Huron, MI [email protected] • (810) 987-7749

in Selma, Alabama. Brooke was Chief of the Confederate Navy's Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography. These two rifles comprising a VI.4-inch (6.4-inch) and a VII-inch (7-inch) were capable of firing projectiles well over four miles with unparalleled accuracy. Adding to this deadly accuracy was the effectiveness of the armor piercing wrought-iron bolts also designed by Brooke late in 1861. The flat nosed cylindrical bolts were capable of penetrating over 8 inches of iron plating making them exceptionally dangerous for any opposing ironclads. These two superb rifles were com-plimented by a IX-inch Dahlgren shell gun that had been in service onboard the defeated Union ship USS Southfield. The latter tube is number “FP No. 513” produced at the Fort Pitt Foundry at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania in 1862. The USS South-field had been lost on April 19, 1864, during an engagement with the Confederate ram CSS Albemarle near Plymouth, North Carolina. The ever resourceful and weapons-hungry Confederates quickly re-purposed the lost Union gun(s).

Eventually, these three large guns were placed on deck mounted pivots aboard the gunboat. Carriages were con-structed at the Charlotte Navy Yard. The VII-inch Brooke rifle was situated as the forward deck pivot gun and would have been the gunboat’s primary weapon. The IX-inch Dahlgren shell gun was placed amidships while the VI.4-inch Brooke rifle was fitted as the rear pivot gun. These three large naval guns were supplemented by one of sev-eral 24-pounder Dahlgren boat howitzers captured by CSA General Wirt Adams on a Union gunboat near Yazoo City, Mississippi in early 1864. Ammunition for the Brooke guns likely came from several sources but most notably the Richmond Naval Ordnance Works & fabricated under the supervision of Lt. Robert D. Minor. The ammunition for the IX-inch Dahlgren would most likely have been taken from the stores of the USS Southfield at the same time the guns were removed or elsewhere manufactured by a CS Ordnance facility. Small arms, fuel, food and miscellaneous ship’s supplies would have either come from the CS Navy stores or procured locally.

The CSS Pee Dee made one brief sortie of about 56 miles upriver to a point near the large Confederate depot at Cheraw, South Carolina during the last week of February 1865. The purpose was to support CSA General Hardee in defending that city against the invading troops of General William Sherman. Faced with the 10,000 men under Sherman’s command, Hardee prudently ordered a full and rapid retreat. In the process, the retreating Confederates abandoned huge quantities of powder, guns, food and stores. Hardee’s parting orders to Johnston were to return to the shipyard and to destroy the CSS Pee Dee along with the two torpedo boats (one of

which was still on the ways being planked), the shipyard and the railroad bridge.

Contrary to Hardee’s orders, Lt. Means had no inten-tions of destroying the shipyard or the railroad drawbridge downstream of the shipyard. Means’ nature dictated that he preserve the bridge and much of the shipyard inasmuch as they would be much needed by the local populace fol-lowing the end of the war.

CSS PEE DEE SCUTTLEDTO PREVENT CAPTURE

To prevent the capture of the nearly new gunboat it was apparent to all that the boat would have to be scuttled. Upon return to the shipyard after the Cheraw adventure the gunboat had been grounded by falling water with the stern near mid-stream and the bow near the river’s bank. To free the gunboat, it had to be off-loaded. To accomplish this, the guns, ammunition and other stores were thrown overboard. The gunboat was then maneuvered down-stream below the railroad bridge and there burned to the waterline. That the destruction of the boat was undertaken per the orders of Hardee must have offered little solace to those who had labored so hard to bring her to life.

SUBSEQUENT SALVAGE EFFORTSSalvage of the gunboat dates back to 1865 when Acting

USN Ensign Sturgis Center was dispatched to survey and salvage materials at the shipyard. His report to Lt. Cmdr. Robert L. Law dated 20 October 1865 leaves little doubt that the shipyard had been an impressive endeavor. Sub-sequently, around the turn of the century, portions of the vessel were removed from the river by The U.S. Corps of Engineers to facilitate navigation.

In 1925, The United Daughters of the Confederacy sponsored an effort leading to the propellers together with their shafting being removed to the south grounds of the Florence Public Library. Afterwards, in 1954, Frank Martin of Florence and E. C. Godfrey of Darlington removed the boiler along with some 36 feet of the ship’s hull and relocated those elements to a site alongside Highway 301


in an attempt to attract tourists. Later still these same components were purchased by Alan Shaffer and relocated to a site near Dillon, South Carolina, to become yet another attraction. This effort also eventually failed and the abandoned pieces of the once proud gunboat disappeared into a land fill as part of the construction of Interstate 95.

