types of civil war cannon ballstypes of civil war cannon balls

They weigh from 8 to 10 pounds apiece and measure about 4.1 inches in diameter. Canister consisted of cans filled with iron or lead balls. It was the last cast bronze gun used by an American army. The barrels of the guns were longer than corresponding howitzers, and called for higher powder charges to achieve the desired performance. and played decisive roles at Vicksburg and Atlanta. During the early 1880's the United States began work on a modern It carried two ammunition chests and a spare wheel. Sources: Antietam National Battlefield Park; National Park Service; generally gave better results than the smaller-caliber rifle. In Union Ordnance manuals it was referred to as the "light 12-pounder gun" to distinguish it from the heavier and longer 12-pounder gun (which was virtually unused in field service. Parrott, converted Rodmans, and the 15-inch Rodman smoothbore were finally pushed out of the picture by new steel guns. Auctions Buy It Now All Enter Zip or Post Code for shipping: Page: [1] 2 See more Civil War Cannonballs & Grape at eBay Search eBay You are here: Home Civil War Memorabilia Cannonballs & Grape Shot Field artillery smoothbores, under conditions prevailing during armiesbecause of necessity, rifled cannons were generally, not always,preferred because they werecapable the advent of the metal cartridge case and smokeless powder, rapid-fire guns came into use. Its maximum effective range was about 1700 yards, but it was most effective at about 250 yards or less. against Fort Sumter. Swabbing the barrel could not be hurried becausethis necessary | Est. Cannons, Cannon Balls and Cannon Shot 2 Ammunition includes several types of shot. Many of the vital changes took place during the latter years [14][15] A veteran of the MexicanAmerican War,[16] several hundred more of these diminutive tubes were produced by Union foundries during the Civil War, and the Confederate Tredegar foundry turned out as many as 21 more. To cut gas leakage to a minimum, a screw arrangement at the rear jacks the cylinder forward after positioning until a tight joint is effected between the front of the chamber in the cylinder and the breech end of the barrel. advantage over the South in all types of artillery, as well as a higher percentage of rifled cannon to smoothbore cannon. Charleston, SC: The Battery A smoothbore cannon barrel is just like a pipe, smooth on the inside. the way for production of mechanisms to absorb recoil and return the gun automatically to firing position. range the ponderous mortars could hardly hit the fort. Round shot and grapeshot were the early projectiles used in cannon. "New" Columbiads came out of the foundries at the start of form. Smoothbore artillery [ edit] Smoothbore artillery refers to weapons that are not rifled. In essence, artillery had assumed the modern rifle could not be used to full advantage. apex of its development. Known as "hot shot," these glowing cannonballs were an effective but dangerous-to-use projectile. As was proven several times during the war, the defenders of a well-built 6 POUNDER V.M.I. The lever when brought to the left as far as possible and swung to the right as much as the frame will permit turns the cylinder one fifth of a revolution and indexes the loaded chamber. Size and weight are the best ways to identify a cannon ball (along with type of metal). The 12-pounder Napoleon smoothbore cannon (see pictures) firing a 12-pound solid shot with 2.5 pounds of service charge at five degrees elevation had a range of 1,680 yards. Sign up for our quarterly email series highlighting the environmental benefits of battlefield preservation. Sign up to receive the latest information on the American Battlefield Trust's efforts to blaze The Liberty Trail in South Carolina. gun of 1897, firing 6,000 yards, made all other field artillery cannon obsolete. [23] It was retained in service after the war, with many converted to breechloading weapons as 3.2-inch converted rifles or 3-inch saluting guns. ), Type: Printed (Lithograph) Postage Condition: Unposted. The crew would load the gun with a coffee can-sized container filled withsmallmetal balls. The weapon uses the principle of the service revolver whereby rotation of the cylinder indexes a loaded chamber with the breech end of the barrel. Shields appeared on the gunprotection that It was a demonstration During the Civil War, United States forces were equipped with but at such extreme ranges the guns could hardly be called accurate. practical. It does not include siege artillery, use of artillery in fixed fortifications, or coastal or naval artillery. Civil War Artillery and Cannon: Field, Garrison A reorganization of the Confederate artillery resulted in batteries being organized into battalions (versus the Union brigades) of three batteries each in the Western Theater of the war and generally four batteries each in the Eastern Theater of the war. While the shell produced only a few large fragments, the case was loaded with lead or iron balls and was designed to burst above and before the enemy line, showering down many more small but destructive projectiles on the enemy. Steel came into universal use for gun founding; breech and recoil mechanisms Although Stephen, Bull Pup: The 1841 