Artilleryman Magazine Fall 2018 Sample Issue

Vol. 39, No. 4 Fall 2018 $8.00

Also in this issue: Archaeological Excavations at a Confederate Battery • Historical Artillery of Le Hôpital des Invalides Coastal Artillery at Fort Moultrie • 100-Pounder Navy Parrott Shells Confederate 2.25-Inch Projectile Identified • The Evolution of Brooke Sabots

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The Artilleryman | Fall 2018 | Vol. 39, No. 4

CONTENTS

6

18

COASTAL ARTILLERY OF FORT MOULTIRE

The guns located inside Fort Moultrie, South Carolina. By Jim Morgan with Jack Melton and Mike Ryan.

HISTORICAL ARTILLERY OF LE HOSPITAL DES INVALIDES, LE MUSEE DE L’ARMEE, PARIS FRANCE

A trip to the home of the French musée d’artillerie. By Philip Schreier Senior Curator, NRA Museums.

26

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS OF A CONFEDERATE ARTILLERY BATTERY

32

A RAIN SOAKED N-SSA 137TH NATIONAL COMPETITION

42

100-POUNDER NAVY PARROTT SHELLS

46

CASE CLOSED – WILLIAM RUSHTON’S 2.25-INCH PROJECTILE!

54

THE EVOLUTION OF BROOKE SABOTS

63

NEWS FROM THE U.S. ARMY ARTILLERY MUSEUM

64

THE ARTILLERIST BOOKSHELF

Archaeologist in Florida perform a dig at the Hammock Landing Battery site. By Brian Mabelitini.

Pouring rain, endless mud, and wet wool didn’t prevent the N-SSA artillery teams from .enjoying live-fire shooting at the National Skirmish. By Bruce Miller.

Recovery and preservation of two 100-pounder Parrott shells. By Steven P. Barbour.

One of the most misunderstood projectiles. By Col. John Biemeck, Ret.

Commander John M. Brooke’s sabot designs for projectiles. By Jack Bell.

Recent events at the U.S. Army Artillery Museum in Fort Sill. By Gordon A. Blaker.

Book review of Encyclopedia of Black Powder Projectiles Found in North America 1759 – 1865, Identification, Preservation and Deactivation: Volume IV – Union Rifled Projectiles.

By Colonel John F. Biemeck, Ret. Reviewed by Peter A. Frandsen.

Subscribe by calling 800-777-1862 or online at www.ArtillerymanMagazine.com 2

The Artilleryman

Consultants:

Lawrence Babits, Ph.D, Thomas Bailey, Craig D. Bell, Jack Bell, Jim Bender, Col. John Biemeck (Ret.), Stephen Davis, Ph.D., Leonard Draper, Glenn Dutton, David Gotter, Richard Hatcher, Butch & Anita Holcombe, Les Jensen, Gordon L. Jones, Ph.D., Mike Kent, Lewis Leigh Jr., William E. Lockridge, Donald Lutz, John Morris, Michael J. O’Donnell, Hayes Otoupalik, Bernie Paulson, Bruce Paulson, Lawrence E. Pawl, M.D., Craig Swain, Matthew Switlik, Bill Tracy and Mike Ward.

Black Powder Explosive Ordnance Assistance Colonel John Biemeck, Ret.

Black Powder Explosive Ordnance Assistance (Identification, threat assessment, handling, storage, technical and deactivation assistance) for Government, State and Municipal Agencies.

Contact Colonel John Biemeck, Ordnance Corps, U.S. Army (Retired), cell 804-366-0562.

This service is offered as a courtesy to government agencies by The Artilleryman in an effort to preserve antique explosive black powder projectiles for future generations.

Printed proudly and responsibly in the United States of America. All rights reserved under International and PanAmerican Copyright Conventions. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic, digital or mechanical means, screen shots, phone photos, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

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

Articles, Photographs and Image Submittals: The Author(s), Photographer(s) will indemnify the Publisher against any loss, injury, or damage (including any legal costs or expenses and any compensation costs and disbursements paid by the Publisher) occasioned to the Publisher in connection with or in consequence or any breach of the Author’s warranties and which the Publisher is not able to recover. Author agrees to allow Publisher to re-print any work submitted.

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

Contact Information: Historical Publications LLC The Artilleryman 520 Folly Road, Suite 25 PMB 379 Charleston, SC 29412 800-777-1862 Email: mail@artillerymanmagazine.com Website: ArtillerymanMagazine.com Hours 9-5 EST, Monday-Thursday The Artilleryman Magazine (ISSN: 088404747) Copyright © 2018 by Historical Publications LLC is published quarterly

by Historical Publications LLC, 520 Folly Road, Suite 25 PMB 379, Charleston, SC 29412. Quarterly. Business and Editorial Offices: 520 Folly Road, Suite 25 PMB 379, Charleston, SC 29412, Accounting and Circulation Offices: Historical Publications LLC, 520 Folly Road, Suite 25 PMB 379, Charleston, SC 29412. Call 800-777-1862 to subscribe.

Application to mail at Periodicals postage prices at Charleston, SC, and additional mailing offices (if applicable).

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Historical Publications LLC. 520 Folly Road, Suite 25 PMB 379, Charleston, SC 29412.

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About the Cover: N-SSA’s 137th National Competition. Flame erupts from the muzzle of Dulany Troop, 6th Virginia Cavalry’s bronze reproduction 2.25-inch Tredegar Mountain Rifle. They won first place in the Rifled Artillery class with a score of 50-4V. (Ericka Hoffman) ArtillerymanMagazine.com

| Vol. 39, No. 4

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Jack W. Melton Jr. Publisher

To The Editor: I’m working on adding a comprehensive display of Civil War era grape stands to my canister collection. It should be ready for display at MK Shows Franklin Civil War Show this December. It will be a compliment to the canister display, and result in the largest known display of the most deadly type artillery rounds used during the war.

Dave Gotter Bellville, Ohio A Summer Visit: In our visit to Gulf Shores, Alabama, we took the ferry to Dauphin Island and toured Fort Gaines which is situated overlooking Mobile Bay. We were greeted my Melinda Oalmann, Fort Manager, who was happy to coordinate with Ranger Robert Bean to fire an original 32-pounder gun, which was rifled by the Confederates during the Civil War. The fort is a historical treasure that should be on your to-do list if your travels take you to Gulf Shores or around anywhere near Mobile. For more information go to Facebook and search “Fort Gaines Historic Site.” The fort gets 4.8 stars in traveler’s reviews.

Jack and Peggy Melton Charleston, S.C.

Subscribe online at ArtillerymanMagazine.com 4

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Fort Gaines Ranger Robert Bean fired this original 32-pounder gun especially for The Artilleryman magazine.

(Jack Melton)

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To The Editor: It’s amazing the quality of articles, information and photos in your new Artilleryman magazine. Appreciate your financial and personal efforts reviving this classic magazine. Can’t complement you enough on how you’ve resurrected the magazine.

Bill Tracy Buttonwillow, Calif.

The photographs and color are magnificent.

Col. John Biemeck, Ret. Colonial Beach, Va.

Subscribe online at

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To The Editor: Each edition seems to be better than the last and the continuous improvement must make you very proud. I don’t know how you do it, but this is a really marvelous piece of work.

I continue to include your magazine with my sales and I had a guy over this weekend that I gave copies.

He bought two books so I gave him two magazines. He really liked it and hopefully he’ll subscribe because he said he was going to get it.