In 1958, a further effort was made to survey the wreck and specifically to recover the guns of the famous gunboat. The chairman of the Florence County Historical Commis-sion, E. N. Zeigler, together with other local and state rep-resentatives petitioned the U.S. Navy to undertake this recovery effort. The field work was performed by E.O.D. Team 28 over a period of several days but produced lit-tle physical evidence beyond what had previously been known. The end of this effort was announced in The Charles-ton News and Courier newspaper of Friday, August 29, 1958.

Beginning in the 1970’s, efforts by Ted Gragg (who later collaborated with Bob Butler, Ronnie Sommersett and nu-merous others eventually operating under the banner of The CSS Pee Dee Research and Recovery Team) produced much useful material. These early efforts were ultimately licensed by the Maritime Research Division (MRD) of the South Carolina Institute of Archeology and Anthropology (SCIAA) in the form of an Intensive Survey License to fully investigate the river bottom at the shipyard site. This work in turn resulted in the recovery of numerous artifacts of significant historical interest.

RECOVERY PROCESS COMMENCEDThe most recent efforts leading to the recovery of

the gun tubes began in 2009 and involved SCIAA, East Carolina University Program in Maritime Studies (ECU), and Francis Marion University (FMU) Conservation Facility with project funding from “The Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation” (DBLF) of nearby Florence. These efforts have been led by and significantly contributed to by Dr. John Leader, State Archeologist, Dr. Chris Amer as former Head of the MRD, his successor, James D. Spirek, Dr. Larry Babits, Director of the Program in Maritime Studies at

Eastern Carolina University (now retired) together with Dr. Lynn Harris, Assistant Professor, ECU as Co-Principal Investigators during the 2009 Field School, and a number of university students representing ECU and FMU. Shipyard property owners Glenn Dutton and Rufus Perdue have also contributed substantially to this work.

FINAL RETRIEVAL OF GUNS& FUTURE PLANS

After many years, the time finally arrived for recovery of the most sought-after artifacts of the CSS Pee Dee. The notice came from SCIAA that the guns would be removed from the river on the morning of Tuesday, September 29th, 2015. Among those invited dignitaries and guests was the great grandson of CSN Commander Catesby ap R. Jones. He is Mr. Catesby ap Catesby Jones (90 years) of Selma, Al-abama, who still lives in Selma. He is also one of only two individuals living who have physically touched each and every one of the known eighteen surviving Selma-made Brooke guns. At 10 o’clock the retrieval process began when Dutton positioned the excavator on the bank adja-cent to the location of the VI.4-inch Brooke rifle No. 53. The lifting straps were attached to a pre-fitted harness and the tube was raised from a long wet immersion to dry ground after 150 plus years. Handled with great care the giant gun tube was expertly lowered onto the ground and then posi-tioned on cribbing pending preparation for transport to the Warren Lasch Conservation Center on Wednesday. Then the IX-inch Dahlgren smoothbore shell gun No. 513 gun and the VII-inch Brooke rifle No. 46 were hoisted onto the grounds of the old shipyard. In less than an hour, all three recoveries had been accomplished – work that had been so anxiously awaited by so many for so long.

The guns were kept wet until the news media and oth-ers present had the opportunity to view these historic can-non. By about 1 PM, the process of preparing the cannon for transport had begun and most of the guests had departed. At long last the lost guns of the CSS Pee Dee were back on dry ground.

All three tubes were subsequently removed to the War-ren Lasch Conservation Center in North Charleston, South Carolina on Wednesday, September 30 where they will undergo conservation. Following that restorative work the guns will be placed on public display in Florence at the new Veterans Administration facility there.

William E. Lockridge is the author of a book detailing the role of Selma, Alabama during the war of 1861-1865. His research has been underway for over 10 years and represents the most detailed study thus far undertaken on that place during the war. That re-search has included a very detailed examination of the Selma/Con-federate Naval Gun Foundry & Ordnance Works and the story behind the production of the best large cannon produced anywhere in the world at the time – the double banded Brooke guns which are

The Artilleryman30

Glenn Dutton, son Tanner Dutton and Rufus Perdue.

Bill Lockridge being interviewed by an ABC 15 News reporter.

so much a part of the story of the CSS Pee Dee. He has touched each of the 18 surviv-ing Selma gun tubes (along with Catesby ap C. Jones) during his field work and has become one of the most informed sources about those big guns! He can be reached at [email protected].


Catesby ap Catesby Jones, Parker Lockridge and author William Lockridge touching the massive VII-inch Brooke rifle that was just raised from the Great Pee Dee River at Mars Bluff, Marion, South Carolina.