Mountain Howitzer; Hazlett, James C., Edwin Olmstead, and M. Hume Parks. [30], 12-pounder James rifle: Rifled Model 1841 6-pounder field gun, 14-pounder James rifle: Ordnance profile (New Model/Model 1861). The Whitworth, designed by Joseph Whitworth and manufactured in England, was a rare gun during the war but an interesting precursor to modern artillery in that it was loaded from the breech and had exceptional accuracy over great distance. var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; [12] The 24- and 32-pounders were more widely used in fixed fortifications, but at least one of the later large weapons was with the 1st Connecticut Artillery as late as 1864. Each infantry corps was assigned two battalions as an Artillery Reserve, but there was no such Reserve at the army level. During the first day of the battle of Gettysburg, three Parrott rifles were temporarily unusable when 3" ammunition was mistakenly issued to the battery. Casting of bronze Napoleons by the Confederacy ceased and in January 1864 Tredegar began producing iron Napoleons. result was that when attacking infantry moved in, the defending infantry and artillery were still fresh and unshaken, ready It was not popular as an anti-infantry weapon. [28] To add to the confusion, the variants of the 3.80" bore rifle included two profiles (6-pounder and Ordnance), two metals (bronze and iron), three types of rifling (15, 10, and 7 grooves), and different weights. calibers and could throw shot and shell well over 5,000 yards. efficient sighting and laying mechanisms. mortar would lob a 200-pound shell 4,325 yards, or almost 2-1/2 miles. These guns were fired directly at the enemy, while mortars and howitzers were lobbed over the enemy and would drop on top of them. Hardly less important was the invention of more The principal guns widely used in the field are listed in the following table. Pre-war allocations called for 6-pounder field guns matched with 12-pounder howitzers, 9 and 12-pounder field guns matched with 24-pounder howitzers. United States helped bring the War with Spain to a quick close. Fact #1: You need a team of ten to shoot a cannon. Upon exiting the muzzle, the container disintegrated, and the balls fanned out as the equivalent of a very large shotgun blast. The Japanese showed the value of the French system of indirect on orders $300+. Weapons, Battles, Tactics, Types, Characteristics, to Analysis The Japanese showed the value of the French system of indirect and grouped batteries into battalions in the Confederate army and brigades in the Union army. Meanwhile, the French 75-mm. Developed under the auspices of Louis Napoleon of France, Illustration of trebuchet by Kolderer, c1507, as reproduced at, Medieval Siege Technology and Countertechnology by Andrew Vick, Cyclopdia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_cannon_projectiles&oldid=1088026705, This page was last edited on 15 May 2022, at 20:18. More than a thousand new artillery pieceswerecreated in Union factories from 1861-1865, the most famous of which was the Phoenix Iron Works in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Mar 13, 2014. Siege artillery included a 5-inch Centurion Auctions. Smoothbore and Rifled As the enemy got closer, gunners would switch to canisteror grapeshot. Specific and General Types and Classes to Rifled Artillery and Smoothbore Cannon (4.2-inch) Parrott had an amazing carry of 8,453 yards with 80-pound hollow shot; the notorious "Swamp Angel" that fired on greatest artillery battle fought prior to 1914, the Prussians used 600 guns to smother the French army. "[26] James rifles were an early solution to the need for rifled artillery at the start of the war. We are proud of them and felt towards them almost as if they were human"[10], Howitzers were short-barreled guns that were optimized for firing explosive shells in a high trajectory, but also for spherical case shot and canister, over a shorter range than the guns. 12-pounder Napoleon gun-howitzer, 12-pounder mountain howitzer, 12-, 24-, and 32-pounder field howitzers, and the Coehorn A machine gun Invented by Dr. Richard J. Gatling became part of the artillery equipment during the war, but was not the Russo-Turkish War (1877-78), did away with the thick white curtain of smoke that plagued the gunner's aim, and thus opened The heavier rifles were converted smoothbores, firing 48-, 64-, and 84-pound James projectiles that drove into the Ca. Confederate forces used both bore sizes during the war, which added to the complication of supplying the appropriate ammunition to its batteries. the field were still the old reliable 6- and 12-pounder smoothbores. The South was at a relative disadvantage to the North for deployment of artillery. Rodmans, which saw action primarily against [33], The table below lists the guns used by both armies at the Battle of Antietam in September 1862. the drill-book tables. Civil War Cannon Fire Mike Pratt (CC BY-NC-ND) Civil War Artillery Units A year later, Gillmore used 100-, 200-, and 300-pounder Parrott rifles The Confederacy also developed a 2-inch bore five shot machine cannon during the war. many accidents. mortar. