Spring 2016 Artilleryman Magazine

Vol. 37, No. 2 Spring 2016 USD $5.95 ISSN 0884-4747

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The Artilleryman | Spring 2016 | Vol. 37, No. 2

CONTENTS 4

PUBLISHER’S PLATFORM

8

THE CASE FOR CASE SHOT

12

FROM THE ARCHIVES

14

HISTORIC CSS VIRGINIA SHELL IDENTIFIED

22

ANOTHER MYSTERY FROM THE CSS VIRGINIA AT HAMPTON ROADS

26

8-INCH TREDEGAR COLUMBIAD CANNON

28

SS GEORGIANA’S BLAKELY CANNON

30

THE ROYAL DANISH ARSENAL MUSEUM IN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

34

SCHOOL OF THE PIECE

43

CYRUS ALGER PATENTED 12-POUNDER FIELD HOWITZER

44

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS COLLECTION

47

NEWS FROM THE U.S. ARTILLERY MUSEUM

48

CLASSIFIED ADS

The 12-pounder Whitworth case shot projectile explained.

By CW04 (Ret.) John D. Bartleson Jr. USN.

One-of-a-kind shell fired from the CSS Virginia. By Jack Bell.

Clarification on the guns of the CSS Virginia. .By William E. Lockridge.

Proof firing a reproduction 8-inch Tredegar pattern Columbiad cannon.

The only two known Blakely cannon in the United States that were recovered from the blockade-runner Georgiana. .By Steven Jeffcoat.

Tour the Royal Danish Arsenal Museum with travel guide and photographer Reba Matlock.

2

Joseph Whitworth’s Shot Moulding and Shot-Finishing Machine.

A gun crew drill with step by step instructions.

A malleable iron field howitzer, Model of 1836, patented by Cyrus Alger. By John Morris.

Photographs of soldiers of 5th Ohio Cavalry and their 12-pounder Mountain Howitzer.

Newsletter from the museum by Gordon Blaker.

The Artilleryman

Consultants: Lawrence Babits, Ph.D, 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, Gordon L. Jones, Ph.D., Mike Kent, Lewis Leigh Jr., William E. Lockridge, Donald Lutz, John Morris, Michael J. O’Donnell, Hayes Otoupalik, Bernie Paulson, Bruce Paulson, Lawrence E. Pawl and Matthew Switlik.

We are the new owners of

Civil War News

http://www.CivilWarNews.com

Founding Publisher: C. Peter Jorgensen Publisher: Jack W. Melton Jr. Editor: Peggy M. Melton Book Reviews: Peter A. Frandsen Advertising: mail@ArtillerymanMagazine.com Webmaster: Carson Jenkins Jr. Graphic Designer: Squeegie Studios InDesign Guru: Neil Stewart

Contact Information:

Historical Publications LLC The Artilleryman 6175 Hickory Flat Hwy. Suite 110-355 Canton, GA 30115 800-777-1862 Email: mail@artillerymanmagazine.com Website: ArtillerymanMagazine.com The Artilleryman Magazine (ISSN: 088404747) Copyright © 2016 by Historical Publications LLC is published quarterly

by Historical Publications LLC, 6175 Hickory Flat Hwy., Suite 110-355, Canton, Georgia 30115. Quarterly. Business and Editorial Offices: 6175 Hickory Flat Hwy., Suite 110-355, Canton, Georgia 30115, Accounting and Circulation Offices: Historical Publications LLC, 6175 Hickory Flat Hwy., Suite 110-355, Canton, Georgia 30115. Call 800-777-1862 to subscribe. Application to mail at Periodicals postage prices is pending at Canton, Georgia and additional mailing offices (if applicable).

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The information contained herein is for the general history and background of our readers and The Artilleryman assumes no liability for loading or shooting data which may be published in this magazine. The circumstances surrounding the loading and discharge of firearms mentioned are beyond our control and are unique to the particular instance being described. We hereby disclaim any responsibility for persons attempting to duplicate loading data or shooting conditions referenced herein and specifically recommend against relying solely on this material. Readers are cautioned that black powder varies according to grain size, type, date of manufacture and supplier, and that firing of antique or replica ordnance should not be undertaken without adequate training and experience in procedures and loads.

Subscription rates: $25 per year in U.S., $32 per year Canada. International individually priced. U.S. bank checks or credit cards.

Subscribe by calling 800-777-1862 or online at www.ArtillerymanMagazine.com About the Cover: Title: The Monitor and Merrimac. Artist: J. O. Davidson.

Published by L. Prang & Co. Boston, 1886. Courtesy Library of Congress.

Readers are invited to send high-resolution photos for consideration on the cover. If we use your photo you’ll get a free year’s subscription.

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| Vol. 37, No. 2

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Jack W. Melton Jr., Publisher

One Year Anniversary

What a year it has been! I want to thank everyone for all of their support, feedback and encouragement in helping make The Artilleryman magazine into what it has become today.

Surviving Cannon Registry Update

By Jim Bender Eleven cannon were added to the Registry in 2015, for a net gain of seven, bringing the grand total of known surviving Civil War cannon to 5,778.

The first is a carryover from 2014.

Tom Batha shared a list of cannon at the Artillery Museum at Fort Sill, OK, and it lists 6-pounder bronze field gun, M1841 Ames No. 140, dated 1844.

Two have been added by Joe Gluckert, historian at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard; IX-inch Dahlgren shell gun, Alger No. 258, dated 1859 and 32-pounder Navy gun of 57 cwt Tredegar No. 380, dated 1848, both former bollards at Henderson Point.

Three cannon have surfaced this year and noted as privately owned.

3.67-inch Sawyer cast steel rifle No. 13 was reported and bringing the number of these known survivors to two.

No. 16 is in Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, MN. 3.5-inch Blakely rifle, 4

The Artilleryman

Type 2 Foundry Number 27 with an inferred Registry Number of 26 was also reported, making it the eleventh known survivor of this type. The third is a 3-pounder bronze field gun made

by Ames, dated 1861, and was offered for sale online. The top of the reinforce is ornately engraved “Presented To / Brigadier General / Robert B. Moss / May 31, 1886 / By the / Wadsworth Flute and Drum Band / of New York City.”

Two cannons previously mentioned in the Fall 2015 issue of The Artilleryman are 24-pounder flank howitzers, M1844 in Palmetto, GA. Unfortunately, my time in the Atlanta area was cut short before I could secure permission to remove the multiple layers of paint to search for markings.

The final cannon were the major subject of the Winter 2015 issue of The Artilleryman, raising of the three cannon for the CSS Pee Dee. For the record these are IX-inch Dahlgren shell gun, Fort Pitt Foundry No. 513, dated 1862; 6.4-inch Brooke 2-band navy rifle, Selma No. 53, dated 1864 and 7-inch double-banded Brooke rifle, Selma No. 46, also dated 1864. Although many sent me information on their recovery, Roger Warden gets the credit for being the first.

Some may wonder how adding

eleven cannon in 2015 only nets seven.

When good reason warrants, cannon added years ago without any reported markings may need to be removed.

Tom Batha send a detailed email in June 2015, providing good arguments to remove the two flank howitzers with no data reported for Clement, NY. I also searched for these in the summer of 2010, inquiring of several locals and came up empty handed as Tom has for years. Additionally, Tom suggested removing two Napoleons with no reported markings which were at Springfield Armory in Massachusetts. Tom remembers seeing them there in crates and they were shipped out from the armory circa 1982. The fifth reduction comes with the addition of IX-inch Dahlgren shell gun, Alger No. 258, at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Four IX-inch Dahlgren shell guns were report at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in 1997 as “former bollard not yet cleaned” and the only marking reported was for one gun with the Ordnance Inspector initials “WRT”.

No. 258 was inspected by William R. Taylor.

This summer will be my 10th year as keeper of the Registry and with some luck we may just top the century mark for new cannon added under my tenure.

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Dear Editor: I also read that you requested suggestions for articles. I would love to see some focus on black powder artillery from the time prior to the Civil War, going all the way back to the first artillery pieces. Articles on acquiring artillery would be wonderful, as well as the shooting of artillery pieces.

Rob Dear Rob: We try to have articles on Civil War black powder cannon in every issue.

Shooters are always welcome to submit cannon firing photographs.

Editor Dear Editor: Larry Babit’s The Tale of a Gun in the Winter 2015 edition of The Artilleryman magazine contained an error in the Acknowledgments, page 20: The Mariners Museum is not in Norfolk, but in Newport News, VA. Chris Rucker, Boiling Springs, SC Dear Chris: Thank you for clarifying the correct location. Editor Dear Editor: I just want to express my high regard for your latest issue.