T he 75 mm Model 1912 field gun was built by Schnei-der et Cie of St. Chamond,

France. Its purpose was to replace the standard (and later famous) Model 1897 75 mm gun in French horse bat-teries. While it fired the same ammuni-tion as the Model 1897, the Model 1912 had a shorter barrel and was of lighter construction. Due to the shorter barrel (31 calibers instead of 36), the range of the Model 1912 was reduced to 8,175 yards. Once the Great War began, it

was realized that this was not going to be effective and no more were pro-duced after 1914.

In late 1917, the Schneider com-pany shipped a single Model 1912 Schneider Creusot field gun, serial number 337, with a carriage to Aber-deen Proving Ground for evaluation. It was received in January 1918. Some test firings were completed in the spring, and it was deemed to function satisfactorily for its class and weight. However, since it was a lighter gun

than was desired for general use, it was not subjected to extensive testing or further consideration.

By 1918, the United States was al-ready producing the French Model 1897 75 mm gun domestically as well as purchasing all available in France. They had adopted and were produc-ing domestically the U.S. Model 1917 75 mm gun. This was simply the Brit-ish 18-pounder adapted to the French 75 mm round. Finally, they had de-signed and were producing their own

The Artilleryman32

Period Ordnance photograph of the M1912 Schneider 75 mm field gun.

American Digger Magazine Proudly Presents

The 2016 Low Country Civil War Show & Sale

January 16-17, 2016 Omar Shrine Temple 176 Patriots Point Rd.

Mt Pleasant, SC (Just Across Bridge From Charleston)

www.americandiggerevents.com

For information:Call (770) 362-8671 or (716) 574-0465

[email protected]

Civil War Relics Indian Artifacts

WWI & II Militaria& Much More!

MISince 1979

Military Imagesmagazine

Showcase. Interpret. Preserve.

MilitaryImagesMagazine.com | Facebook.com/MilitaryImages

America’s only publication dedicated to historic photographs of soldiers and sailors.

Or send a check payable to:Military ImagesPO Box 50171Arlington, VA 22205

Subscribe online:MilitaryImagesMagazine.com

SUBSCRIBE NOW4 quarterly issues, $24.95

Model 1916 75 mm with the advanced split trail carriage. What interest would the U.S. Ordnance Department pos-sibly have had in another 75 mm field gun that needed to be manufactured (as opposed to drawing from sufficient on hand stocks)? Our guess would be none.

This turned out to be an unsolicited offer by the manu-facturer, (Schneider), sent through their U.S. agents in hope (albeit a long shot) of a contract.

In September 1918, the 75 mm Schneider Model 1912 along with four car loads of miscellaneous, non-standard equipment was turned over to the Treasury Department. The purpose of this temporary transfer, authorized by Washing-ton, was to be used in conjunction with the Forth Liberty Loan drive. The assembled weapons were divided up and sent around the country. Three years later, no written in-voice of the return transfer from Treasury to the War Depart-ment could be found. A physical survey of various depots did disclose that most of the rest of the ordnance was back in War Department possession.

Enter the Framerican Industrial Development Corp. of New York City. Acting as agents for Schneider & Cie, build-ers of the Model 1912 cannon, they initiated correspondence seeking its return. Numerous surviving documents indicate the lengths they went to retrieve their property. At one point, they indicated that if the gun could not be found that they should be reimbursed for its monetary value.


COONIE’S BLACK POWDER, INC.

We ship out in full case lots (25 - 1# cans) You can mixCall us at (800) 713-6321 - Fax (575) 393-6060 orEmail: [email protected] for price quotes.

GOEX 1FG-4FG, CANNON, CARTRIDGE, COWBOY, EXPRESS,REENACTOR, OLDE EYNSFORD, SOME BP SUBS & SWISS BP

(MASTER DISTRIBUTOR FOR GOEX POWDER SINCE 1983 (32 YRS)

This price was set at $7,500.This is probably closer to the real

reason for this quest. Obviously, they had no use for a cannon that had been obsolete since at least 1914. Europe was awash in surplus artillery after the war, and there was little potential market for older weapons.

As the correspondence carries on, we find that the Model 1912 can-non belonged to the French govern-ment and that they were pressuring Schneider & Cie for its return. It was the French government that requested that Schneider return or pay for it. (June 5, 1924). The European Settle-ment Agreement of November 20, 1919, dealt only with accounts and

claims between the French govern-ment and the War Department. This case amounted to a claim between “Nationals of France” (Schneider & Cie) and the War Department which was not covered by the previously cited agreement.

Finally, on May 5, 1925, the U.S. agents for Schneider & Cie, Frameri-can Industrial Corp. of New York City invoiced the Chief of Ordnance for the amount of $7,500. This caused yet another investigation to be initi-ated where the pertinent details of the

The Artilleryman34

Returned ordnance following WWI illustrating the problem facing officials trying to locate one unique cannon.

gun’s history were again recounted and still not found. The Ordnance Department thought this invoice was actually fair and that the government should pay for the gun. (The obvious problem here is that the price demanded is for the cost of the gun when new rather than the value of the gun ten years later.)