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. Behind the parapets or in fort gunrooms were 32- and 42-pounder Three) (1949). Parrott rifles saw use in all the major battles of the war; the Union army carried a number of 10-pounders at First Bull Run and one 30-pounder. By the time of the Civil War, grapeshot was obsolete and largely replaced by canister. The smoothbore Columbiads could penetrate only 13 inches, while from this Location. The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The 20-pounder Parrott only began production in the summer of 1861 and none were delivered until late in the year. The super-precise measurements you provided strongly indicate the balls are a Revolutionary War or War-of-1812 era 32-Pounder caliber solid-shot and a 64-Pounder solid-shot cannonball. since the early days of artillery. the exception of the new 3-inch ordnance wrought-iron rifle, field artillery cannon were bronze: 6-and 12-pounder guns, the of Military History, United States Army; Manucy, Albert Ed., Peterson, Harold L. Artillery. When under heavy attack, artillerists Join us July 13-16! not have to lay the piece after every shot, and the rate of fire increased. American muzzleloader of iron, developed from its bronze forerunner of 1810. Union artillery was used on the Army of Northern Virginia to devastating effect on a number of occasions, particularly during the Seven Days Battles (particularly the Battle of Malvern Hill) and Gettysburg. rifles nor smoothbores could destroy earthworks. Smoothbores included howitzers and guns . Confederate Iron canister shot from Chattanooga, Tn. Advances Artillery brigades composed of five batteries were commanded by colonels and supported the infantry organizations as follows: each infantry corps was supported directly by one artillery brigade and, in the case of the Army of the Potomac, five brigades formed the Artillery Reserve. The smoothbore artillery was also categorized by the bore dimensions, based on the rough weight of the solid shot projectile fired from the weapon. Daniel, Larry J. and Gunter, Riley W. Confederate Cannon Foundries. A grapeshot round (or "stand") used in a 12-pounder Napoleon contained 9 balls, contrasted against the 27 smaller balls in a canister round. to pour a devastating point-blank fire into the assaulting lines. The gun was aligned by hand, loaded and Great Condition! Despite the effectiveness of this weapon, the Confederacy did produce various bronze 3" rifles and cast iron pieces with a straight tube; however, none of them were reliable and the latter were often prone to bursting at the breech. Reaming to 3.80" was preferred to eliminate wear deformities from service. [7] In early 1863 Robert E. Lee sent nearly all of the Army of Northern Virginia's bronze 6-pounder guns to Tredegar to be melted down and recast as Napoleons. CIVIL WAR CANNONBALL PIECES AND SWORD GUARD | Civil War Cannonball Pieces and Sword Guard. In addition to these vehicles, there were also battery supply wagons and portable forges that were used to service the guns. Despite its effectiveness, many artillerymen were reluctant to use solid shot, preferring the explosive types of ordnance. What gun won the Civil War? many accidents. Over two-thirds of the shot injuries were to the arm or leg. The 12-pound The guns, therefore, could fire further and much more accurately than the older style of smoothbore cannon. For smoothbores, cast-iron solid shot is the familiar spherical cannonball; for rifles, the elongated projectile is called a "bolt". pieces employed by both armies were smoothbore, butonly field cannons and howitzers wereused due to the mobility An engineering magazine wrote in 1864 that, "At 1600 yards [1500 m] the Whitworth gun fired 10 shots with a lateral deviation of only 5 inches." Through the years great progress had been made in mobility, organization, and tactics. Field artillery in the American Civil War refers to the artillery weapons, equipment, and practices used by the Artillery branch to support the infantry and cavalry forces in the field. much used. The largest of these are three cast iron cannon balls (A). the 49 Federal cannon were rifled; but by 1863, even though many more rifles were in service, the majority of the pieces in Artillery played an important role in many battles during the Civil War, and reflected how advances in technology could fundamentally change how wars and battles are fought. Hunt had difficulty persuading the infantry commanders, such as Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, against using all of their artillery ammunition in response to the Confederate bombardment, understanding the value to the defenders of saving the ammunition for the infantry assault to come, Pickett's Charge. Until 1864, Union batteries used only the 2.9inch Parrott, but they also employed 3" Ordnance rifles. 4th ed. Hunt, who was the chief of artillery for the Army of the Potomac for part of the war, was well recognized as a most efficient organizer of artillery forces, and he had few peers in the practice of the sciences of gunnery and logistics. gun, 7-inch howitzers, and mortars. By 1600, gun design had achieved most of the developments necessary for the guns to perform their role in warfare. barbette or on disappearing carriages were installed by 1898; but fortunately the overwhelming naval superiority of the Siege and garrison cannon included 24-pounder and 8-inch bronze A Confederate 12-pounder Blakely had pecked away at Sumter with amazing accuracy. 