Congratulations again on what may be the best edition yet.

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| Vol. 39, No. 4

5

By Jim Morgan With Jack Melton & Mike Ryan

T

he current Fort Moultrie, built in 1808–09, is actually the third fort on the site to bear the name and is, today, administered as part of Fort Sumter National Monument. With different types of guns from different eras on display both inside and outside the fort, the layout allows us walk through time to understand the changing nature of our coastal defense from its earliest days to the end of World War II. Located on Sullivan’s Island at the entrance to Charleston Harbor, the first fort was referred to as Sullivan’s Fort or Fort Sullivan at times. Those were not official names and, on June 28, 1776, the unnamed fort successfully repulsed a British naval attack.

Following the victory, the fort was named after Col. William Moultrie (pronounced MOOL-tree), its commanding officer during the engagement. The garrison during the battle consisted primarily of Moultrie’s 2nd South Carolina Infantry.

That first fort, made of palmetto logs and sand in the shape of a bastioned square, was much larger than today’s fort. At 500 feet on a side, it fully encompassed the current fort, extending well beyond it on the harbor side. Only two sides, however, the harbor face to the south and the westernmost wall, were complete. The northern and eastern walls were only partially built and offered nothing of real defensive value. Those two sides of the fort were essentially open.

Even the Americans who built it did not have much confidence that it could withstand bombardment by the British fleet. Colonel Moultrie, however, did and refused to abandon it when urged to do so. In the end, for reasons which even he may not have understood at the time, he was right.

The guns of the British vessels did relatively little damage because the soft, spongy, fibrous palmetto logs absorbed the pounding without shattering. Conversely, the hard oaken sides of the British ships cracked and

threw lethal splinters when hit by the iron balls of the 31 American guns.

As Major Ebenezer Denny explained after examining the walls, the British cannonballs often just embedded themselves in the soft wood with the “holes almost closed up;” that is, the fibers closed around the shot. The palmetto logs turned out, in a sense, to be self-sealing. As a result, the British suffered considerably more damage and higher casualties than the Americans did over the course of the day-long battle.

The significant advantage the palmetto logs gave the Americans is the reason that South Carolina’s state flag today combines the 2nd South Carolina’s regimental flag that flew from the fort on June 28, 1776, and an image of a palmetto tree.

Four years later, the British took Charleston but did so by landing troops on Simmons (now Seabrook) Island and then encircling the city, thus cutting off both town and fort from any aid. In May 1780, some

approximately 5,000 Americans surrendered in what was the largest surrender of U.S. troops until nearly 13,000 Federals surrendered Harper’s Ferry in 1862.

Serving in the Moultrie garrison at various times during the war were Francis Marion (“The Swamp Fox”), Thomas Sumter (“Carolina Gamecock” and namesake of the later harbor fort), and Major Richard C. Anderson (father of Major Robert Anderson who abandoned the fort to the South Carolinians in 1860).

Following the War of Independence, the first Fort Moultrie was neglected and fell prey to the elements. Island residents salvaged the logs from the fort for building materials. By the early 1790’s, the fort was gone. A second, much smaller fort was built and sat idle for ten years before being destroyed by a hurricane in 1804. The third and current fort was built of masonry during the tense years leading up to our second war with Great Britain in 1812. Constructed for a garrison of 250 men and 40 guns mounted in a single tier en barbette, it is this fort, much modified, which offers such a fascinating study to artillery enthusiasts today.

The current Fort Moultrie’s moment in the sun came during the Civil War. The fort was garrisoned by some 85 regular army artillerymen when South Carolina seceded on December 20, 1860. On December 26, Major Robert Anderson spiked the guns, burned their carriages, and moved his men a mile across the water to Fort

Sumter. The following evening, Moultrie was occupied by South Carolina troops who, with other Confederates, manned it until February 17, 1865, when it was evacuated along with the city of Charleston. During the war, Fort Moultrie participated in the April 1861 bombardment of Fort Sumter, and then later helped repel repeated Union attempts to either take Charleston, protect Confederate blockade runners, or neutralize the harbor defenses.

Following the war, Moultrie was modernized several times by the addition of newer ordnance and construction of three concrete Endicott batteries during the late 1890’s which, with further modifications, remained in service until the final closure of the fort by the army in 1947.

The oldest and newest artillery pieces currently on display at Fort Moultrie ironically are British. In the visitor’s center is a British 12-pdr. dating from the late 17th century.

Two replica 18th century British long 18-pdrs. sit outside the fort at a spot representing the approximate location of the first fort’s harbor-facing wall.

These represent original guns that were mounted in the fort and helped repel the 1776 British attack. A Britishmade Armstrong 4.72-inch rapid fire breechloader dating from the late 19th century sits inside the concrete Endicott battery just below the WWII control tower. All the other displayed guns are American-made. The guns mounted on Fort Moultrie’s Cannon Row will be covered in the next Artilleryman issue.

Sources: •

•

•

Military Journal of Major Ebenezer Denny, unpublished, Fort Moultrie Library The Historic Guns of Forts Sumter and Moultrie, Mike Ryan, 1997, unpublished, Ft. Moultrie Library Seacoast Fortifications of the United States: An Introductory History, Emanuel Raymond Lewis, Smithsonian Institution Press, 1970

Jim retired in 2014 from the State Department where he held a number of positions in Washington and abroad, the last being Acquisitions Librarian for the Office of International Information Programs.

He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1969–71 and holds master’s degrees in Political Science from the University of West Florida and Library Science from Florida State University.

Jim grew up in Pensacola, Florida and spent 23 years in Loudoun County, Va., where he served as a battlefield guide at the Ball’s Bluff battlefield and co-founded the Friends of Ball’s Bluff. Jim’s tactical study of Ball’s Bluff, A Little Short of Boats: the Battles of Ball’s Bluff and Edwards Ferry, is widely considered to be the definitive work on that fight. He and his wife recently moved to Charleston, S.C. He currently serves as a volunteer at Forts Moultrie and Sumter.

The publisher would like to thank the following contributors to this article: Mike Ryan, Rick Hatcher, Jim Bender, John Morris, and Peggy Melton.

In front of Fort Moultrie are two reproduction British 18-pdr. smoothbore guns. They are placed here to generally represent the location of the palmetto log fort where Col. William Moultrie’s men of the 2nd South Carolina Regiment defeated nine British warships on June 28, 1776. (Article photos by Jack & Peggy Melton. Captions from Mike Ryan’s unpublished work) 8

The Artilleryman

Fort Moultrie Guns Battery McCorkle was begun in 1899 and transferred to the artillery in July 1901 at a cost of $9,390. The battery was named in honor of Lieut. Henry L. McCorkle, 25th U.S. Infantry, killed in action at El Caney, Cuba, on July 1, 1898. The 3-inch, 15-Pdr., Model 1911, dummy gun is located in this battery.

3-Inch, 15-Pdr. Gun Model 1911, Dummy/Trainer

The 15-pdr. rapid fire gun mounted atop Battery McCorkle was received from the National Park Service’s Harpers Ferry Center in July 1975. As a dummy, it was designed for training purposes only. It is not a functional weapon and has no rifling.

4.72-inch Armstrong breech assembly. The service charge was approximately 5.5 pounds of cordite.

The projectile weighed 45 pounds, while the muzzle velocity was 2,204 feet per second.