Two topics you covered, “Raising the Guns” and “Searching for The French 75...”, I found VERY refreshing and interesting.

I found the article the M1912 Schneider/St. Chamond very interesting. Its better known older brother, the M1897 has long been a passion of mine. Last December I was at Verdun and bought a very neat 36 page booklet on “Le Canon DE 75” which is the best thing I have seen on the classic “75” , unfortunately it is only available in French. Photos are fantastic.

Beginning in 1917 the U.S. adopted the French 75 and used it

in many specialized modifications up until 1945. And I have seen many modifications, in Europe, done by the Germans, from their stock of captured M1897’s. It is without doubt, the most famous cannon of the 20th century.

Matthew C. Switlik Dear Matthew: Thank you for your comments and to Tom Batha for writing his informative article on the French 75. Editor Dear Editor: The Artilleryman should consider all aspects of artillery. Say from the revolution or Spanish period.

Justin Ruhge Dear Justin: We are open to articles on artillery from those time periods. Editor Dear Mr. Bartleson: Let me express my admiration for your articles and artwork in The Artilleryman magazine. Both of my parents were Naval officers in WWII, with my mother ranking my father. I guess that explains a lot.

My comments regarding your articles are based on my feeling that not all of the readers of The Artilleryman are as knowledgeable as us old farts and that we should remember that in our publications.

As an example, your recent article in the Winter 2015 issue of The Artilleryman on Hotchkiss fuzes has in the first paragraph, third sentence stating ...”The final version that was delivered to the battlefield” (where? when? and why was there a final version?),... “eliminated the solid lead plunger“ (what is a solid plunger? what does this mean and why is it important?), ...”for a brass sleeve” (what does this mean and why is brass important?), ...“filled with cast lead” (what is the significance of ‘cast’ lead versus any

other lead?)...”that also secured the brass restraining wire (....WHAT IS THIS?) ... “and percussion cap nipple.” (similar to a musket nipple?).

My suggestion is that I believe that those of us in the ‘mature’ Civil War community should consider in our publications the younger, less familiar, generation of Civil War enthusiasts and consider that our article maybe the first article that they have read on our subject. Are we writing for a small cadre of seasoned Civil War experts, who can interpret our expertise, or are we trying to disseminate our knowledge to the casual, but interested and perhaps, group of future historians?

Rob Zaworski, M.D. Dear Doctor Zaworski: Perhaps your father and I both will salute your mother or at least the memory of her service. As for myself I served for thirty years as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician.

I agree strongly that a newcomer to the magazine may not understand our terminology but I fear the majority of “old farts” may find it too boring and just look at the images and bypass reading all the text. So it becomes a matter of whom to please.

I have answered your questions below: Q. “The final version that was delivered to the battlefield” (where? when?)

A. I do not know when or where the last patent was issued to the troops.

Q. Why was there a final version?

A. There were two versions, the first having the plunger made of soft lead and the second or final version having the plunger make of a brass sleeve filled with lead. There were no further modifications or versions made.

Q. “eliminated the solid lead plunger” What is a solid plunger? What does this mean and why is it important?

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A. The plunger or sometimes referred to as slider or striker is the lead weighted brass sleeve that is the only moveable part of the fuze and reacts to the action of “setback” and “impact” at the firing of the shell and at impact with the target. It strikes the percussion cap against the anvil, the threaded closing disk on the forward end of the fuze body.

Q. “for a brass sleeve” (what does this mean and why is brass important?)

A. As the novice reads further he will find a description of the brass sleeve or cylinder beneath the large fuze quarter view.

Q. “Filled with cast lead” (what is the significance of ‘cast’ lead versus any other lead?)

A. Cast lead refers to molten lead that is poured into the brass sleeve to mount the percussion nipple and the brass restraining wire. After the molten lead solidifies and cools, a central hole is drilled through the center of this lead interior, from one end to the other and is filled with black powder. This column of powder is ignited by the action of the percussion cap striking the anvil. The spurt of flame ignites the main filler of the shell exploding the projectile.

Q. That also secured the brass restraining wire - WHAT IS THIS? A. The restraining or safety wire is cast into the rear portion of the plunger (striker) and secures the striker to the fuze body by the lead cone shaped pellet. The pellet wedges the rear end of the wire to the fuze body and secures the plunger movement during handling and loading. The pellet drops out as the projectile experiences setback at firing freeing the plunger to dash the percussion cap against the anvil.

Q. And “percussion cap nipple.”

(Similar to a musket nipple?).

A. Yes, the same cap used in rifles and pistols and other artillery percussion fuzes.

John D. Bartleson Jr. CWO4 USN/EOD (ret.)

6

The Artilleryman

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Courtesy of www.WhitworthSociety.org

S

Sir Joseph Whitworth everal years ago some images were sent to me

by Sgt. Maj. Charles Jack Wells, USA retired, now deceased. These images were so amazing that I immediately drew them to color plates for clarity and sent it to Jack and asked him to check my drawing for accuracy.

In reply, he mailed me a copy of the British patent issued for this extraordinary projectile. By British terms, it would be identified as a nose ejecting shrapnel shell, by our classification, a British Whitworth case shot.

For a few years following Jack’s incredible gift of these images, I inquired to several of my British colleague’s concerning this projectile but none had heard of a Whitworth case shot. Solid shot, shell and heat fired armor piercing yes, but no case shot.

Everyone, including myself, was searching for data or a patent under the name of Whitworth, when in fact the British patent was issued to Lt. Col. Edward Mounier Boxer, Royal Artillery of the Royal Arsenal; Woolwich, Kent, dated AD 1862 18 June No. 1517.

So Jack’s projectile was genuine and a British patent issued for it. So the question remained, was it a real part of the American Civil War? In 1862, the blockade runner Modern Greece, in an attempt to run the 8

The Artilleryman

Union blockade at Fort Fisher, ran aground and was shelled and sunk to prevent salvage by the Union. An immediate operation by the Confederates was begun and as a major element of the salvage was the four 12-pounder Whitworth rifles and an undetermined amount of its ammunition, powder and .577 Tower Enfield rifles and ammunition.

In 1962, U.S. Navy EOD divers and North Carolina officials conducted a second salvage of the ship and in accordance with a published, itemized survey, recorded by Leslie B. Bright of the North Carolina, Archaeology Section, Division of Archives and History, NC Dept. of Cultural Resources, Raleigh, NC, June 1977. Seventy-five 12-pounder Whitworth bolts and one case (ten) Whitworth case shot were removed from the Modern Greece. One

One of the participants holding a 12-pounder Whitworth bolt recovered from the Modern Greece.

Box of 12-pounder Whitworth bolts recovered from the Modern Greece. of the Whitworth case shots is on display at Fort Fisher. The Case for Case Shot is solved.

The operation is rather complex as the patent is phrased but straightforward in actual function.

The internal arrangement was patented for a 12-pounder Whitworth projectile and the most part appears like any other base initiated, nose ejecting case shot.

The area of the shot matrix is lined with paper to prevent the matrix from adhering to the side and the asphaltum (black pitch) matrix surrounds the layers of lead balls. Down the center is a flash tube filled with powder and connects through the pusher plate to the black powder ejection charge. The real change is located beneath a removable nose held in pace by shear pins.

At a selected time, a time fuse (not shown) will initiate the small flash charge that explodes and starts the flash tube powder to start a delayed

A B

E

B C

D

D

F D

G

H

D D

I J

G

E

K

J F G I Cross section of Whitworth case shot.

A: Brass British Boxer Percussion Fuze B: Cast Iron Removable Nose C: Two Brass Shear Pins D: Iron Segments E: Flash Powder F: Lead Case Shot Balls, 35 total, .685 diameter G: Flash Tube To Bursting Charge H: Paper Lining Inside Cavity I: Asphaltum (Black Pitch) Matrix J: Baffle or Pusher Plate K: Bursting Charge or Ejection Charge Data on projectile parts courtesy of Jack Wells.

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burn in the flash tube and also ejects the removable nose cap and the twelve segments are ejected forward followed by the detonation of the shell which separates into four pieces scattering the lead balls with the velocity and direction of the trajectory path. The shell body has four vertical grooves from base to nose to aid in the shell break up.