On December 14, 1926, Aberdeen was once again directed to search for the missing gun. Also at this time we find that both the Government Accounting Office and the Comptroller General had refused pay-ment. It is also clarified at this time that Schneider & Cie “on their own initiative presented the material for demonstration…” Schneider was then advised to pur-sue the matter in the U.S. Court of Claims.

On July 21, 1927, the U.S. Military Attaché in Paris forwarded still another demand for payment. The tact this time was that “as a matter of national pride and ordinary justice, every effort be made to either find the cannon or submit a bill before Congress for settlement”.

The Office of Chief of Ordnance in Washington re-quested the Aberdeen Proving Ground send a photo-graph of the cannon so that the search could continue (November 16, 1927). Aberdeen furnished the photo and then the correspondence trail goes cold. The gun was never found, and we don’t know if Schneider was ever paid for it.

But we do now know where it ended up: it is now and apparently has always been a memorial piece lo-cated in Jamestown, NY., at the Fenton History Center.


Closeup top view of the breech date, Model 1912 Schneider, No. 337.

It is pretty evident that it must have been mixed in with the thousands of surplus captured foreign guns, obso-lete, or non-standard U.S. guns that were available for donation in the early 1920’s.

It is in rather forlorn condition today with heavy rust and corrosion extant. The shield apparently disap-peared a long time ago but the wheels at least, have recently been restored.

In reading through this file, it is amazing to see the length the Schnei-der company went to (probably under pressure from the French government) recover the gun. It is equally astound-ing to witness the effort the Ordnance Department exerted, repeatedly, for over a decade to find the missing can-non. Finally, it is astonishing (to us at least) that someone in Washing-ton didn’t explain to the French that we had purchased millions of dollars in equipment from them for the sole purpose of evicting the Germans from their country, and they could forget about one cannon.

Tom Batha, a retired federal em-ployee, 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 his-

torical researcher of American field and coast artillery who has written exten-sively on the subject including nearly a dozen books.

Promoters of Quality Shows for Shooters, Collectors, Civil War and Militaria Enthusiasts

Military Collectible &Gun & Knife Shows

Presents The Finest

Rev War Civil War World War I & IIModern Gun & Knife Shows

Mike Kent and Associates, LLC • PO Box 685 • Monroe, GA 30655(770) 630-7296 • [email protected] • www.MKShows.com

Northwest Georgia Trade Center2211 Dug Gap Battle Road

Dalton, GA 30720February 6 & 7, 2016

Chickamauga (Dalton)Civil War Show

Williamson County Ag Expo Park4215 Long Lane

Franklin, TN 37064December 3 & 4, 2016

Middle TN (Franklin)Civil War Show

Myrtle Beach Convention Center 2101 North Oak Street

Myrtle Beach, SC 29577January 30 & 31, 2016

Myrtle Beach Gun & Knife Show

Exchange Park Fairgrounds9850 Highway 78Ladson, SC 29456

February 13 & 14, 2016 June 4 & 5, 2016

Charleston Gun & Knife Show

South Carolina State Fairgrounds 1200 Rosewood DriveColumbia, SC 29202

March 19 & 20, 2016

Columbia Gun & Knife Show

lll l

The Artilleryman36

Finally found, the missing French 75 mm Schneider-Creusot field gun! Located on the grounds of the Fenton History Center, Jamestown, NY. Photography by Jim Glor.

Promoters of Quality Shows for Shooters, Collectors, Civil War and Militaria Enthusiasts

Military Collectible &Gun & Knife Shows

Presents The Finest

Rev War Civil War World War I & IIModern Gun & Knife Shows

Mike Kent and Associates, LLC • PO Box 685 • Monroe, GA 30655(770) 630-7296 • [email protected] • www.MKShows.com

Northwest Georgia Trade Center2211 Dug Gap Battle Road

Dalton, GA 30720February 6 & 7, 2016

Chickamauga (Dalton)Civil War Show

Williamson County Ag Expo Park4215 Long Lane

Franklin, TN 37064December 3 & 4, 2016

Middle TN (Franklin)Civil War Show

Myrtle Beach Convention Center 2101 North Oak Street

Myrtle Beach, SC 29577January 30 & 31, 2016

Myrtle Beach Gun & Knife Show

Exchange Park Fairgrounds9850 Highway 78Ladson, SC 29456

February 13 & 14, 2016 June 4 & 5, 2016

Charleston Gun & Knife Show

South Carolina State Fairgrounds 1200 Rosewood DriveColumbia, SC 29202

March 19 & 20, 2016

Columbia Gun & Knife Show

lll l

The Casemate Museum, Artillery, and the Lincoln Gun at Fort Monroe, VirginiaBy Roy Stevenson

A tour of Fort Monroe, Virginia, gives visitors a great insight into Union machinations during the American Civil War. With a history spanning

from 1607 to 2011, when it was deactivated, the fort is considered one of the U.S. mil i tary’s most storied bases and remains the largest stone fort ever built in the United States.