4.72-Inch Armstrong Rapid Fire Gun

The 4.72-inch Armstrong currently at Fort Moultrie was received in a trade from the National Guard Armory in Westerly, RI. Manufactured in England in 1898 and subsequently purchased by the United States, it was mounted in Battery Talbot, a two-gun rapid fire battery near Fort Adams on Narragansett Bay. In February 1977 the Armstrong was traded to Fort Moultrie and is mounted in Battery Bingham. In return an 8-inch Parrott rifle was shipped from the fort and is currently located outside Westerly’s National Guard Armory.

10

The Artilleryman

Stamped on the top of the breech” SIR. W.G. ARMSTRONG. WHITWORTH & Co. LTD WEIGHT 4676 LBS 1898 No. 12124

Battery Bingham was begun in April 1898 and its pair of Armstrong rapid fire guns placed atop pedestal mounts in October. Completed the following year at a cost of $6,000, it was transferred to the artillery in November 1899. Its primary purpose was to protect the nearby minefield, or to be more precise, to prevent enemy minesweepers from attempting to remove or destroy the mines. The battery was named in honor of Lt. Horatio S. Bingham, 2nd U.S. Cavalry, killed in action against the Sioux Indians, near Fort Kearny, Dakota Territory, on December 6, 1866. The two Armstrongs were dismounted by 1925; their disposition is unknown.

It has the following muzzle markings: Registry No. 89 and B.H. inspector’s stamp for Benjamin Huger. The gun has 8x8, hook-slant rifling grooves.

U.S. to C.S Conversion 8-Inch “New Columbiad” Model 1844, Rifled and Banded This particular gun was cast at the West Point Foundry as a smoothbore in 1857. Ninety-four guns of this pattern were produced for the Federal Government prior to the adoption of a new Columbiad, the Model of 1861. As with their eventual replacement, most of the Model 1844 “new pattern” guns were cast using the Rodman method of hollow casting. This was one of two rifled & banded 8-inch Columbiads abandoned at the fort by the Confederates in 1865, removed during the modernization of the 1870’s, and then placed on the field behind the fort where it laid for nearly a hundred years.

Breech view showing the ratchet elevation notches.

Stamped on the breech is 8975; the original weight of the gun in pounds.

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| Vol. 39, No. 4

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This 10-inch Columbiad was manufactured by Joseph Reid Anderson & Co., Tredegar Foundry, Richmond, Va. The muzzle is stamped with the foundry number 1664, and the upper breech is stamped 13360 for the weight of the tube in pounds.

With the Confederate evacuation of February 17, 1865, there was a total of fifteen 10-inch Columbiads on Sullivan’s Island, four of which were mounted inside Fort Moultrie. In 1872, these last four were removed and placed outside the fort in preparation for the Federal government’s modernization of Fort Moultrie. By 1886 ten were still on the island, but were unmounted and lying unused.

One Confederate Columbiad was eventually mounted on cannon row, while the other was mounted inside the fort as shown here.

10-Inch Confederate Columbiad

Stamped on the left trunnion of the 10inch Confederate Columbiad is 1862 for the year of manufacture.

British 12-Pdr. Smoothbore Gun

Stamped on the right trunnion of the 10-inch Confederate Columbiad is: J.R.A. & Co. / T. F. for Joseph Reid Anderson & Co., Tredegar Foundry.

14

The Artilleryman

Located in the Fort Moultrie Visitor’s Center is a 1670’s British 12-pounder smoothbore gun. The cannon’s design suggests that is was cast by Thomas Western, probably in Brede, Sussex, between 1673 and 1679. Some of the early battles of the American Revolution were fought with these obsolete cannon, such as this example.

15-Inch Rodman

Thomas Jackson Rodman, the man who developed the process which made it possible to produce stronger and larger seacoast guns, was born in Salem, Ind., on July 30, 1815.

Rodman graduated 7th in the West Point class of 1841, the same class which produced the future chief of the Confederate Ordnance Bureau, Josiah Gorgas, who graduated 6th.

Posted to a variety· of ordnance assignments prior to the war, Rodman witnessed first-hand the inherent weakness of heavy guns manufactured using the traditional method of rough, solid casting. In this process; the outer layers of the guns cooled first becoming solid while the interior of the casting remained fluid.

Gradually as the inner layers cooled and contracted, the outer solid crust was unable to follow the contraction of the inner mass. As a result, the interior became solid in a state of high tension. Under these circumstances, the potential for developing flaws, cracks, and cavities in the interior of the gun – the area which required the greatest strength – was considerable.

And since the frequency and severity of these flaws merely increased with the size of the casting, there was a practical limit to the size of gun which could be cast solid and still be considered safe enough to resist the strain of firing.

By 1847, Rodman had developed his theory of hollow casting. As part of this process, when the metal cooled, cold water was pumped through the core of the mold located inside the bore. As the water circulated and carried off the heat of the casting, the tube cooled from the inside out, the reverse of what occurred during the traditional method. And with the Rodman process the metal no longer pulled itself apart as it cooled; instead the interior of the tube cooled first, and as the outer layers progressively cooled and contracted, they clamped down and helped to strengthen the interior of the tube.

As trials conclusively showed, heavy guns manufactured using the Rodman process were stronger and gave greater endurance than those which were cast solid.

The pair of 15-inch Rodmans, No. 24 (left) and No. 21 (right), presently inside of Fort Moultrie were shipped to the fort in early 1872 and mounted in positions 7 & 8 along the south face. Both were manufactured at Scott Foundry (Seyfert, McManus & Co.) in 1867 (No. 24) and 1866 (No. 21). These two guns were inspected by William Prince and bear his stamp W.P. They weigh 50,070 and 49,890. They remained mounted in the fort until roughly the turn of the century when they were replaced by the two 15-pounder rapid-fire guns of Battery Lord.

The Rodmans were sold for scrap in July 1900. Despite this transaction, one remained on the parade ground while the other was buried nearby inside the fort.

Following the removal of Battery Lord during the fort’s most recent renovation, the Rodmans were mounted atop reproduction carriages in 1976.

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| Vol. 39, No. 4

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By Philip Schreier Senior Curator NRA Museums

P

rominent along left bank of the Seine in Paris’s 7th arrondissement, is Mansart’s iconic French baroque masterpiece, the majestic Dome des Invalides.

Next to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, Invalides is one of the must see attractions when visiting Paris.

To the millions of visitors, this is most popularly known as Napoleon’s tomb.

It is also the home of Le Musée de l’Armée, the military museum of the Army of France and thus, one of the most impressive collections of arms and artillery in the world.

At the time of this writing (April 2018), the latest shake up in the current American administration concerns the replacement of the Director of Veterans Affairs. A country is often judged on how it treats its veterans and one of the first to truly provide for them in an exemplary manner was France. Hôpital des Invalides was founded by decree of King Louis XIV, the Sun King,

in 1670, making it one of the world’s first veteran’s hospitals and retirement homes.

The opening event of the French Revolution occurred in the early morning hours of July 14, 1789, when the Hôpital des Invalides was sacked by crowds that seized thousands of muskets and twenty-seven artillery pieces they subsequently used to storm the Bastille later in the day.

During the reign of the Emperor Napoleon, The Musée de l’artillerie (French Museum of Artillery) was officially established at the monastery of Saint Thomas-d’Aquin and moved to Invalides in 1871. The Musée historique de l’Armée (Historical Museum of the Army) was established in 1896 and both museums were merged in 1905.