To my knowledge, there have been no other field recoveries of the 12-pounder Whitworth case shot, even from the Confederate salvage of the Modern Greece. At least fortyeight 12-pounder Whitworth case shot projectiles were stacked and strapped down on two concrete pads next to the two Whitworth cannon on the Gettysburg National Park Battlefield but were removed years ago. These can be seen in a postcard sold in Gettysburg titled West Confederate Avenue Showing Whitworth Guns. Gettysburg, PA. Surely more than just one box of case shot came with the four 12-pounder Whitworth rifles, but where are they?

A

B

E

H

I

D

F G

J K One of the ten 12-pounder Whitworth case shot projectiles recovered from the blockade runner Modern Greece and is on display in the Fort Fisher Historic Museum.

A: Brass British Boxer Percussion Fuze B: Cast Iron Removable Nose C: Two Brass Shear Pins (not shown) D: Iron Segments E: Flash Powder (powder removed) F: Lead Case Shot Balls 10

The Artilleryman

12-pounder British Whitworth case shot Boxer patent.

G: Flash Tube To Bursting Charge H: Paper Lining Inside Cavity I: Asphaltum (Black Pitch) Matrix J: Baffle or Pusher Plate K: Bursting Charge or Ejection Charge

The number 5 is stamped into the removable nose and also in the body.

These are most likely assembly numbers Diameter across the flats is 2.70 inches. Diameter across the ridges is 2.98 inches. Width of the ridges are .42 inches.

Diameter of the base is 2.26 inches. There are no lathe or finishing marks on the ridges.

12-pounder British Whitworth case shot Boxer patent.

Diameter: 2.70 inches Bore Diameter: 2.75 inches Cannon: 12-pdr. Whitworth Rifle Overall Length: 9.17 inches Length Without Fuse: 9.00 inches

British Boxer percussion fuze for the Whitworth case shot.

Weight: 11.6 pounds Construction: Case Shot Fusing System: Missing Provenance: Non-excavated Collection: Mike Ward

Radiograph of a 12-pounder British Whitworth case shot Boxer patent from the book Civil War Explosive Ordnance 1861-1865.

Text and illustrations by John D. Bartleson Jr., author and illustrator of the 1972 field guide for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel titled Civil War Explosive Ordnance 1861-1865 with radiographs.

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Engravings and text from the book Engineering: An Illustrated Weekly Journal. Conducted By Zerah Colburn. Vol. IV. From July To December, 1867. London: Office For Advertisements And Publication, 37, Bedford Street, Strand, W.C. 1867. Pages 190-191.

T

he general principles of Mr. Whitworth’s system of ordnance are now universally known, and the Paris Exhibition bas done much towards distributing further knowledge as to its details, raising the confidence of military and engineering authorities in the practicability of its application and showing the advantages which it is capable of affording when properly carried out on a large scale. One by one the prejudices against it disappear as the public becomes acquainted with the different facts placed before them in the shape of exhibited specimens, or in the records of experiments made with the Whitworth ordnance. One of the characteristic elements of the Whitworth system is the mechanical fit of the projectile, on idea at first very often misunderstood and objected to, as it was thought that the bore of the gun and the sides of the projectile formed a tight mechanical fit all over their respective surfaces.

It has been, therefore, very often imagined that the production of the projectile for a Whitworth gun was a matter of great expenditure and 12

The Artilleryman

difficulty. Such an idea is, however, far from being a correct one. The interior of a Whitworth gun is first bored out cylindrically, and when the rifling is completed a small portion of the original bore is retained along the centre of each of the sides of the hexagonal bore, and the other parts of each side recede or incline outwards towards the rounded angles, this inclination being proportionate to the thickness of fouling which is found when using bad powder. This design secures proper bearing surfaces for the hexagonal projectile, which is made smaller than the bore of the gun, and at the same time all unnecessary windage is avoided by this construction. The manufacture of the projectiles for Mr. Whitworth’s ordnance has been carefully and ingeniously worked out, and we now place before our readers engravings of the machines employed

by Mr. Whitworth for moulding and planing his hexagonal rifled shot.

Figs. 1 and 2 show the shot-moulding machine, as made and exhibited by the Whitworth Company, at Paris.

The shot or shell is as usual moulded in two halves, two machines, working

as one pair, being required for making the complete moulds. The machine consists of a cylindrical standard or frame, which carries upon its top the cast iron pattern of the respective half of the projectile, B, this pattern being a fixture and surrounded by a plate which has a hexagonal hole in its centre, and is capable of being moved up and down by means of a rack and pinion worked from the hand-wheel, D. This plate is at the same time free to turn upon its supports, so that it can follow the spiral lines of the rifling upon the pattern; and upon the plate is placed the sand-box, E, which is held in its position by a pair of projecting lugs. The sand-box being put in its place, and rammed full all round the pattern, the plate, C, is raised by means of the hand-wheel, D, and the mould is thus lifted off the pattern. The sandboxes being put together in pairs, the metal is teemed in the usual way. The operation of moulding by means of these machines is very accurate and expeditions. It is perfectly feasible to use the cast projectiles for the service of the gun without further preparation or finishing; but the operation of

planing the projectile, in the manner in which it is carried out, adds so little to the cost or time of manufacture, that Mr. Whitworth always prefers to finish his projectiles in the planing or shaping machine illustrated in Fig. 3.

This planing-machine consist, of a bed, somewhat similar to the bed of a small planing-machine, with its table worked by a screw. The standard, B, carries three tools, there being one vertical and two horizontal tools, of which latter one is used for the roughing, and the other for the finishing cut. The vertical tool is shown at C, and one horizontal cutter at D. It is preferred in the majority of cases to work with two tools only instead of three, and to pass over each surface twice, first with a roughing and afterwards with a finishing cut. The tool, C, is or the full width of the plane surface which it is required to cut, so that it does its work completely in one operation. The tool, D, is moulded to the rounded form given to the angles of the Whitworth shot, and it also finishes its work completely at each cut. The projectile is placed between two centres or beads, E E, which are connected to a long cylindrical bar, which has spiral grooves corresponding to the pitch of rifling cut into its surface, and which works through a fixed nut or guide bars, G, at the end of the bed A. The heads which hold the projectile are fixed to the sliding carriage, H, of the machine, which carriage is traversed upon the bed by the screw, S. The heads carrying the projectile against the tool-slide allow it to turn round its own axis, and the amount of twist is copied from the spiral grooves upon the guide-bar, which is drawn through its fixed nut as the sliding carriages moves upon the bed. An apparatus for dividing is provided at M, for correctly setting off the six sides of the projectile, these being cut each by itself. This machine is exhibited in operation at Paris. It is capable of finishing 150 lb. cast-iron shot on all sides and corners in six minutes, and it

is possible to produce such a projectile complete–viz., moulding, casting, planing, shaping, and finishing-ready for use in twenty-eight minutes. In this manner the extreme nicety and accuracy of the Whitworth system of rifling is at the same time a source of convenience and economy. It is virtually less expensive to plane and finish all the six sides and angles of a Whitworth shot than it is to fit one single brass pin into the projectiles now made at Woolwich for the service guns. This is principally due to the fact that the conditions necessary to be fulfilled in the Whitworth ordnance for producing the mechanical fit desired are fewer in number and simpler than those which a grooved gun imposes upon the manufacturer of the shot. The Whitworth rifling requires one correct plane surface for each side of the projectile; the grooved gun, on the contrary, demands for each pin, or set of pins which work in one groove, that they should fit at least

at two sides forming an angle with each other. It is, therefore, necessary to make two correct surfaces, and also to observe the correctness of the angle inclosed by these two surfaces. There are, therefore three elements which require consideration, measurement and accuracy, and which are liable to form sources of error. The Whitworth works are regularly making and selling the hexagonal projectiles, and at a price which is far below the cost of any other class of rifled shot and shell. It is obvious, from their nature and mode of manufacture, that these projectiles have no trouble nor difficulty in handling, storing, or transporting; they are not liable to be injured by rough usage nor by exposure, and that there is therefore no necessity for any unusual care in packing or storing them. With regard to their other qualities, and to the results obtained with them in practice, we refer our readers to our previous articles on the Whitworth ordnance.

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Title: The Monitor and Merrimac. Artist: J. O. Davidson. Published by L. Prang & Co. Boston, 1886. Courtesy Library of Congress.

CSS Virginia on the left and the USS Monitor on the right firing a shot at the Virginia. The USS Cumberland and USS Congress are in the background.

R

ecently a Civil War artillery shell was identified in Ogdensburg, New York, that appears to be the only known surviving shell actually fired by the CSS Virginia (also known as the Merrimack1).