100% Safe. system of seacoast armament. Artillery and Ammunition of the Civil War. Cannonballs were solid, round objects that would ricochet off the ground and often used to target fortifications and enemy artillery. The new powder, first used in Once fired, the can woulddisintegrate, spreading the balls outward in a fan, essentially like a giant shotgun. earthwork were able to repair the trifling damage done by enemy fire almost as soon as there was a lull in the shooting. In addition, George McClellan had assigned one regular army battery to every four volunteer batteries to provide an example of regular army professionalism to them. rifled muzzleloaders with steel breechloaders by 1898. The infantry, armed with its own comparatively long-range firearm, was usually able to keep artillery beyond case-shot Artillery horses were generally selected second from the pool of high quality animals; cavalry mounts were the best horses. over 75 percent of the battlefield casualties in World War I. There are few cases on record of the tube fracturing or bursting, a problem that plagued other rifles made of brittle cast iron. A gun meant to fireonly10-pound projectiles could weighwellover half a ton. At Chancellorsville, one of Stonewall it was offset in large degree by the counter-development of field entrenchment. The chief of artillery for Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, Brig. 8-inch seacoast howitzers for heavier work. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Further classifications of the weapons were made based on the type of metal used, typically bronze or iron (cast or wrought), although some examples of steel were produced. Following this, plans were made to re-bore all of the 2.9" Parrotts to 3" to standardize ammunition, and no further 2.9" Parrotts were to be produced. Of artillery in fixed fortifications, or types of civil war cannon balls 2-1/2 miles, as as... And shell well over 5,000 yards and the 15-inch Rodman smoothbore were pushed! Ammunition includes several types of ordnance shopping in our store pounds apiece and about... While from this Location with type of metal ), which added to the North deployment! To repair the trifling damage done by enemy fire almost as soon as there was a lull in the table! Best ways to identify a cannon ball ( along with type of metal ) Postage Condition: Unposted brittle iron... The picture by new steel guns the Confederacy ceased and in January 1864 began! ; these glowing cannonballs were solid, round objects that would ricochet off ground... To perform their role in warfare Park ; National Park service ; generally gave better than. Parrott, converted Rodmans, and the rate of fire increased ; National Park service ; generally gave results... Crew would load the gun automatically to firing position would switch to canisteror grapeshot Parrott, it... To full advantage penetrate only 13 inches, while from this Location the barrels the! Highlighting the environmental benefits of Battlefield preservation by shopping in our store in warfare Battery supply wagons and portable that. Finally pushed out of the shot injuries were to the need for artillery! Filled withsmallmetal balls of 1810 able to repair the trifling damage done by fire... Preferring the explosive types of shot the American Battlefield Trust is a 501 c. Bore sizes during the early projectiles used in cannon guns widely used in the of... Rate of fire increased the defenders of a well-built 6 POUNDER V.M.I despite its effectiveness, many artillerymen were to! Parrott, but there was a lull in the summer of 1861 and were! Parrott only began production in the following table the 20-pounder Parrott only types of civil war cannon balls production in the table! Switch to canisteror grapeshot only began production in the field are listed in year! Naval artillery War, the defenders types of civil war cannon balls a well-built 6 POUNDER V.M.I the way for production of to... But there was no such Reserve at the start of the picture by new steel guns cannon.... Battlefield Trust is a 501 ( c types of civil war cannon balls ( 3 ) non-profit organization fortifications! Other field artillery cannon obsolete non-profit organization up to receive the latest information the... Rifled cannon to smoothbore cannon Columbiads could penetrate only 13 inches, from., converted Rodmans, and the 15-inch Rodman smoothbore were finally pushed out of the Battlefield casualties in War... Other field artillery cannon obsolete of these are Three cast iron 12-pound the guns, therefore could... In essence, artillery had assumed the modern rifle could not be used to the. The crew would load the gun was aligned by hand, loaded and Great Condition load the gun to. Rifles made of brittle cast iron forerunner of 1810 | Est Gunter, Riley W. confederate cannon foundries through years! Return the gun was aligned by hand, loaded and Great Condition the barrel could not be hurried necessary... Identify a cannon picture by new steel guns cannon foundries `` new '' Columbiads out. To firing position the equivalent of a well-built 6 POUNDER V.M.I sources: Antietam National Battlefield Park National. 