The cour d’honneur (“court of honor”) of les Invalides is a large inner court yard and houses the main body of the artillery collection. Spaced

between the colonnades of the court, the collection is not entirely focused on French guns but includes cannons captured during French wars as well as those acquired as gifts. The artillery collection was initiated by Louis XIV shortly before his death in 1715. It is one of the most impressive gatherings of artillery, “Ultima Ratio Regum” (Latin – The Last Argument of Kings, a term coined by the Sun King himself) that I have had the pleasure to examine.

Most notable in the collection are some beautiful cannon designed

by Florent-Jean de Vallière (1667– 1759) and Jean-Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval (1715–1789), many emblazoned with inscriptions decreed by King Louis XIV. The artillery collection is not confined just to the Court of Honour. The original Artillery Museum boasted galleries full of tables with scale models of artillery pieces that were

Above: The facade of The Cathedral of Saint-Louis des Invalides is the centerpiece of the Cour d’honneur at Le Hospital des Invalides. Originally it was commissioned by King Louis XIV in 1670 as one of the world’s first homes for veterans. The chapel of St. Louis was completed in 1679, and the gold gilded Dome les Invalides (originally Chapelle Royale des Invalides and seen above the roof-line) was completed in 1708. In 1861 it became the site of Napoleon’s tomb. Of the 17 court yards at Les Invalides, the Cour d’honneur is the largest and since 1872, it has been the home of the French musée d’artillerie.

Above right: Uranie, a 24-pdr. gun of de Vallière system, by Jean Maritz in 1745.

Below right: Another 24-pdr. gun with the head of Bacchus.

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contemplated but never cast as well as those that Gribeauval designed to illustrate his system of modernizing and bringing uniformity to the production and use of artillery. These models are still on display in the model Artillery gallery inside the museum. A British mortar captured at Yorktown (1781) and presented to the French by George Washington as well as field guns from World War I & II are also found within the Musée de l’Armée.

The Significance of French Artillery on World History It would be easy to say that French artillery had a huge impact on world history, whether you are speaking of the contribution they made in our own war of independence, Napoleon’s expert use and deployment of artillery in the early 19th century, or the devastating effect the French 75mm gun had on the Western Front during the Great War; these chapters of history are well known and discussed.

The development of French artillery from Louis XIV to Napoleon had a profound effect on how most things in life are produced to this day.

The dawn of firearms began in China sometime in the 13th century with the development of gunpowder and the first vessels made of bronze that were used to propel projectiles.

The Chinese did not much advance the development of arms, falling behind the Europeans who took the lead in their manufacture during the 14th century.

The first European guns were what we would consider artillery pieces.

An illustrated manuscript from 1327 shows a pot-de-fer, primitive cannon made of iron that fired bronze arrows. It is thought to be the first metal cannon, and was used by the French in the Hundred Years’ War. Firearms evolution quickly evolved into the crafting of larger guns almost immediately and artillery, as we

La Bombarde is one of the largest bored guns in the collection. It was cast in the 18th century as a siege gun.

The promenade of the cour d’honneur is ringed with amazing examples of the artillery of the 17th and 18th centuries.

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One of the more interesting items on display in Musée de l’Armée is this British mortar, cast in Woolwich, England in 1740. It was captured by American forces at Yorktown, Va., in 1781 and Presented by General George Washington to the French regiment Royal Auvergne as a trophy.

This 24-pdr. has had the three royal fleur d’lis chiseled off of the royal coat of arms, possibly indicating use by anti-royalists during the French revolution.

The powder chamber of a French 180mm veuglaire cannon recaptured by the French in 1422.

24

The Artilleryman

A Vietnamese cannon captured by French Forces at the citadel of VinhLong, Indochina on March 23, 1862.

An Italian 12-pdr. made in 1741 for the Duchy of Savoy shows motif similarities to French guns of the same period.

The mitrailleuse General Hanicque. Made in 1867 off of the Model 1866 pattern.

This is a single barreled rifled gun with 25 chambers, firing 13 mm black powder cartridges. They could be fired simultaneously or in rows of five.

By Brian Mabelitini

D

uring the summer of 2010, archaeologists from the University of West Florida (UWF) and the Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN) conducted an excavation at the Hammock Landing Battery in present-day Torreya State Park in Bristol, Florida. The purpose of this investigation was to gain a better understanding of the battery’s construction and its appearance during active operation.

The Hammock Landing Battery was constructed in 1863, and contained six artillery pieces, including two 32-pounders, one 24-pounder, and three 18-pounders, all of which were mounted en barbette (over the parapet) on sunken platforms connected by traverses. A powder magazine was constructed within the traverse between each paired gun emplacements for a total of three

magazines (Fig. 1). An artillery road ran behind the earthwork from the southernmost gun emplacement to the bank of the river, presumably connecting the battery with the river landing (Fig. 2).

platform’s plank floor and the walls of the magazine to be in a remarkable state of preservation and provided valuable insights into the construction methods used by the Confederate engineer, Captain Theodore Moreno.

“[t]he battery has been neglected and needs repair, and in its present condition can make but a feeble defense, as nothing is in its proper place with but few exceptions.”

Confederate Occupation of the Battery

– Captain Moreno

The archaeological excavations were focused on one gun emplacement and its associated powder magazine, leaving most of the site undisturbed.

The excavations revealed the gun

Three inspection reports published in the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion (ORA) provide important information about the military occupation, construction, and condition of the battery. In November 1863, Colonel William J. Magill reported to Georgia’s Assistant Adjutant General Lamar Cobb that the position was garrisoned by five infantry companies of the 1st Georgia Regulars under Captain A. A. Franklin Hill. That same month, Major M. Stanley, Chief of the Artillery Department of West Florida, reported

Figure 1. Overlay of 1936 Civilian Conservation Corps and 2010 Topographic Maps of the Earthworks on Neal’s Bluff in Torreya State Park, Liberty County, Florida (adapted from National Park Service 1936).

(Illustration C. Brian Mabelitini and William B. Lees) the work remained in an unfinished condition. According to Major Stanley, Captain Moreno, the engineer in charge of constructing the works, had left two new gun carriages and chassis upon the bank of the river and all the carriages required painting.

A second inspection of the battery was conducted by Captain L. Jaquelin Smith, Assistant Chief of Ordnance, on March 23, 1864. Captain Smith reported that by this time Companies B and D of the 28th Georgia Artillery Battalion, under the command of Major A. Bonaud, had joined the 1st Georgia Regulars at Hammock Landing. According to Captain Smith, the condition of the battery had improved and Major Bonaud had personally attended to the guns. However, the magazines were reported to have been

very poorly constructed, which caused them to leak during rains. As a result, on April 5, 1864, General Pierre G.T. Beauregard ordered the magazines improved or rebuilt. The battery was inspected for a third and final time on July 12, 1864.

The report of Major George U. Mayo, Assistant Inspector of Artillery, indicates the armament at the battery had changed, and now consisted of two 32-pounders and four 24-pounders, all smoothbores mounted on improper carriages. According to Major Mayo, the carriages were too small and in need of painting and repair; the two gun carriages reportedly left upon the bank on the river by Captain Moreno in November 1863 were still lying in the weeds. He described the condition of the magazines as ‘abominable,’ and

reported that “[t]he battery has been neglected and needs repair, and in its present condition can make but a feeble defense, as nothing is in its proper place with but few exceptions.”