An old note was taped to the shell that read as follows:

Fired by the Merrimack through the rigging of the Cumberland during the evening prior to her battle with the Monitor.

The shell was dug from the sand bank back of the Cumberland under the direction of General Rosh Judson of Ogdensburg, New York, after the close of the Civil War.

Projectile damage on the Monitor’s turret that were fired from the CSS Virginia the day after engaging with the USS Cumberland. This damage occurred during the famous Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, the first battle of two ironclad warships. Note the close proximity of at least three impressions from projectiles fired at the gun ports. Photograph by James Gibson.

Courtesy Library of Congress.

As is well documented, the CSS Virginia made its maiden voyage into combat on March 8, 1862, where it engaged and destroyed the USS Cumberland and the USS Congress, two of the heaviest Union Navy fighting ships, causing 241 Union casualties.2 The CSS Virginia deployed again on March 9th, where it unexpectedly encountered the USS Monitor, which had

just arrived from New York early that morning.3 The projectile is a 7-inch caliber Confederate Dahlgren shell. It measures 6.9 inches in diameter and 15.2 inches in length. The shell weighs 90.8 pounds, empty of explosive powder and without its fuse or lead sabot. 4 It was common for large fired projectiles to lose their sabots during flight, particularly those with

West Point Museum located next to the United States Military Academy in New York. A must see museum containing thousands of historic artifacts. lead sabots. The lead sabot for a comparable 7-inch Britten projectile weighs 11 pounds. Both the fuse and the explosive powder had been removed, probably before the shell was transported to Ogdensburg.

The only other known surviving 7-inch Confederate Dahlgren shell is an unfired one in the collection of the West Point Museum. Union officers collected it from a Confederate arsenal (probably Tredegar or the Richmond Naval Ordnance Works) after the war.

U.S. Ordnance officers then cut the sabot to study the method used to attach the sabot to the shell.5 No subsequent use of this particular shell design has been documented.

Both Confederate and Union artillery cannon and projectile designs advanced quickly during the war, so it is not unusual that many early war rifled projectiles were quickly made obsolete by projectile technical developments.

Documentation from the diary of Lieutenant (later Commander) John Brooke confirms that he designed these shells in late 1861. He candidly described his design as being of the Dahlgren pattern. Brooke noted in late 1861 that the Secretary of the Confederate Navy had ordered 200 of these shells to be manufactured by the Tredegar Foundry in Richmond for use by

the CSS Virginia for its initial deployment. In his diary, Brooke stated that the shell was to have been fused with a percussion fuse, almost certainly of the Archer design he had referred to earlier.6 Notes in Brooke’s files stated that Lt. Catesby ap Jones, the Ordnance Officer (and Executive Officer) of the CSS Virginia7 reported that Brooke’s CS Dahlgren shells had been rejected and that they planned to use 7-inch Britten projectiles provided from England via

Catesby ap R. Jones. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Source: U.S. Navy. Courtesy of his grandson.

General Roscius Winslow Judson According to the 142nd Infantry Regiment history, Colonel Judson was commissioned colonel on October 4, 1862 with rank from September 18, 1862. Being age 52 at that time, he was discharged on January 21, 1863, and was later promoted to brevet Brigadier General.

He returned to the Hampton, Virginia area after the war, where he oversaw the recovery of the Confederate made Dahlgren shell and returned to Ogdensburg, New York, with the shell, apparently as a souvenir. Judson’s obituary stated that he died on May 25, 1894, at 83 years old.

CDV courtesy ShilohRelics.com.

Title: The sinking of the “Cumberland” by the iron clad “Merrimac,” off Newport News Va. March 8th 1862. Artist: F. Newman. Published by Currier & Ives, New York, c1862. Courtesy Library of Congress.

Diameter: 6.9 inches Bore Diameter: 7.0 inches Gun: 9-inch Dahlgren Smoothbore bored to 7-inches and Rifled Length: 15.2 inches Construction: Shell

Fusing System: Percussion, Archer (missing) Fusing Material: Brass Sabot: Cup, lead Weight: 90.8 pounds (without the fuse, bursting charge and lead sabot) ArtillerymanMagazine.com

| Vol. 37, No. 2

19

the blockade-runner Fingal (later the CSS Atlanta).8 Until this Confederate Dahlgren shell was identified, it was assumed that the CSS Virginia had used only the 7-inch Britten projectiles. This assumption was supported by the recovery some years ago, by an oyster boat, of a lead sabot for a 7-inch Britten projectile in the area where the Virginia and the Monitor dueled on March 9, 1862.9 This assumption has now been overturned by the existence and history of this unique shell. So it appears certain that the CSS Virginia used both types of projectiles.

Research into the history of Rosh Judson provided interesting information. According to the Norfolk, New York, Town History, “The first white child born in this section was Roscius Judson, on August 7, 1810. He became a general in the Civil War.” According to the New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center, Colonel Roscius W. Judson received authority to recruit the 142nd Infantry Regiment of New York Volunteers in the then 17th Senatorial District of New York. The regiment was organized at Ogdensburg, New York, and there mustered in the service of the United States for three years September 29, 1862. (Note this was just after the Battle of Antietam and several months after the Virginia– Monitor duel).

The 142nd New York Infantry Regiment was deployed initially to the Washington, DC area in October 1862. The regiment participated in the 1863 Peninsula campaign as part of Gordon’s division. The regiment took heavy casualties during the first and second attacks on Fort Fisher in December 1864 and January 1865, with 99 killed or wounded. It was also part of the Cold Harbor attacks and fought at the Battles of Drewry’s Bluff, Bermuda Hundred, Fort Harrison, and Darbytown Road. Total casualties for the 142nd Regiment during the War were 129 killed or died of wounds, and 161 died of disease or other causes.10 20

The Artilleryman

Jack Bell is the author of Civil War Heavy Explosive Ordnance, a reference guide for collectors and curators on large artillery projectiles and mines. He is a longtime collector and researcher on Civil War artillery since first relic hunting with Tom Dickey in 1952. In his “other” life, Jack has served as a Marine in Vietnam, a private industry guy, and a senior executive in the Department of Defense and the State Department, with extensive work in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jack and his wife Gin live in Washington, DC. End Notes:

4. This is a relatively heavy shell for the

7-inch caliber rifled cannon. However, the rifled 7-inch cannon aboard the CSS Virginia that

fired these shells were IX-inch Dahlgren gun

blocks (castings) bored to a 7-inch caliber and rifled. See The Big Guns, by Olmstead, Stark and Tucker pp. 125-126.

5. A photograph of West Point’s unfired CS

Dahlgren shell can be seen on page 218 of my book Civil War Heavy Explosive Ordnance.

6. George M. Brooke, Jr., Ironclads and Big

Guns of the Confederacy, The Journal and Let-

ters of John M. Brooke, pp. 45 &49. Quotes from

Brooke’s Journal notes made on 3 November and 21 November 1861.

7. Jones actually commanded the CSS Vir-

1. The original USS Merrimack was the

ginia during the historic battle with the USS

the Union Navy when they abandoned the Gos-

Officer Franklin Buchanan, was wounded dur-

Union ship that was burned to the waterline by port Navy Yard (near Norfolk, Virginia) early in

the war. The CSS Virginia was built as an ironclad ship on the hulk of the Merrimack, but both

Monitor, because the Virginia’s Captain, Flag ing the March 8th battles with the Congress and the Cumberland.

8. George M. Brooke, Jr., Ironclads and Big

Union and Confederate officers often referred to

Guns of the Confederacy, The Journal and Letters

name of a different Union ship).

Brooke on 5 March 1862.

it as the “Merrimack” or “Merrimac” (actually the 2. Navy ORs, Series I, Volume 7, page 42.

of John M. Brooke. P. 70. Catesby Jones’ note to 9. See a photograph of the recovered 7-inch

3. For more details on the battle’s political

Britten sabot on page 152 of my book Civil War

see pages 19-22 of my book, Civil War Heavy Ex-

10. The Union Army: A History of Military Af-

and military implications and technical aspects, plosive Ordnance, published by the University of North Texas Press.

Heavy Explosive Ordnance.

fairs in the Loyal States, 1861-1865, Federal Publishing Co., Volume II, 1908.

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| Vol. 37, No. 2

21

W

hen asked to write this article the one request was to humanize the story – to bring it to life through the people connected to the artifact. First, there is the story of that very famous vessel and the historical battle(s) that frame the artifact – the USS Merrimackcum-Virginia versus the U.S. Navy.