Master Distributor for GOEX POWDERS

GOEX l SCHUETZENSKIRMISH l KIK l SWISS

We ship mixed 5, 10 & 25 lb. casesCap and Ball Pistol Loaders

RWS Musket, #11 caps, Schuetzen musket caps and Friction Primers

[email protected]

toll-free (877) 833-1799

Powder Inc., 1861 North College Ave., Clarksville, AR 72830

Fort Monroe remained the only pre-war fort in the Upper South that stayed

under Union control for the entirety of the Civil War. And, in fact, it was such a major focal point and Union base for army and navy operations throughout the Civil War that it would prove to be a thorn in the side of the Confederate Army.

With the Casemate Museum, Gen-eral Lee’s Headquarters, the Jeffer-son Davis Memorial Park, the truly impressive Lincoln Gun (more about that soon), and three battery sites, the fort offers enough to keep military his-tory buffs interested for several hours. And antique weapon and artillery afi-cionados strolling around its sizeable grounds and ramparts will find the Casemate Museum and the behemoth Lincoln Gun of great interest.

I start my tour in the Casemate Museum – a great place to get a crash course in the fort’s history. Outside, I see a grey U.S. 3-inch Ordnance Rifle resting on a reproduction gun carriage.

Made in 1863 for Union forces by the Phoenix Iron Co., in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, this field gun has a 3-inch bore and is 73.3 inches long. Weighing in at 816 pounds, this piece could fire a 9-pound shell 3,972 yards.

As the museum’s name indicates, it’s built into one of the casemate walls. It’s a hot, sunny, humid Virginia day and the museum’s underground red brick walls and curved ceiling provide a cooling shade, and the air condition-ing is especially welcome.

The early galleries are dedicated to showing why and how the fort was constructed. It’s located on the water-way where the James River and the At-lantic Ocean converge at the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. This strategic position controlled the harbor, which in turn provided safe anchorage for warships and merchant ships.

Discovered by colonists of the Lon-don Company in 1607, the point, lo-cated on the southern tip of the James Peninsula, was originally named “Point Comfort”. The fort would even-tually be named in honor of President James Monroe.

I see an 8-inch British Siege Mortar on display, one of the oldest guns at the fort. This piece was manufactured at the Woolwich Arsenal for the Brit-ish Army. During the War of 1812 the Americans at Fort George, Canada, captured this piece in May 1813. It was fired in anger by American forces against the British at Plattsburg, New York, in September 1814.

The Artilleryman40

U.S. 3-inch Ordnance Rifle Model 1861, No. 597

DIXIE GUN WORKS, INC.1412 W. Reelfoot Avenue

PO Box 130 Dept. 66 Union City, TN 38281

INFO PHONE: (731) 885-0700

FAX: (731) 885-0440

EMAIL: [email protected]

VIEW ITEMS AND ORDER ONLINE!www.dixiegunworks.com

Major credit cards accepted

FOR ORDERS ONLY (800) 238-6785

Our all new 2016 DIXIE GUN WORKS catalog is packed with over 10,000 items ! It has the world’s largest selection of blackpowder replica

arms and accessories for re-enactment aficionados and history buffs... AND it’s the most comprehen-sive equipment resource available for blackpow-der hunting and sport shooting enthusiasts.

All this and STILL ONLY$5.00!

Get yours today!

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AND EXPERTISE GUARANTEED

Gun Works, Inc.YOUR LEADING BLACKPOWDER

RESOURCE SINCE 1954

Stafford wheeland carriage llc

Restoration and reproduction of Civil Warcannon carriages, wheels and rolling stock

Jeff Stafford

1019 Lieds Road, Coatesville, PA 19320www.StaffordWheelandCarriage.com

(610) 486-0567

After American naval forces had defeated the British naval forces on September 11, the British land forces retreated to Canada. Having a cap-tured Woolwich piece at Fort Mon-roe is ironic, as Fort Monroe was to become the training school for U.S. artillerymen.

I learn that construction of the stone fort began in 1819, to be com-pleted 15 years later. The fort has seven fronts, with ten feet thick walls and a surrounding 8-foot deep moat. Originally it could accommodate 380 guns but later expanded to a 412-gun capacity.