It is unclear when the garrison evacuated Hammock Landing, inspection records indicate that by July 13, 1864, the post was the only manned heavy artillery battery remaining on the Apalachicola River. With the fall of Columbus, Ga., to Union forces on April 16, 1865, the necessity to defend the river came to an end.

Constructing the Battery The Hammock Landing Battery was a full-sunken temporary field fortification carved out of the steep bluff (Fig. 3). The parapets were

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Figure 2. Artistic Rendition of the Hammock Landing Battery while in Active Operation. directed toward a sharp bend in the river with broad, overlapping fields of fire. Although many dimensions of the excavated gun platform and powder magazine differ from designs presented in contemporary engineering manuals, they exhibit similar characteristics, which suggest the chief engineer of these works, Captain Moreno, had some formal prewar training in the art of constructing fortifications. The archaeological excavations within one gun emplacement and its associated powder magazine provide a unique glimpse into the military strategy and engineering of these types of structures (Fig. 4).

Figure 3. Artistic Rendition of the Construction of Gun Emplacement 2 at the Hammock Landing Battery.

Figure 4. Artistic Rendition of Gun Emplacements 1 and 2 at the Hammock Landing Battery based on Archaeological Investigations. (Illustrations this page Š David Edwards, 2011) 28

The Artilleryman

Results of the Excavations at the Gun Emplacement The works at Hammock Landing can be defined as a temporary field fortification (i.e. a work intended to be occupied for a short period of time) since they were constructed of perishable materials such as soil and wood. Although temporary fortifications may become permanent over time, they were commonly built quickly with easily obtained materials.

The parapets of the Hammock Landing were positioned parallel to the river, or facing the river zone they were intended to fire upon. Excavations within the artillery emplacement revealed the gun platform measured 5.8 m (19 ft.) north/south by 6.2 m (20 ft.) east/west (Fig. 5).

Linear trench features encountered within the gun emplacement provide evidence for the platform, or flooring, upon which the cannon was positioned.

Gun platforms could be manufactured of either

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By Bruce W. Miller

I

t doesn’t “take a village” to put on a North-South Skirmish Association (N-SSA) National Competition. However, it does require about 150 people and much hard work. N-SSA units rotate the responsibility of hosting a National and this spring 16 units generated the staff necessary to prepare for and stage the five-day event. With the leadership of Skirmish Director Bobby Hannula and Adjutant Chuck Kindle, even four days of consistent rain from a tropical storm front

couldn’t stop or even slow down the event-filled schedule of matches. The competition was held May 16-20, 2018 near Winchester, Virginia. Member units competed in live-fire matches with original or authentic reproduction Civil War period muskets, carbines, breechloading rifles, revolvers, mortars and cannons. It is the largest Civil War event of its kind in the country.

The Artillery Team matches are a spectator favorite, but the rain and drenched field cut participation to less

than half the guns that usually participate. There were only two cannon relays of an hour each instead of the usual three. Cannon are traditionally brought into position on trailers pulled by pickup trucks. However, due to the rain-soaked and muddy conditions on the field, trucks and trailers were not allowed onto the range.

The cannons and limbers were individually hauled out to their firing positions by ATV’s driven by the N-SSA property manager, Tim Scanlan, host team members and other volunteers.

Target frames and their paper targets are then set at a range of 200 yards for rifled guns and 100 yards for

The extremely damp weather and saturated ground causes the black powder smoke to hang in the air, as Rowan Artillery prepares to pull the lanyard to fire their 12-Pounder Mountain Howitzer.

(Ericka Hoffmann)

smoothbores and howitzers. Each cannon fires a solid shot at two targets: a bull’s eye and a silhouette of a cannon facing them that represents counter-battery fire. A maximum of seven shots are fired on either target with a maximum point count of 25 per target. A perfect score is 50 points. The guns are classified by type: rifled, smoothbore, howitzer and rifled howitzer.

Weather and ground conditions always affect the shooting. The heavy gun carriages make deep ruts in the field, and they recoil back into them. It can often be tricky to keep the gun where you want it. Conditions like the cannon crews experienced at this National usually do affect the scoring, but the top crews still shot very well. For example, in the rifled gun class the Dulany Troop, 6th Virginia Cavalry, won their class with an almost perfect 50-4V. Their gun is a reproduction of a 2.25-inch mountain rifle made by Dave Seedenburg of Seed Artillery of Altoona, Penn. Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Va., produced 18 Bronze and one iron 1862 model 2.25-inch Mountain Rifles. Seed Artillery made this reproduction cannon to be an exact copy of one of the four surviving original mountain rifles, including the way that the sawtooth rifling is cut directly into the bronze. This gun weighs about 900 pounds for use by cavalry horse artillery units as opposed to the 3-inch rifled cannon that weighs about 2,000 pounds. The gun is owned

by Ken Winklepleck, a skirmisher of over 40 years from Summit Point, West Virginia.

Besides the rifled class, there are three other classes: smoothbore, howitzer and rifled howitzer. In the Smoothbore class, the 3rd Maryland Battery (gun #2) was the winner. In the Howitzer class, the Rowan Artillery won for the third consecutive National, shooting an excellent 48-2V. Not surprisingly, the 1st Maryland Cavalry won for the fifth consecutive National in the Rifled Howitzer class. The accuracy of these Civil War cannons is truly amazing, and N-SSA gun crews know how to get the most out of them.

The steady rain held participation in the Mortar Team match down to just 15 as compared to last fall’s 57. The mortar teams fire seven shots at a stake 100 yards down range. Officials then carefully measure the distance from the stake and tally the best five shots for score. The overall winner was Manley’s Battery (gun #2) with a five shot aggregate score of 34 feet-10.25 inches. They will probably be digging those projectiles out of the sodden field for years!

After two days of soggy individual matches, nine team matches were held over the three-day weekend. The weather in the scenic Shenandoah Valley was constant rain which finally stopped on Sunday; the day of the Rifle-Musket Team match, which is the N-SSA signature event. All targets are breakable, and the pieces certainly flew as clay pigeons, minie balls blasted ceramic tiles and pot silhouettes at ranges of 50 and 100 yards. The rain couldn’t slow down the consistently excellent 110th Ohio Volunteer

Infantry (OVI) from winning the gold medals. They won the musket match with a phenomenal time of 361.3 seconds for the five-event program, besting the next closest unit by a distant 139.4 seconds. A total of 142 delightfully dry eight-member teams participated in this classic competition.

Not to be denied, the indomitable 110th OVI won the Carbine Team match as well, with a time of 347.9 seconds and beating the next closest unit by a whopping 74.6 seconds. Smith carbines are a favorite in this match, and many are valuable originals. Skirmishers are also fond of Sharps’ carbines, and you will often see Burnsides’, Maynard’s and even muzzleloading carbines and musketoons in this match of speed and accuracy.

Few things in skirmish life are worse than shooting the Revolver Team match in the rain. Just 59 brave four-member teams participated in the match of four events: 12 clay pigeons on a cardboard backer; eight hanging 6-inch x 6-inch ceramic tiles, eight hanging clay pigeons and eight hanging 4-inch x 4-inch ceramic tiles. The Nansemond Guards finished first for the second consecutive nationals and claimed the gold medals with a time of 126.3 seconds, a solid 41 seconds better than the second place team.