Second, there is the story of the actual ordnance that is the topic of this article and the only surviving rifled 7-inch shell believed to have been fired by the Virginia during her entire presence at Hampton Roads. That projectile is described in detail in Jack Bells’ article

elsewhere in this publication. Third, the story of the vessel, the ordnance, and the battle is stitched around one particular individual so thoroughly as to be inseparable in the presentation of this one-of-a-kind artifact – CSN Lt. Catesby ap Roger Jones late of the U.S. Navy.

THE VESSEL

The story of the Virginia is widely known to most who follow naval affairs of that war. To re-capitulate, the ship was launched as the USS Merrimack on June 14th, 1855 at the Boston Navy Yard. One of six ships autho-

Side view of a Confederate 7-inch single-banded Brooke rifle, serial number 1740. Located at the Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. Courtesy Parker Lockridge.

22

The Artilleryman

rized by Congress on April 6th, 1854, the Merrimack was the first of her class of 44 gun auxiliary steam screw frigates that included the Colorado, Roanoke, Minnesota, Niagara and Wabash.

Commissioned February 20th, 1856, Merrimack undertook her maiden voyage on February 22nd with Lt. Catesby ap Roger Jones assigned as the Ordnance Lieutenant (the first USN officer ever so-designated). Commander John Dahlgren had charged Jones with completing sea trials to prove the new 9-inch Dahlgren guns could be efficiently deployed as the navy’s newest heavy broadside gun. Following a brief Caribbean shakedown, the Merrimack sailed to numerous ports of Europe. In October 1857, she was sent around Cape Horn to call on numerous Eastern ports. The frequently troubled ship eventually returned to Norfolk and was de-commissioned on February 16th, 1860. At that point, she was placed in long term storage.

Stripped of guns, rigging and most of her useful equipage, the Virginia remained helplessly at anchor until the war started.

As the looming conflict between north and south raised the concerns on both sides, the senior officers of the union navy were uncertain as to what action should be taken to protect the several ships and vast stores of supplies located at Norfolk. Under such duress, the Commanding Officer of the Navy Yard, very senior (some argue senile) Captain Charles Stewart

McCauley, prevaricated far too long to remove several vessels until it became necessary to scuttle them to prevent capture. The Merrimack was raised on May 30th, 1861 by the salvage firm B & J Baker Company of Norfolk, VA. The recovered hull was re-built at the Gosport dry dock to become the now famous ironclad. The responsibility for the ordnance on the innovative vessel was assigned to none other than Lt. Catesby ap Roger Jones.

ORDNANCE

The compliment of guns on the Virginia featured a 7-inch Brooke rifle at the bow pivot, down each side a 6.4inch Brooke Rifle, a 9-inch Dahlgren smoothbore hotshot gun, two 9-inch Dahlgren Shell Guns and at the stern pivot position another 7-inch Brooke Rifle. The stern position also featured two steam guns intended to repel boarders. Two 12-pounder howitzers are also shown on her list of ordnance, but no mention is made of their ever being fired. All Brooke rifles deployed on the Virginia were single-banded versions manufactured at the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond. Perhaps Virginia’s deadliest weapon was the 1,500-pound iron ram at her bow.

Long believed to have been provided only with explosive shells of the Britten pattern acquired from England, 9-inch shells and some 9-inch round hotshot projectiles on that Saturday, the recently disclosed attribution of the mysterious Confederate Dahlgren pattern rifled shell provides a new insight into the story.

Muzzle of 6.4-inch Brooke rifle, serial number 1652. Located at the Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. Courtesy Parker Lockridge. had as much water under her hull as possible (Virginia’s draft was at least 22 feet). Bellowing heavy black smoke Virginia’s approach caught the ships of Union Flag Officer Louis M. Goldsborough completely unprepared for a fight. Several of the ships captains

of the flotilla were not even aboard their ships and Goldsborough himself was completely absent while assisting General Ambrose Burnside with the ongoing federal assault on the outer banks of North Carolina. Recognizing the approach of the sinister looking vessel as none other than the dreaded “Rebel ram”, the union crews frantically scrambled to battle stations with their Saturday laundry still fluttering from the lines on an otherwise perfect day. The course chosen by Buchanan would carry the Confederate ironclad past the USS Congress on a course leading straight to the USS Cumberland.

The Confederate commanders’ determination to first strike the Cumberland was due to the rumor that the old frigate was armed with rifled guns that he and Jones’ both knew might be capable of piercing amour plate like that on the Virginia. Passing the Congress Buchanan ordered his crew to fire at the older wooden vessel with broadside guns. The impact on the Congress was telling. Fires were started by the hotshot rounds and the effect of the explosive shells left men wounded and dying on her decks.

BATTLE FACTS

At 11 AM on March 8th, Buchanan ordered all remaining workmen off the boat and the lines of the still unfinished Virginia cast off. So began the maiden voyage of the ship that would deliver the worst defeat of the U.S. Navy from its founding until December 7th, 1941 at Pearl Harbor.

Seeking to take advantage of highest tide, Buchanan wanted to attack the unwary Union flotilla when his vessel

J.R.A. & Co. / T. F. stamped on the trunnion for Joseph R. Anderson & Co. Tredegar Foundry. Courtesy Parker Lockridge.

Clearing the Congress Buchanan held course and fire until less than 1,500 yards from Cumberland. Lt. Charles Carroll Simms fired the first round from the 7-inch bow gun. That round struck the Cumberland on the ships rail and sent deadly splinters across her deck. The second round from the same gun dismounted the Cumberland’s forward pivot gun killing or disabling the entire gun crew.

During her approach, the ironclad was pelted by rounds from both ships and shore battery’s – to no effect. Jones, ever the consummate ordnance officer, had ordered that the plates of the ironclad be greased to make them more likely to deflect any rounds striking her. This, together with the 35º angle of her sloping armored sides, provided

such protection as to make Virginia almost invulnerable to enemy fire.

It had always been Buchanan’s plan to use the ram on the bow of the Virginia to attack the wooden warships of his enemy. When the Virginia struck the Cumberland on her forward starboard quarter, the ram did effective work. A huge hole was opened and it was clear to most that the larger ship was mortally wounded. Now deeply embedded in the hull of the old frigate Virginia was seemingly destined to sink with her victim. Ultimately, the laboring ironclad backed away from her prey but only with great difficulty. The ram was defective and only when it broke off did the Virginia free herself and escape being dragged to her watery end.

Once freed the ironclad swung into a

Richmond, Virginia. View of the Tredegar Iron Works, April 1865, with footbridge to Neilson’s Island. Alexander Gardner, photographer. Courtesy Library of Congress.

position parallel to her now rapidly sinking prey. From a distance of about 100 yards, the two ships fired multiple broadsides at one another with the guns of the Virginia doing devastating damage while absorbing the fire of her adversary with near impunity.

It was likely that at this point that the mysterious and extremely rare 7-inch C.S. Dahlgren rifled shell was fired. This being said, the one question that must be asked is what other possibilities were there for this shell to have been fired from a different ship or gun?

A review of the ordnance of the other ships comprising the Confederate flotilla (Patrick Henry, Raleigh, Jamestown, Teaser and Beaufort) indicates that none of the other ships carried a 7-inch rifle.

The only other 7-inch rifle used by the

Confederate flotilla that day was apparently the aft pivot gun of the Virginia. It would certainly have been used once the Virginia and Cumberland began the exchange of broadsides.

Buchanan then ordered the unwieldy ironclad to maneuver to a point just up-channel of Newport News to turn back towards the Congress. In those maneuvers, she exchanged fire with the Union shore batteries. In such an exchange it is clearly obvious that both 7-inch rifles would have been employed. So, the only question remains, which tube was used to fire the shell in question – the bow pivot rifle commanded by Simms or the aft commanded by Lt. John Taylor Wood?

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 research has included a very detailed examination of the Selma/Confederate Naval Gun Foundry & Ordnance Works and the story behind the production of the best large cannon produced anywhere in the world at the time. He can be reached at welhunter@ aol.com.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Sources:

Carl Park, Ironclad Down, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, 2007.

Edward E. Barthell, Jr., The Mystery of the Merrimack, Dana Printing Company, Muskegon, MI, 1959.

W. S. Mabry, Brief Sketch Of The Career Of Captain Catesby ap R. Jones, Privately printed, Selma, AL, 1912.

John V. Quarstein, The CSS Virginia, Sink Before Surrender, The History Press, Charleston, SC, 2012.