In its time, the fort has had 14 bat-teries, with primarily 12-inch mortars, 10-inch disappearing guns, 8-inch Bar-bette guns, 6-inch pedestal guns, and 3-inch masking parapet rifles.

In peacetime, it was manned by 600 men and in wartime, 2,625 men. Fort Monroe has been continuously occu-pied since 1823. Interestingly, Second Lt. Robert E. Lee, who was to prove the South’s most capable general in the Civil War, was an engineer here from 1831 to 1834. Lee worked on the moat, the counterscarp, and the water battery.

The fort was also used as an arse-nal in 1832, and by 1841 it was one of the four manufacturing arsenals in the country.

Fort Monroe was used as a Union base for the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, and from where amphibi-ous expeditions to capture Confeder-ate ports were launched. It was on the Confederate route to Richmond. Major General George McClellan used Fort

Monroe as his base for the Peninsula Campaign. And it served as the base from whence army-navy operations against Fort Fisher in North Carolina were launched.

Lincoln visited the fort in 1862 and 1865 and the former Confederate Pres-ident, Jefferson Davis, was imprisoned here after the war.

Next I come to a series of guns, black painted, and mounted on olive green gun carriages. Mannequins of artillerymen stand by the guns, neatly dressed in uniform. There’s not much information about these guns, so I move on.


8-inch British Siege Mortar

Cannon mounted on reproduction wooden carriages.

Then I find the cell where Jefferson Davis was im-prisoned in 1865-67. Davis did not, apparently, take too well to the idea of being shackled. Various accounts tell of him violently resisting the shackling, and sob-bing, “Oh the shame, the shame!” His captors relented and after five days, the shackles were removed.

Other rooms in the casemate are decorated as they were back in the day, as officer’s quarters and soldiers barracks.

Further along the museum, I read that this fort was the official Artillery School of Practice, from 1824 to 1834. Eventually renamed the Artillery School of the United States Army (1868 to 1898) the cream of the

United State’s artilleryman crop was educated here on the fine art of blow-ing things to smithereens.

A variety of field, siege, and sea-coast guns, mortars and howitzers were used in training. The reader board tells me that instruction in-cluded loading and firing procedures, the development of fuses, weights of charges, and calculation of velocities and ranges of weapons.

Officers were trained in mathematics, military history and law. The class of 1869 consisted of 35 enlisted men and 17 lieutenants. Notable artillerymen who taught here included William F. Barry, an 1861 West Point Cadet, who co-authored the 1860 Instruction for Field Artillery. He was chief of artillery under Major Generals McClellan and Sherman during he Civil War.

George W. Getty, also a West Point Cadet, served gallantly as an artillery officer and was wounded during the Battle of the Wilderness. He com-manded the school from 1877-83. John C. Tidball graduated from West Point in 1848 and commanded artillery bat-teries at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Spotsylvania. He wrote the Manual of Heavy Artillery Service. He served as post commander from 1883-88.

Another gallery shows scale mod-els of 12-inch Seacoast Mortars built in

The Artilleryman42

Bed where Jefferson Davis slept during his imprisonment.

U.S. 12-pounder howitzer.

Entrance to Jefferson Davis prison cell inside Fort Monroe.

1895 for coastal defence. The mortars, weighing 13 tons and with a length of 141.1 inches, could fire two differ-ent high explosive projectiles. One weighed 1,046 pounds and the second weighing 824 pounds. The maximum range at 45 degrees elevation was 12,019 yards.

These mortars were designed to drop on the deck of attacking ships, to penetrate the engine room, magazine, or other critical interior areas. Need-less to say, they inflicted catastrophic damage when they found their target.

Another model depicts the fort’s three 8-inch Breech-Loading Rifles (model 1888). With a total length of

278.5 inches, and the tube weighing 14.5 tons, these beasts could fire a 316-pound high-explosive shell, for 11,019 yards. At 5,000 yards, it could pene-trate 6.8 inches of steel armour plate.

In 1907, the U.S. Army’s Artil-lery Corps was officially separated into two branches: Coast Artillery and Field Artillery. The field artillery moved to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the Artillery School at Fort Monroe be-came the Coast Artillery School.

By 1945, the Coast Artillery School’s function had changed to that of antiaircraft defense, and the artil-lery school moved to Fort Winfield Scott, California in this new role.

Having completed our museum visit, we walk through the tree-lined grounds and across the Jefferson Davis Memorial Park. This small park’s only remnant of war is the gunnery track for a 15-inch Rodman gun. We visit General Lee’s quarters, a three-story brick house in the shade of a huge tree.

Other batteries available to visit are the Seacoast Batteries, the Water Bat-tery, and the Battery Gatewood.

Finally, we come to the 49,099-pound Lincoln Gun. You can’t miss it. It’s enormous and lies across two large concrete stanchions on the edge of the central green.