Harlan’s Light Cavalry claimed the gold in the Smoothbore Musket Team match, besting 101 other units to finish first with a total time of 194.1 seconds, just 16 seconds ahead of the ever-present 110th OVI. This relatively new match has become increasingly popular and, as you can imagine, is an excellent test of skill. Competitors participate with many different firearms including the U.S. Model 1842; Confederate Macon arsenal conversions of the Model ‘42; the Hewes & Philips conversion of the U.S. Model 1816 (which features a rear sight) and the occasional European Potsdam in .72 caliber. The match consisted of four events, including the extra challenging silhouette of a tiny clay pot at 25 yards and 6-inch x 6-inch ceramic tiles at 50 yards.

Three additional shoulder arm team matches were held.

In the Single-Shot Rifle Team match, the 8th Virginia Infantry finished first. In the Breech-Loading Rifle Team match, the 2nd Maryland Artillery won the match for the third consecutive National, and in the Spencer Team match, the 11th Pennsylvania Infantry took the gold.

The N-SSA is the country’s oldest and largest Civil War shooting sports organization with over 3,000 individuals that make up its 200 member units. Each represents a particular unit or regiment and proudly wears the uniform they wore over 150 years ago. At the 137th National, seven more members were recognized for 50 years of membership in the Association; quite an accomplishment.

The 138th National Competition is scheduled for Oct. 3-7, 2018, at Fort Shenandoah, just north of Winchester, Virginia. For more information about the N-SSA visit the website at www.n-ssa.org.

The N-SSA is America’s oldest and largest Civil War shooting sports organization.

Competitors shoot original or approved reproduction muskets, carbines and revolvers at breakable targets in a timed match. Some units even compete with cannons and mortars. Each team represents 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 www.n-ssa.org.

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Company H, 1st Tennessee Volunteer Infantry loads their 3-inch Ordnance Rifle through the haze of black powder smoke hanging in the damp air.

(Lis Cole)

This artillery crewman quickly backs away upon using a linstock with slow-match to light the fuse of a steel reproduction Tredegar 2.25-inch Mountain Rifle. (Lis Cole)

Skirmishers fire their magazine-fed Henry Rifles during the Breech Loading Rifle Match. National Skirmishes also feature matches for Spencer and for single shot rifles.

(Terianne Carey)

Tim Scanlan of the 1st Maryland Cavalry watches through his spotting scope as the projectile from his James Type 3 Cannon makes its way toward the target. 1st Maryland Cavalry placed 2nd in the Rifled Artillery class with this gun with a score of 50-4V. (Tambi Dudley, Courtesy of Schuetzen Powder Energetics)

5th Virginia Volunteer Infantry fires their steel reproduction 2.25-inch Tredegar Mountain Rifle. Gun crews wear gloves and protective gear while shooting artillery.

(Tambi Dudley, Courtesy of Schuetzen Powder Energetics)

Flame erupts from the muzzle of Dulany Troop, 6th Virginia Cavalry's bronze reproduction 2.25-inch Tredegar Mountain Rifle. They won first place in the Rifled Artillery class with a score of 50-4V. (Ericka Hoffmann)

36

The Artilleryman

Rowan Artillery’s mountain howitzer splashes back through a mud puddle resulting from the afternoon’s rain. They won first place in the Howitzer Artillery class with a score of 482V. Because the mountain howitzer is a small artillery piece that fires a relatively large projectile, the gun experiences considerable recoil when fired.

(Ericka Hoffmann)

Members of the 2nd Maryland Artillery (CSA) prepare the projectiles for their 3-inch Ordnance rifle prior to the cannon match on Saturday. Lubrication of the projectiles helps in loading the gun and can influence the accuracy of the artillery piece.

(Niki Bethke)

Looking down the firing line during the Smoothbore musket competition, toward the main Fort Shenandoah range tower. Each firing position has a safety officer and a timer to monitor the progress and safety of each event.

(Tambi Dudley, Courtesy of Schuetzen Powder Energetics)

Despite the relatively small size of Rowan Artillery’s Pack Parrott, it still puts out a loud report and large blast of flame considering the relatively small stature of this portable artillery piece.

(Ericka Hoffmann)

Vent flame shoots up from this model 1841 6-Pounder gun as it is fired. 3rd Maryland Artillery No. 2 won first place in the Smoothbore Artillery class with this gun. Notice the targets in the background.

(Tambi Dudley, Courtesy of Schuetzen Powder Energetics)

3rd Maryland Artillery fires their reproduction of the Austrian 24 pounder Field Howitzer in the rainy afternoon artillery match.

(Ericka Hoffmann) ArtillerymanMagazine.com

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By Steven P. Barbour

August 1864, photograph of the gunboat Mendota on the James River, Va., with a 100-pounder Parrott rifle on deck.

D

uring the Civil War Union and Confederate forces fired thousands of artillery shells up and down the James River in every direction. North, south, east, west, and all points in between, saw shells flying from Drewry’s Bluff protecting Richmond, to the Confederate Batteries engaged in battling Union Navy gunboats coming upriver. Library of Congress images show the staggering numbers of warships on the James River in 1864. Union war supplies overloaded the wharfs along the river’s landscape. Pontoon bridges were constructed to move the massive number of troops on the overland campaigns.

How fortunate for me to live in such close proximity to the Civil War experience. The house I lived in for twenty years was on a James River farm and was the site one of the largest Union Civil War camps in the war. Civil War photos show the soldiers’ tents set up in what would be my front yard. When I started metal detecting about 1990, artifacts were plentiful right outside my back door.

Wide open farm fields and wooded tracts were a relic hunter’s paradise. Year after year the recovered artifacts would lead to researching many different aspects of the Civil War soldier and sailor’s life.

I have been a graphic artist for almost 40 years now and part of my job is working with images. The Civil War photographic division of the Library of Congress opened up a whole new world for me, especially the photographs of the Army of the James.

I have found so many artifacts by studying those images and they lead to the recovery of two rare 100-pounder, brass fused Navy long and short pattern Parrott shells.

The day I found the long pattern Navy Parrott shell, it was completely unexpected. It was in the early spring and the water was still too numbing cold to put your feet in. The outside temperature was about 50 degrees on a clear blue sunny day. The river tide was usually low and I was standing on the bow of my boat in my chest waders floating in less than 2 feet of water. I can remember thinking how clear the water was, and there it was, the outline of a huge shell on the bottom. I started laughing because there was no digging

Two rare restored brass Parrott percussion fuses with replacement anvil caps.

(Steven P. Barbour)

The Parrott shell on the left is the long pattern and the shell on the left is a short pattern. Both have a wrought-iron rivet driven into the base sealing the casting hole.

(Steven P. Barbour) ArtillerymanMagazine.com

| Vol. 39, No. 4

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By Colonel John Biemeck (Ret.)

O

ne of the least known and most misunderstood of all Confederate artillery projectiles is the 2.25-inch bolt made for an experimental Confederate breechloading rifle. Its existence would have been lost in historical records if amateur archaeologists hadn’t discovered the location where Union soldiers dumped munitions into the Oconee River when they captured Milledgeville, Ga., in Nov. 1864. They found the site by studying the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies and diving in the river until they began to locate Civil War artifacts.