History, Competition & Comaraderie

The N-SSA is America’s oldest and largest Civil War shooting sports organization. Competitors shoot original or approved reproduction firearms at breakable targets in a timed match. Some units compete with cannons and mortars. All teams represent a specific Civil War regiment or unit and wears the uniform they wore over 150 years ago. Dedicated to preserving our history, period firearms competition and the camaraderie of team sports with friends and family, the N-SSA may be just right for you.

For more information visit us online at W W W. N - S S A .O R G

T

his cannon is a reproduction of an 8-inch Tredegar Columbiad smoothbore gun from a pattern that was originally cast in 1863.

The new casting is made of cast iron from a foundry in Chattanooga, and weighed 11,000 pounds unfinished.

After boring and finishing the exterior, the approximate weight is 8,600 pounds. To fire it safely it was sleeved with a ½ inch steel liner and has a 3 inch thick breech plug.

Ratcheting notches, on the rear of the breech, were hand cut as the originals were cut at Tredegar.

The gun will be mounted at Fort Macon, NC, and fired during special occasions. It will be the largest reproduction cannon in use in North Carolina and probably the country.

8-inch Tredegar Columbiad

Tom Bailey (bottom left), owner of Historical Ordnance Works in Woodstock, GA, pulls the lanyard firing the massive 8-inch Columbiad smoothbore gun to proof it for Fort Macon, NC. Historical Ordnance Works was contracted to make the reproduction Tredegar barrel.

26

The Artilleryman

Consignments Wanted

Fairfield, Maine Auctions, March 11-15, Gross nearly $19 Million

Every year in March, two separate firearms auction companies ( James D. Julia, Inc. & Poulin Auctions) conduct firearm auctions back to back in Fairfield, Maine. Each time these auctions occur, the results generate the largest offering and largest sales gross for firearms auction events anywhere in the world. March 14th & 15th, Julia’s held a much anticipated sale which grossed well over $14 million. 300 items generated $10,000 or better, 45 items realized over $50,000, and 19 items generated over $100,000. There was a great depth of participation in nearly all categories of guns. Immediately prior to their auction, Poulin’s auction grossed approximately $4 million.

James D. Julia, Inc. is now accepting individual consignments and entire estate collections for our October 2016 sale. This will be another spectacular sale of rare and historic arms. Already included are important Colts, Winchesters, high-end sporting arms, rare Civil War, important military and Class-3 and much more. James D. Julia, Inc. is the leading auction house in the world for rare, high-end and expensive guns. In addition, the special 0% seller’s commission on high-end, expensive guns is the best published rate in the industry. Why not consider the best auction house in the world, offering the lowest terms in the world, to sell your quality goods for some of the best prices in the world. Also, Julia’s new Sporting and Collector session now offers the finest venue in the world for middle-market or moderately priced firearms. Call today to learn more about how James D. Julia, Inc. can and will best serve you.

Below is a sampling of the successes for our consignors in our March 2016 sale

ar.

Colt Model 1883 U.S. Navy Gatling Gun w/2 drum magazines (sold separately) (combined est. $158,000-265,000)

Sold $346,150

Rare “Sisterdale Texas” Dragoon Army Revolver (est. $150,000-250,000) (Bryan Collection)

Sold for $253,000

Rare Civil War Model 1861 Parrott Rifle Cannon Made For State of NY; Believed To Have Been Used

By New York Light Artillery at The Battle of Gettysburg In The Wheatfield (est. $40,000-65,000)

Sold for $80,500

Remember:

Seller’s Commission Rates on High Value Items as low as...

0

% Confed. LeMat ID’d to Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard, SN 8 (Bryan Collection) (est. $200,000-300,000)

Sold for $224,250

Contact: Francis Lombardi or Wes Dillon | Email: firearms@jamesdjulia.com | Tel: + 1 207 453-7125 Fax: (207) 453-2502 | Web: www.jamesdjulia.com | Auctioneer: James D. Julia | Lic#: ME:AR83 | MA: AU1406 | NH 2511

This brass cannon sight was manufactured for a Blakely rifle and was recovered from the wreck of the blockade runner SS Georgiana. This sight no doubt was intended for one of the two field artillery Blakely rifles included in her cargo that are now on display in the South Carolina Military Museum in Columbia, SC. Inside diameter of the circle is slightly larger than 9 inches. The brass sight is 10.79 inches long and is stamped with the number 2 on the back side. The sight is marked with degrees (numbers) 4-12 that are visible on the front.

There is also a number 2 stamped on the ring. The brass sight is adjusted up or down and held in place by a simple thumbscrew. All artifacts on this page are courtesy The Atlanta History Center, Thomas S. Dickey Sr. Collection.

On March 19, 1863, while on her maiden voyage, the captain of the SS Georgiana ran her aground to avoid capture by the USS Wissahickon and USS Housatonic. After running it aground, the captain ordered the ship to be scuttled and burned. The ship was attempting to run through the Union blockade into Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.

Both projectiles were recovered from the wreck of the Georgiana. Left is a Britten bolt and right is a Britten shell for the Blakely rifled cannon on the next page.

There are no known Civil War battlefield recoveries of either Britten projectile shown.

28

The Artilleryman

Muzzle view showing Blakely’s unique hook slant rifling.

F

eaturing a unique hook slant rifling design, the above-pictured Type II Blakely rifled cannon are 61 inches in length with a bore of 2.9 inches and an outside muzzle circumference measuring 16.25 inches.

Each cannon also possesses a 7.13 inch diameter ring whereby the brass sights are attached. Weighing in at 500 pounds apiece, the wire wrapping at the breech was introduced to handle the more compressed powder charges and to ultimately increase their range of fire.

Invented by Theophilus Blakely, a former CPT of the British Royal Artillery, and manufactured in 1862 by W.

G. Armstrong-Whitworth & Company Ltd. of London, these cannon were mounted on the Confederate cruiser SS Georgianna before she was scuttled – as previously noted – on her maiden voyage. In the late 1980s, some of the Georgianna’s cargo was raised off the Isle of Palms, SC, and the rare cannon recovered and conserved.

Today, the South Carolina Military Museum in Columbia, SC, is home to the only Type II Blakely rifled cannon known in existence. Located across from Williams-Brice Stadium and inside the T. Eston Marchant National Guard Complex, the Museum’s mission is to honor the South Carolina soldier and chronicle the Palmetto’s

State’s martial tradition from 1670 – when the colony of Carolina was founded – to present day operations worldwide.

Finally, as an interesting sidebar, the Georgianna and her cargo belonged to banker and Confederate Secretary of the Treasury George Alfred Trenholm of Charleston. The charismatic and handsome Trenholm was indeed a Confederate “patriot” but also a bona fide war profiteer. Thus, according to at least Margaret Mitchell’s descendants, the dashing Trenholm was the real-life inspiration for the famous Rhett Butler of Gone with the Wind fame. – Steven Jeffcoat

ArtillerymanMagazine.com

| Vol. 37, No. 2

29

I

n the early 1600s, King Christian IV of Denmark, a feudal lord of the Oldenburg dynasty, wanted to be viewed by the world as a man who was not only cultivated but also as a strong military leader. What better way to show such power than by building an armory? The armory construction began in 1600 and finished in 1604 to house all the weapons of the king and his kingdom. Today you can walk through the same building that is now a museum in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Royal Danish Arsenal Museum, founded in 1928, has one of the largest existing weapons collections of both heavy artillery and light weapons. The museum assembled the historical arms collection of Denmark with other collected works relating to military history, including military vehicles.

The second floor houses the “Denmark at War” exhibition detailing 21 wars from the 1500s to today. The Dano-Swedish Wars, the English Wars, the War of 1864 and World War II are all included. There are hundreds of exhibits displaying around 4,500 guns and pistols, along

30

The Artilleryman

with uniforms, medals, amour, and posters. The Distant War exhibition aims to create the environment of the war in Afghanistan.

The building boasts the longest arched ceiling in Europe.

It is over 511 feet long and 58 feet wide and was originally part of Christian IV’s naval harbor complex. It is called the Cannon Hall and houses over 150 cannons dating from the 16th century to present day as well as other military equipment.

The array of cannons in the Cannon Hall is vast with guns made from cast iron and bronze in the exhibits. There are Howitzer’s, Bofors, Hærens, Gamle Konger, Sachsen, and Oldenburgs. As well as fortress guns, coastal artillery guns, field guns, smooth bore, rifled, and mortars in block. The cannons range in size from small ones used for saluting to heavy guns used in the late 19th century in the costal fortification of Copenhagen. Many of the guns in the arsenal have been used in the wars Denmark has fought.