This giant black barrel of destruc-tion was cast in 1860. Originally named the Floyd Gun, it was renamed


Officer’s quarters and soldiers barracks.

8-inch Breech-Loading Rifles (model 1888)

General Lee’s quarters inside Fort Monroe.

Bear River PowderEst. 1999

GOEX Black PowderAvailable in 1F – 4F, cannon and reenactor grade

American-made Visco Cannon Fuse – any length up to 10,000 feet

25’ of Visco fuse free with order of 25 lbs of powder

Craig Kirkland – GOEX Master DistributorPO Box 2853, Evanston, WY 82931

[email protected]

after President Lincoln in 1862. This was the first 15-inch Rodman gun, made by Thomas J. Rodman.

Proofing this gun took consider-able fires, about 500, according to records, including firing 318-pound shells with 40-pound charges. It took a team of seven men to run the gun into the battery, and four to traverse it. Three men were necessary to load the gun, but five were preferred.

The gun’s recoil was 68 to 77 inches, and the crew could fire one round off every 4-5 minutes, remark-ably efficient handling for a gun of this magnitude!

This piece eventually saw action against the Confederate batteries on Sewells Point near Norfolk, Virginia. This brute could fire a 300-pound pro-jectile more than four miles.

Fort Monroe is now a National Monument, and deservedly so. It’s seen a lot of history and served well. It’s a splendid place to visit for Civil War and artillery fans.

Casemate Museum: Phone 757-788-3391Fort Monroe, Casemate 20, Bernard Rd.Open year round, 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Dec. 25 & Jan. 1.

Roy Stevenson is a professional freelance writer based in Seattle, Washington, spe-cializing in travel and military museums, memorials, history, vehicles, fortifications, artillery, weapons, aviation, signals and communications. He has more than 125 military articles published in the U.S.A, U.K, Scotland and New Zealand. To see more of his military articles go towww.Roy-Stevenson.com.

The Artilleryman44

15-inch projectile located in front of the Lincoln Gun.

The 15-inch Lincoln Gun

Special Offer 2-issue Free Trial Subscription to

Civil War News

(800) 777-1862 � [email protected]

www.civilwarnews.com

The monthly current events newspaper features:

Call or go online for FREE 2-issue Trial Subscription

� Calendar of events

� Book reviews, letters

� News, photos & features

� Col umns about medicine, preservation, firearms, images,

round tables, The Watchdog

� Display & classified ads

� Digital edition with active links

55,000+ Likes on Facebook! Facebook.com/CivilWarNews


It took a team of seven men to run the 15-inch Lincoln Gun into the battery and four to traverse it. For scale, my friend Ryan, from the Hampton Visitor’s Bureau, stands beside it. He is 6 feet tall.

Left trunnion stamped with the manufacture dateof 1860.

Right trunnion stamped F. P. F. / K. R. & Co. These stand for “Fort Pitt Foundry” and “Knap, Rudd and Company”. These markings on the right trunnion are visible in the wartime photo-graph located in the Library of Congress.

In July, we installed a large panel telling the story of the “Caissons Go Rolling Along,” the Field Artillery Song. Alongside the panel is a case containing the M1889 cam-paign hat worn by the songwriter, Lt. Edmund Gruber. The song was inspired by his regiment’s march through a mountain range in the Philippines in 1904.Another addition is nine Question and Answer panels which address common visitor questions. The top hinged panel has a question, for example: Is the Armored Fight-ing Vehicle a tank? It’s alongside a photo of the M8 75mm Howitzer Motor Carriage. Raising the top panel reveals the answer on the bottom panel. The topics are 1. Blade fuller 2. Jodphurs/Breeches 3. Dolphins 4. Muzzle Swell 5. Wheel Dish 6. Tank vs. SP Artillery 7. Buffalo Soldier 8. Muzzle Brake 9. Artillery Implements of the Civil War.In August we added three stereoscopes which allow visi-tors to view three-dimensional images of artillery from the Civil War and World War I.The World War I balloon gondola we added last quarter is now manned by a mannequin dressed as a balloon ob-server. He is wearing the original flight suit we obtained. The mannequin’s outfit is completed with original WWI headphones and binoculars.

Gordon A. BlakerDirector/CuratorUS Army Artillery Museum238 Randolph RoadFort Sill, OK 73503(580) 442-1819http://sill-www.army.mil/[email protected]

News from the U.S. Army Artillery Museum

The Artilleryman46

Question & Answer Panel:Is this Armored Fighting Vehicle a Tank?

The answerStereoscopes – Artillery photos in 3-D

Balloon ObserverThe Field Artillery Song panel with Lt. Gruber’s Hat.

By Jack W. Melton Jr.