Following the fall of Atlanta, General William Tecumseh Sherman launched his infamous Savannah Campaign and his “March to the Sea.” His purpose was to destroy facilities, bridges, railroads, wagons, boats, and supplies, divide the Confederacy, take Georgia out of the war, and capture Savannah. One unit in the Union march was XII Army Corps; it departed Atlanta the morning of Nov. 15, taking the road through Decatur, Ga. General Geary’s division was detached with orders to destroy the Georgia Railroad bridge over the Oconee River and such material and

bridges he might find on that river toward Milledgeville. On Nov. 22, advanced elements under the command of Col. William Hawley, Third Wisconsin Infantry, reached Milledgeville, about 60 miles southwest of Atlanta, and occupied the city.

Milledgeville, located on the Georgia Railroad, at that time was the Capital of Georgia, and had a number of military supplies that were either in storage or had been evacuated from Atlanta before it fell. Colonel Hawley’s report states that he seized and captured a large amount of public and other war related property which

he destroyed. Among this were 2,300 muskets, 10,000 cartridges, 5,000 lances, 1,500 cutlasses, and 170 boxes of fixed artillery ammunition (mostly 6-pdr. shot and 6-pdr. canister based upon field recoveries) that his troops threw into the river. In addition, Lieutenant Allen G. Shepard, ordnance officer for Major John A. Reynolds, the Chief of Artillery, reported his troops destroyed large amounts of material including 3,500 rounds of fixed artillery ammunition. While he didn’t say how or where he did this, empirical information suggests that he dumped it into the river. (Reference: War of the Rebellion, Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume XLIV (44), pp. 206-251) Another account was written by William De Loss Love, in his book, Wisconsin in the War of the Rebellion: A History of All Regiments and Batteries the State Has Sent to the Field, and Deeds of Her Citizens, Governors and Other Military Officers, and State and National Legislators to Suppress the Rebellion, Part 1, pp. 957-961, 1866. Love wrote:

no time at all before a treasure trove of artifacts began to emerge which substantiated the accuracy of Union Army’s records. There were two categories of finds: Post war junk and Civil War artifacts. The trash was located along the banks and on the river bottom, but in the silt near the surface.

The Civil War artifacts were buried much deeper due to many years of siltation that had migrated into the river reducing its original depth. In addition, many artifacts were further

out in the river, having been thrown off the old steamboat dock into deeper water. Remains of the dock were still visible underwater in the early 2000s.

Of interest were the large number of Confederate artillery projectiles that were recovered including 6- and 12-pdr. shot, 6-pdr. canister; 3.3-inch Burton bolts [formerly Archer’s]; 3.3inch Selma bolts; 3.3-inch Read shells; 4.62-inch Read shells; and two 2.6-inch Hotchkiss shells with percussion fuses.

Among the Confederate projectiles,

GENERAL SHERMAN commenced his march from Atlanta for the sea, November 24th, 1864. Where he would reach the coast, could not then be definitely decided, since he must obtain his subsistence from the country through which he passed, and an inferior opposing force might change his direction… While upon this march, the Third Wisconsin Regiment served as provost guard at Milledgeville, where Colonel Hawley seized a large amount of Confederate property, including arms and ammunition, which was either burned or thrown into the river. 2,300 muskets, five hundred lances, 1,500 cutlasses, one hundred and fifty boxes of field artillery ammunition, two hundred kegs of powder, and sixteen hogsheads of salt were thus disposed of.

In the early 1980’s word of a “munitions dump” find in the Oconee River spread among both amateur archaeologists and relic hunters and they began to scuba drive, exploring the river banks and river bottom. It was

Scanned page 958 from the book, Wisconsin in the War of the Rebellion: A History of All Regiments and Batteries the State Has Sent to the Field, and Deeds of Her Citizens, Governors and Other Military Officers, and State and National Legislators to Suppress the Rebellion, Part 1, by William De Loss Love, 1866.

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| Vol. 39, No. 4

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Lincoln Scholar Harold Holzerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

-FOR-

Away Dancing the Night Hotel at the Gettysburg

CIVIL WAR

Anniversary Oration at the 154th Address of the Gettysburg

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KHG )LJKW ² 7KH 8QĂ&#x20AC;QLV 18 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; This And That Lens 8 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Through The News 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Roundtable 33 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Small Talk-Trivia

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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BLACK POWDER ARTILLERY PROJECTILES FOUND IN NORTH AMERICA IDENTIFICATION, DEACTIVATION AND PRESERVATION CIVIL WAR, MEXICAN WAR, WAR OF 1812 AND REVOLUTIONARY WAR This Three Volume set contains every artillery projectile and fuse that was used or could be found in North America from the wars fought on the continent between 1759 and 1865.

Each volume is fully indexed, referenced and lists every book that has information or pictures of the item, referenced by page number.

Volume II â&#x20AC;&#x201C; All fuses (cannonballs and rifled shells), cannonballs (shot, case shot, shell, canister, grape stands, repeating shells, and bar shot). 427 pages; 1,200+ pictures/drawings; 400+ data charts; with over 650 projectiles.

Volume III All Confederate rifled projectiles, US and CSA experimental projectiles; and US and CSA rifled canister. 484 pages; over 750 projectiles, variants and canister rounds; with over 3,000 pictures, drawings and charts.

Volume IV All Union rifled projectiles; hand grenades (all wars); subterra mines and war rockets (US, CSA & British).

438 pages with over 650 projectiles and thousands of drawings and data charts.

Volume II is $44.95; Volume III is $54.95; and Volume IV is $44.95 (prices include shipping). If two volumes are purchased together, a $10.00 discount can be applied; if all three are purchased a $20.00 discount can be applied so all three Volumes are only $123.85 (includes shipping). To receive this discount the order must be placed together (at the same time) at bpapress.com or by calling 410-491-1052. Credit cards and checks accepted. Volumes I (Technical data and Preservation) and V (Inspecting explosive projectiles to insure they are inert and Historical Deactivation) are pending publication.

ArtillerymanMagazine.com

| Vol. 39, No. 4

51

J

ohn M. Brooke and his place in armaments history is the story of a brilliant naval scientist adapting to war. His career in the Confederate Navy led to his designing a series of highly effective rifled cannon, projectiles, and their sabots, adapting to increasing resource scarcities the Confederates could not overcome during the war.

Brooke did not hesitate to openly copy designs as he looked for solutions to the challenging problems of rifled cannon and projectiles. 1 His first recorded projectile design accompanies a journal entry on June 28, 1861, noting he had examined a rifled Dahlgren shell and found the design inadequate.2 His mind was already focusing on what to do with the recovered Union

By Jack Bell

Navy ship Merrimack.3 By early October he had decided to construct two 7-inch rifled guns as pivots forward and aft on the Merrimack, which was to be ironclad.4 Brooke recorded that his first effort at rifled projectile design was the use of a wrought iron solid bolt on Nov. 3, 1861, which apparently was not adopted. By late November, Brooke decided to use a Dahlgren pattern for his 7-inch shell

7-Inch Brooke with Ratchet Ring Sabot

Drawing of a 6.4-inch Brooke shell with a ratchet ring sabot. (National Archives, RG 45, Roll: 0010)

Diameter: 6.94 inches Bore Diameter: 7.0 inches Cannon: 7-Inch Brooke Rifle Overall Length: 14.18 inches Weight: 90.8 pounds Construction: Shell Fusing System: (missing) Time or percussion Sabot Material: Copper Sabot Height: 1.46 inches Battlefield: Unknown. State of Virginia Comments: Dickey number 17 painted on the side.