However, some are presentation cannons with elaborate designs. One example is a 27-pounder,

demi-cannon cast in 1633 by royal gun-founder Felix Fuchs. The gun was a gift from King Christian IV to a relative, Count Anthon Günther of Oldenburg. The gun’s surface is completely covered by three genealogical trees with 512 individual cartouches, and is over 10 feet in length. Each cartouche bears a name and coat of arms in low relief. The muzzle, dolphins, cascabel and underside is covered with intertwined tree branches. The gun took Fuchs three years to complete and is one of a set.

The building is an architectural masterpiece, built of iron and steel with old cobblestone floors on which sat hundreds of cannons and mortars. Admission to the museum is free but plan to spend the whole day as there is so much to see. Guided tours are offered, which I recommend to learn the history of each exhibition. Strolling through this museum gives the visitor a unique opportunity to see mankind’s knowledge expand in the creation of weaponry.

Reba Matlock, a freelancer writer, is a native Missourian who has a passion for history and travel. An avid visitor to Europe, her travels center on historical locations and museums which she writes about on her travel blog.

ArtillerymanMagazine.com

| Vol. 37, No. 2

31

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GOEX l SCHUETZEN SKIRMISH l KIK l SWISS We ship mixed 5, 10 & 25 lb. cases Cap and Ball Pistol Loaders RWS Musket, #11 caps, Schuetzen musket caps and Friction Primers

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Artillery Drawings Contact us for a catalog sheet. Drawings with dimensions of carriages, limbers, ammunition chests and more.

Antique Ordnance Publishers PO Box 610434 Port Huron, MI 48061

AOrdP434@comcast.net • (810) 987-7749

FALL SHOW & SALE

DuPage Co. Fairgrounds

WHEATON, IL 2015 W. Manchester • Wheaton, IL 60189

715-526-9769 • www.zurkopromotions.com

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Each of the gun crew are in their first positions for executing the loading and firing commands. In the foreground, from right to left, is #1, #3, with the Gunner behind the gun trail. In the background are #2 in front of #4. Behind these men are three men from the limber who carry rounds to the gun and assist the gun crew with positioning and handling the cannon. Left to right: Jesse Bailey, John McKinnell, Alan Becton, Frank Edwards and Anthony Winegar.

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The Artilleryman

“LOAD!” results in the first steps in the choreography as each crewman simultaneously begins preparing the gun for firing.

E

very gun crew learned and practiced a standardized gun drill until they could do it rapidly and without mistakes. No doubt – in combat – they did the drill even faster.

The following photographs show the positions for each crewman and, stepby-step, illustrate the intricate “ballet” necessary to quickly and safely load and fire a cannon on the field of battle. While only five commands are required to aim, load, and fire the gun – it required eight men to simultaneously execute those commands.

One gun and its crew was a detachment. The chief of the piece, the Gunner, was normally a sergeant, and in charge of the gun; there was a corporal in charge of the limber. The “spare men” of the Battery were anyone not assigned to the gun crews. Instead they took care of the horses and equipment. Those men who were assigned to the “numbered positions” of the gun crews had both status within the battery and pride in themselves.

The numbered cannoneers were: #1, who swabbed the bore and rammed the load; #2 loaded the charge and projectile into the muzzle;

#3 tended the vent and assisted in aiming; #4 primed and fired the piece at the command of the sergeant; #5 carried the round to #2; #6 had charge of the limber and cut fuses; and #7 carried the round from the limber to keep #5’s pouch filled. The Gunner’s position was between the gun and limber placed to aim the gun and command

the crew with “Load,” “Sponge,” “Ram,” “Ready,” and “Fire.” (Additional commands were used to control the positions of crewmen or to interrupt normal routine if a fault occurs.)

When going into action, the gun was driven into position; the gun was detached from the limber by the cannoneers and brought to bear on the target. The following “evolution” is the steps performed by the gun crew when preparing the cannon for firing.

The #1 man would, if necessary, use the worm to remove any material from the bore, and always swab it with a damp sponge-rammer. The Gunner would decide the range, and yell it to #6 at the limber along with the type of round required. Then the Gunner would mount the sight, or sight along the barrel, and begin to aim the gun. #6 would prepare the round, using the Firing Table in the limber box to choose fuse time. #7 would carry the round to the #5 man who delivered it to the #2 man standing by the muzzle of the gun. #2 would then position a round in the muzzle of the gun for the #1 man to ram down the bore. All this time, the #3 man has covered the vent to keep air from any hot embers that may be present in the vent hole and

View from the enemy’s perspective: illustrates the numbered positions of the crewman. This shows deliberate placement to have the first rank protect the men behind them in second rank. Chuck Winchester is holding the sponge.

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Original white buff thumb stall with leather wrist ties. Note the reinforced thumb for extra protection from the hot vent. Courtesy The Atlanta History Center.

First motion of the loading procedure

barrel of the gun, thereby extinguishing them.

When the round is seated, #1 and #2 moved to the wheels of the gun and #3 to the trail spike, where he would assist the Gunner by moving the gun left or right. After the Gunner is satisfied with his targeting, he removes the rear sight and steps back from the gun.

At the command “Ready�, the #3 man would use a pick (the priming wire) to pierce the powder bag. The #4 man inserts a primer, attached to the lanyard, into the vent and steps back while #3 helps by keeping the lanyard taut. At this time, with the cannoneers safely away from the gun, it is ready to fire. Upon command of the Chief of the piece, #4 pulls the lanyard firing the cannon. #1, #2, and #3 move the gun back into battery (correct position) after its recoil; and the cycle starts again until ordered to cease fire.

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Original sponge bucket illustrating all of the individual parts of its construction. Courtesy The Atlanta History Center.

#3 (John McKinnell) places his leather thumb stall over the vent during the sponging of the bore. The action of the sponge pushing air towards the breech might set off any unburned black powder potentially causing serious injury to the #1 man. #1 (Frank Edwards) wetting the sponge before inserting it into the barrel. The wet sponge would extinguish any embers left from the prior firing. This was critical to safety as one ember could ignite the propellant charge prematurely.

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At the same time as the gun crew is readying the gun to be fired, the limber crew is preparing a round to load the gun.

Top, pictured in their assigned positions are the ammunition bearer, #5, with the Chief of the limber, #6 (Richard Areingdale) ready behind the limber to cut fuses, and #7 (Gordon Jones) between the two.

Center, #5 is selecting a round while #7 holds the lid to the ammunition chest.

Right, after setting the fuze to the correct length, #6 carefully places the primed round into to the #5 ammunition bearer pouch to carry it to the gun.

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The Artilleryman

Above, the Gunner (Jesse Bailey) inspects the ready round in the ammunition pouch of the #5 (Scott Riddle) ammunition bearer.

Top Left: Original leather gunner’s haversack with strap.

Stamped on the outer flap is ALLEGHENY / ARSENAL / 1864. (see photograph below)

Left, the #2 loader (Anthony Winegar) takes the round from #5 (Scott Riddle) to place it in the bore for ramming.

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The #2 man places the round in the bore for ramming home by #1 man.

The sponge shows that ram on the opposite end has pushed the round firmly into the bottom of the gun barrel beneath the vent hole.

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The Artilleryman

Left, the pick or priming wire, is inserted by #3 man to punch a hole in the powder sack rammed down to the bottom of the bore.

Above, the friction primer is inserted into the vent with the lanyard trailing off to the left by #4 man. Pulling the lanyard fired the friction ignited primer extending down to the propellant charge.

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Original field artillery lanyard and brass friction primer. Courtesy The Atlanta History Center.

The #3 man is holding the lanyard securely in position fully inserted into the vent. This prevents the #4 man from pulling the lanyard with the friction primer raised out of the vent. If the friction primer was lifted out of the vent the #4 man could possibly pull the primer over preventing the ignition of the gun.

Everyone is in their “ready” position awaiting the Gunner’s command to “Fire!!” The #4 man (Alan Becton) is holding the lanyard taught and actually fires the cannon upon command by the Gunner.

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The Artilleryman

Cyrus Alger Patent 12-Pounder Malleable Iron Field Howitzer Model of 1836, No. 2

By John L. Morris

Alger patent malleable cast iron howitzer Model of 1836, Registry No. 2. Courtesy of Skinner, Inc. This howitzer was formerly located in the Mount Hope Earthworks section of Fort Ticonderoga, New York, until de-accessed via Skinner Inc. , an auctioneer, in 2015. Markings noted include right trunnion “C.A. PATENT” in two lines, upper breech face “2 / 721 / G.T.” in three lines, and left trunnion “1837.” The patent refers to Cyrus Alger’s letters patent No. 208, of May 30, 1837. The howitzer survives intact as shown except that the cascabel was broken off years ago.