Diameter: 6.34 inchesBore Diameter: 6.40 inchesCannon: VI.4-Inch Brooke Rifle or Rifled 32-PounderOverall Length: 11.31 inches (no fuse)Weight: 53.2 pounds (empty, disarmed)Construction: ShellFusing System: Time or percussionSabot Material: Copper, Brooke ratchetSabot Height: 1.15 inches to top of ratchet

Located in the nose is a brass or copper threaded fuse bushing for either a percussion or time fuse adapter. The copper sabot has ratchets (similar to radial stair steps) that correspond to the ratchets cast into the iron projectile body and is held in place by a central bolt. Some of this caliber and pattern have been stamped into the upper bourrelet Lt RDM / RNOW for Lt. Robert Dabney Minor who was supervisor of the Richmond Naval Ordnance Works.

This shell was recovered from the Great Pee Dee River in Marion, South Carolina, along with a few more examples. They were part of the ordnance that was thrown overboard when the CSS Pee Dee gunboat ran aground. See cover story regarding the Raising the Guns of the CSS Pee Dee.

Iron bolt and washer on the bottom secure the copper sabot to the base of the shell body. The bolt head measures 1.07-inches square. Stamped into the copper sabot is BROOKE. The letters are .20-inches high.

Confederate 6.4-inch Brooke Shell


antedCivil War Artillery Implements,Sights, Fuzes, Tools and Projectiles

David Kornely ~ [email protected] • (910) 540-6540

W

1. Used 6-Pdr. Gun, Tube made by SBR, Carriage by PBO, implements and trailer $13,0001. Steel mold for a 3-inch Parrott Bolt: $7502. Steel 12-Pdr. Round Shot Mold: $7503. King howitzer, steel barrel on split trail carriage. Complete with sponge & rammer: $3,0004. Type II Ordnance Rifle pendulum hausse (with the diamond shaped apertures): $3005. Bronze US Golf Ball Mortar: $300 delivered6. Steel CS Model Golf Ball Mortar: $200 delivered7. Steel CS Mortar, 3-inch bore on wooden bed: $450 delivered8. Steel 12-Pdr. Mortar on wooden bed: $1,8009. 6-Pdr. Solid Shot, Zinc: $1510. CS Steel 12-Pdr. Mortar on oak bed, new: $1,60011. Used US Artillery Captains Frock Coat, Excellent Shape Size 46: $125

Artillery Goodies For Sale

Trail Rock Ordnance1754 Little Valley Rd • Blaine TN 37709 • 865-932-1200 • [email protected]

www.trailrockordnance.com

Call or email for more details and pictures.

CANNON FRICTION PRIMERS: 95 cents each. Lanyards $20. Gimlets $15. Bronze vent picks $14. 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. Ph. 727-934-4330.

TRAIL ROCK Ordnance offers metal parts for the #1 and #2 Field Carriages, Field Limber and 1st Model Prairie Carriage. Color catalog available for $7 ppd. Steve Cameron, 1754 Little Valley Rd, Blaine TN 37709, Ph. 865-932-1200, [email protected],www.trailrockordnance.com.

TWO SPONGE buckets, close reproduc-tions, $95 each postpaid. 1841 Mountain Howitzer pendulum sight, $75 postpaid. Call Len, 1st St. Paul Artillery 651-799-6299.

NAVAL CO LINE THROWING GUN: Dated 10.2.44. Comes with watertight container for .32 blanks, lanyard, firing mechanism, rammer, wrench and 1 original projectile. $3,750.00. If interested please contact: Bill Anderson Ph. 757-870-5493.

12-POUNDER MOUNTAIN HOWITZER PLANS FROM OFFICIAL US ORDNANCE DRAWINGS Barrel plans and pack carriage plans that you can read+ photographs of a surviving carriage with an original gun tube. Price is $30.00 including USPS priority mail postage. Don Lutz - Antique Ordnance Publishers. PO Box 610434, Port Huron, MI 48060. Email: [email protected]

REPRODUCTION OF BRITISH 3 LB BAT-TALION CANNON ON CARRIAGE. Tube is 46”, weighs 373 lbs. Has a stainless steel sleeve. 3-inch bore. Wood carriage. Local pickup only. $6,000 OBO. Call or email for photos and details. Steve Kapp, 704 West 5th St., Grove, OK 74344. Cell: 918-791-1262; [email protected]

Facebook.com/ArtillerymanMagazine

The Artilleryman48

11311 S. Indian River Drive • Fort Pierce, Florida 34982770-329-4985 • [email protected]

George Weller Juno

Bronze mortar from the Georgius Rex period of

King George II (1727-1760)

the artilleryman magazine - vol. 37, no. 1, winter 2015

Documents