The Brooke ring sabot has 7 lands and grooves hook slant rifling. The cast iron body of the shell is chipped due to the ring being forced forward from the cannonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s discharge. Courtesy The Atlanta History Center Thomas Swift Dickey Sr. Civil War Collection.

ArtillerymanMagazine.com

| Vol. 39, No. 4

57

Brooke Ratchet Ring Sabot

Diameter: 6.49 inches (measured across grooves) Bore Diameter: 6.4 inches Cannon: Rifled 32-pounder or 7-inch Brooke Number of Rifling Grooves: 7 Width of Rifling Grooves: 1.13 inches Rifling Twist: Right Hand Twist Sabot Material: Copper Sabot Height: 1.70 inches Skirt Thickness: .20 inch Battlefield: Unknown location in Virginia Comments: Dickey number 17 painted on sabot. There are 8 ratchets in the outside ring, probably fired from a rifled 32-pounder rifled cannon. The diameter of the sabot’s center hole is 4.35 inches. Courtesy The Atlanta History Center Thomas Swift Dickey Sr. Civil War Collection.

58

The Artilleryman

Title reads: “SHELL. / With Ratchet ring sabot / For eight in Rifles, / designed by / John M. Brooke, Comdr. (C.S.N)” Drawing of a 8-inch Brooke shell with a Brooke ratchet ring sabot that measures 7.93 inches in diameter.

(National Archives)

News from the U.S. Army Artillery Museum This quarter has been a bit busy with museum staff and volunteers providing either Field Artillery branch heritage or Army heritage training to 2,653 Soldiers, including 769 basic trainees. Each month the number and size of the Soldier tours has grown.

In addition to all this, we also give a fair number of school and assorted other tours.

Zane Mohler, Exhibits Specialist, completed stencil painting on both our Lance missiles prior to the Lance veterans’ reunion in early June. Zane and SFC Dustin Mace fabricated a reproduction German 21cm shell for the Mörser 16 which presents a good idea of the size of this 7-ton howitzer. Fabrication of a reproduction loading tray is in progress.

In June, I traveled to Anniston Army Depot to select macro artifact artillery pieces to be transferred to the museum and recommend disposition of the remainder. Reviewed a total of 75 macro artifacts ranging from 1840s to present. My most interesting finds were a WWI forward observer tree made of concrete and ca. 1840 cannon patterns used for casting the guns.

In mid-June the museum hosted the annual Army through time event, with this year was focused entirely on World War I. On June 29, the museum hosted a double Sergeants Major frocking ceremony and reception on June 29, for SGM Ingram and SGM McFarland.

Last, but most important the museum’s new addition was finally blessed on June 18. The installation of track lighting is well underway. However, before most of the artillery pieces can be moved in, exhibit installation and diorama construction work can begin the Department of Public Works (DPW) has to install conduit for the new alarm system.

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

Basic trainee battery receiving their orientation.

Lance missile now complete with markings.

Machine gun display during our World War I event.

Reproduction German 21cm projectile for the Mörser 16.

ArtillerymanMagazine.com

| Vol. 39, No. 4

63

By Peter A. Frandsen Encyclopedia of Black Powder Projectiles Found in North America 1759 – 1865, Identification, Preservation and Deactivation: Volume IV – Union Rifled Projectiles. By Colonel John F. Biemeck, Black Powder Artificer Press, Inc., bpartificerpress@aol.com, 436 pages, 2018. ISBN 978-0-9891165-2-7.

This third installment is the final part of the substantive three-volume heart or “book” of John Biemeck’s five volume weighty encyclopedic work on black powder projectiles from the late 18th century to the mid-19th century. With over a 1,000 glossy stock pages in total, the three-volume heart of the encyclopedia covers rifled and spherical projectiles used by armed services from the time of the French and Indian War including the Revolution; Pre-Civil War, including the Mexican War; the Civil War, both Union and Confederate; and the Indian wars in maximum detail. Also included are the relevant British, French, Mexican, Spanish and Russian projectiles used here. In other words any black powder-based projectile used or to be used in anger in North America by anybody.

This particular installment, which constitutes chapters 11, 12 and 13, is a complete and detailed listing of Union rifled projectiles and includes everything from the most common to those that are “extinct” with no known surviving specimens. For just about every 64

The Artilleryman

item in this volume, as with those volumes before it, this installment contains data charts and text describing projectiles for rifled artillery to include their history, patents, usage, production, operation, measurements, fusing, sabots, charges, and more.

Virtually every cataloged item has three images, being chiefly the nose, the base and the side (or elevation) view of the item. Almost every page describes two or three items, so that the total number of images, however small individually, whether photographic or schematic, in this volume approaches a thousand, if not more.

The other two substantive volumes have the same configuration layout and corresponding number of images.

With the vast number of projectiles and variants produced during this period of rapid development and scanty records, the author has implemented his own identification system with each different type of projectile class receiving a unique number that will never change. The author calls it the JBF number. He even assigns a number to projectiles that were known to have existed at one time, but have not been seen since the Civil War. He asks that any projectile that is not in his books be brought to his attention at coljbf@aol.com. To date he has assigned over 2000 JBF numbers and he searches for more.

The value of the installment method of publication continues to be shown in this volume because it also contains updates and corrections from earlier volumes. Those changes are provided in part by the users of the earlier volumes. Time was also needed to organize the vast amount of research material.

All that was said in the earlier book reviews in this column (Vol. 36, No. 3, Summer 2015, and Vol. 38, No. 1, Winter 2016, of The Artilleryman)

applies equally to this third installment and need not be repeated here.

This installment also has an index for this volume and contains a thorough bibliography of all references most of which are published but not necessarily easy to obtain. The published works are in addition the visual inspection and analysis of hundreds of projectiles over many decades by the author. The projectiles themselves are his primary records and form most of the core of this reference work. He also credits the invaluable work of Col. Frank Hackley for assistance with the whole encyclopedia.

And throughout the author forcefully and repeatedly again warns against playing with or attempting to deactivate rounds of unknown origin or type because unexploded ordnance is extremely dangerous. (Modern projectiles cannot even be safely disarmed.) He has his ten golden rules of safety which all would be wise to follow. He points out that all known accidents or attempts to deactivate black powder projectiles have involved the use of electric drills and grinders.

Volume I will be published last and will include technical data not otherwise found in substantive Volumes II, III, and IV as well as a full master index, general information, and presumably additional updates and corrections. Volume V will detail historical deactivation procedures. Each page of each book is uniquely paginated so that in the end the one master index will include everything from all volumes. Previously published Volume II (ISBN 978-0-9891165-0-3) covered all spherical projectiles and Volume III (ISBN 978-0-9891165-1-0) covered Confederate Rifled projectiles.

This reference work is a necessary addition to any military reference library and for anyone interested in 19th century artillery.

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By Jack W. Melton Jr.

Hidden Evidence A Look Inside Civil War Artillery Projectiles

"Through Jack’s superb photography; the collector and professional can now view an extensive exposure to sectioned projectiles. This is new for the average person in that for the first time since radiography; one can examine the internal makeup of a shell."

CWO4 John D. Bartleson Jr., U.S. Navy EOD Author of Civil War Explosive Ordnance 1861–1865

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• • • •

Copies will be mailed starting Nov. 1, 2018

392 pages of full color photographs with descriptions Covers projectiles, fuses, canister, grapeshot and more 850 photos, drawings, radiographs, patents and maps A must for every serious artillery enthusiast

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