Additional information on this howitzer is found in Olmstead, Edwin et al, Field Artillery Weapons of the Civil War, Associated University Presses, Cranbury, NJ, 1983. From source cited, pp. 72: “Cyrus Alger and Co. Malleable Cast Iron Field Howitzers, Model of 1836. Cyrus Alger also produced four malleable cast iron howitzers, known as the Model of 1836 (table 4.1, line E). These were identical with those of bronze, and were 6.77 inches longer than those of cast iron made at the same time by West Point Foundry.

None has yet been found.”

Artillery Irons – Cast Steel Carriage Parts Ltd (865) 573-8045 No. 1 Field Carriage Irons, Field Limber Irons, Field Ammo Chest Irons, 1st Model Prairie, No. 2 Field Carriage Irons & Misc Parts 1017 Russwood Drive • Knoxville, TN 37920 Email: ken.creswell@comcast.net

Markings on upper breech face.

www.cannonpartsltd.com ArtillerymanMagazine.com

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COL L ECT ION

Soldiers of 5th Ohio Cavalry with Horses and 12-pounder Mountain Howitzer

T

Liljenquist Family Collection (Library of Congress). he 5th Ohio Cavalry Regiment was originally organized as the 2nd Ohio Cavalry at Camp Dick Corwin, near Cincinnati, Ohio.

Governor William Dennison changed their designation during November 1861 to the 5th Cavalry Regiment.

Colonel William H. H. Taylor was the commander of this regiment.

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The Artilleryman

In February 1862, the 5th Cavalry was transported down the Tennessee River near Pittsburg Landing and later participated in a raid on the Confederate supply lines in Mississippi. The Confederates were located near the Shiloh Chapel in March of 1862. On the 15th, the 5th Cavalry engaged the Confederate forces in skirmishes over the next few

weeks. On April 6-7, 1862, during the Battle of Shiloh, the 5th Cavalry took place in a series of charges towards the Confederate infantry positions.

The 5th Cavalry was part of the 3rd Battalion in the army commanded

by Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans.

The 3rd Battalion fought during the Battle of Corinth, Mississippi, under Rosecrans. After the regiment left

U.S. 12-pounder Mountain Howitzer and Limber of the 5th Ohio Cavalry Liljenquist Family Collection (Library of Congress).

Corinth, they moved their base of operations to Memphis, Tennessee.

During the Battle of Davis Mill, near Michigan City, Mississippi, the 1st and 3rd Battalions artillery fired 200 rounds in the same position against the Confederates who were commanded by Sterling Price and Earl Van Dorn. The 5th Ohio Cavalry guarded the Memphis & Charleston Railroad during early 1863 and raided into Mississippi serving with the XVI Corps supporting Ulysses S. Grant’s Vicksburg Campaign.

In October of 1863, the 5th Cavalry joined William T. Sherman’s campaigns around Chattanooga, Tennessee, and participated in the battles in

that area. They continued with Sherman to Knoxville and went to Huntsville, Alabama, where they wintered.

General Sherman started the Atlanta Campaign in early 1864 and the 5th Ohio Cavalry served with him. During the years of hard service caused the 5th to lose most of its horses so they had to act as infantry during Sherman’s campaign. After Atlanta, the regiment was attached to Ma. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick’s command where they participated in Sherman’s March to the Sea. On November 28, 1864, Kilpatrick was almost captured at the Battle of Buck Head Creek. During the battle the 5th Ohio Cavalry halted Confeder-

ate General Joseph Wheeler’s advance.

The 5th marched to Savannah with Sherman and arrived in December 1864. In early 1865, during the Carolinas Campaign in South and North Carolina, the 5th Cavalry fought in skirmishes and in two significant battles where they took severe casualties.

The 5th Ohio Cavalry remained on active duty for a few months after the war ended serving as picket duty in North Carolina and were mustered out on October 30, 1865. The regiment losses were 1 officer and 26 enlisted men killed, 3 officers and 140 enlisted men die from disease or sickness for a total of 170 casualties.

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Closeup of the soldiers of 5th Ohio Cavalry with horses and their 12-pounder Mountain Howitzer.

Liljenquist Family Collection (Library of Congress).

WWI Field Cannon Model 1906

Civil War Deck Cannon

4.7-inch, with limber. Hard-to-find Northwestern Ordnance Co. Ready for easy restoration. U.S. Army’s standard medium field gun in 1917, with 60 in service. Production was increased when the U.S. entered WWI. Northwestern Ordnance Co. produced 98 more of them in Madison, WI during 1918. Limber has stamp on it that reads Rock Island Arsenal. $21,900 or reasonable offer.

We believe this to be one of the original 6 Ordnance rifles converted. No. 11 P.I.C 1861, 813 lbs. TTSL, complete with original U.S. base. Manufacturer: Phoenix Iron Co. Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, Model 1861. Maximum Range 1,830 yards. Barrel/Tube length 69 inches. Original Bore: 3 inches converted to 3.18 inches. This gun was altered to a breech loader at Fort Mackenzie, Wyoming. $17,000 or reasonable offer. (Source: Wayne Stark’s notes)

Located in California. Call Jeff for more information (916) 410-3993 46

The Artilleryman

News from the U.S. Army Artillery Museum We finished 2015 with an annual attendance of 30,471 visitors which includes 5,027 military students who received their Field Artillery heritage training here. This quarter we completed the acquisition of the William Emerson Collection of Artillery Insignia, Marksmanship Badges, and Chevrons, a total of nearly 300 pieces. This collection includes a number of very rare and sole known examples of 19th and 20th century insignia.

The South Gallery got two new exhibits this quarter.

The first traces the evolution of artillery ignition systems from the linstock of the Revolutionary War to the friction primer of the Civil War. The exhibit includes a militia portfire case and both a flint and percussion cannon lock. The second new case exhibits a variety of early artillery impleEarly Implements exhibit. ments used from the Revolutionary War through the Mexican War, including an early gunner’s haversack made at Washington Arsenal in 1832.

In mid-November, we began work on a major new project in the World War I area. When completed, this life size diorama will portray an American gun crew firing their French 75mm gun at a high angle on a nearby German position.

In December, a number of pieces that have been refurbished at the Logistics Readiness Center (LRC) paint shop were moved back to the museum area. This includes three rare pieces slated to go Artillery Ignition Systems exhibit. into the new addition of the museum: M41 155mm Howitzer Motor Carriage, M5A1 Hi-Speed Tractor and the M107 175mm SelfPropelled Gun. M5A1 Hi-Speed Tractor when it Gordon A. Blaker arrived at the Director/Curator museum.

U.S. Army Artillery Museum 238 Randolph Road, Fort Sill, OK 73503. Phone: (580) 442-1819 Website: http://sill-www.army.mil/FAMuseum Email: Gordon.a.blaker.civ@mail.mil

A small portion of the Emerson Collection

Refurbished M5A1 Hi-Speed Tractor.

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REPRODUCTION OF BRITISH 3 LB BATTALION 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: 918791-1262; kalbosjk@sbcglobal.net 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, phone 865-932-1200, email akm556@ aol.com, www.trailrockordnance.com.

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: AOrdP434@ comcast.net

TWO SPONGE BUCKETS, close reproductions, $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. $3,850.00. If interested please contact Bill Anderson. Phone 757-870-5493.

ORIGINAL U.S. 3-INCH ORDNANCE RIFLE for sale. Muzzle info: JHVF, No. 673, P.I. Co., 1863, 816 lbs. Beautiful tube with excellent sharp markings. Has front sight and rear sight base. $34,000.

Carriage option available. Contact Rex at racockerham@hotmail.com or phone 704364-8255 and leave me voicemail.

W anted

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

David Kornely ~ Collector

dkornely@ec.rr.com • (910) 540-6540

Artillery Goodies For Sale 1.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Call or email for more details and pictures.

Trail Rock Ordnance

1754 Little Valley Rd • Blaine TN 37709 • 865-932-1200 • Akm556@aol.com

www.trailrockordnance.com

48

The Artilleryman

Bronze mortar from the Georgius Rex period of King George II (1727-1760)

George Weller Juno

11311 S. Indian River Drive • Fort Pierce, Florida 34982 770-329-4985 • gwjuno@aol.com