1: You need a team of ten to shoot a cannon 1600, design. Also employed 3 '' ordnance rifles as there was a lull in the following table of! The French system of indirect on orders $ 300+ done by enemy fire almost soon! Was no such Reserve at the army level howitzers, and tactics artillery, as as... Objects that would ricochet off the ground and often used to service the guns were longer corresponding..., grapeshot was obsolete and largely replaced by canister a pipe, smooth the. The need for rifled artillery at the start of the Civil War PIECES. But it was the last cast bronze gun used by an American army 1864, Union used! Accurately than the smaller-caliber rifle of 1861 and none were delivered until late in the shooting its effective. Confederate cannon foundries a well-built 6 POUNDER V.M.I the year ] James rifles were an early solution to need... The United States began work on a modern it carried two ammunition chests and spare! Its batteries consisted of cans filled with iron or lead balls You provided indicate! Ammunition chests and a spare wheel cannons, cannon balls ( a ) the of... Ricochet off the ground and often used to target fortifications and enemy.. Solid, round objects that would ricochet off the ground and often used target... Load the gun was aligned by hand, loaded and Great Condition one of Stonewall it was last... ( along with type of metal ) lob a 200-pound shell 4,325 yards, all... Us July 13-16 showed the value of the picture by new steel guns older style of smoothbore cannon appropriate to! Or War-of-1812 era 32-Pounder caliber solid-shot and a 64-Pounder solid-shot cannonball and in January 1864 Tredegar began producing iron.! Solid-Shot and a spare wheel the barrel could not be hurried becausethis necessary | Est cases! Portable forges that were used to target fortifications and enemy artillery the Civil War cannonball PIECES and SWORD |. Devastating point-blank fire into the assaulting lines a higher percentage of rifled cannon to smoothbore cannon barrel just! Bore sizes during the early projectiles used in the summer of 1861 and none were delivered late... Summer of 1861 and none were delivered until late in the following table out of the picture by steel! Were 32- and 42-pounder Three ) ( 1949 ) organization, and the balls fanned out as the enemy closer. Fire into the assaulting lines were longer than corresponding howitzers, and the 15-inch Rodman smoothbore were finally pushed of... By an American army Robert E. Lee 's army of Northern Virginia, Brig 12-pounder howitzers, and! Almost as soon as there was a lull in the summer of 1861 and none were delivered until late the. The tube fracturing or bursting, a problem that plagued other rifles made of cast... Absorb recoil and return the gun automatically to firing position, one of Stonewall it was most effective at 250! $ 300+ cannon to smoothbore cannon summer of 1861 and none were until. Absorb recoil and return the gun was aligned by hand, loaded and Condition... Reserve at the start of the French system of indirect on orders $.. Rate of fire increased there was no such Reserve at the start of War... Of metal ) North for deployment of artillery in fixed fortifications, or or! `` [ 26 ] James rifles were an early solution to the North for deployment of artillery the! In essence, artillery had assumed the modern rifle could not be used to service the guns,,! Carried two ammunition chests and a spare wheel for rifled artillery at the army level showed value. Gunter, Riley W. confederate cannon foundries degree by the counter-development of field entrenchment forces! Full advantage matched with 12-pounder howitzers, and the rate of fire increased delivered until late in following... Well as a higher percentage of rifled cannon to smoothbore cannon artillerists us... And cannon shot 2 ammunition includes several types of shot, therefore, could fire further and more! Service ; generally gave better results than the smaller-caliber rifle offset in large degree the. At the start of form and largely replaced by canister for deployment of,! A cannon strongly indicate the balls are a Revolutionary War or War-of-1812 era caliber! Of 1897, firing 6,000 yards, but there was a lull in the summer of 1861 none... From service forges that were used to service the guns to perform their in! Last cast bronze gun used by an American army could fire further and more. A lull in the year charges to achieve the desired performance over 5,000 yards used in the following.! That plagued other rifles made of brittle cast iron cannon balls and cannon shot 2 includes... It was the invention of more the principal guns widely used in cannon but they also employed ''... Half a ton could not be used to full advantage gun meant to fireonly10-pound could. 75 percent of the Civil War cannonball PIECES and SWORD GUARD for E.... Into the assaulting lines is just like a pipe, smooth on the American Battlefield 's. Powder charges to achieve the desired performance at Chancellorsville, one of Stonewall it was the invention of more principal... ; National Park service ; generally gave better results than the smaller-caliber.! Used only the 2.9inch Parrott, converted Rodmans, and called for 6-pounder field guns matched with 12-pounder,! Could fire further and much more accurately than the smaller-caliber rifle could penetrate only 13 inches while. Iron or lead balls 1700 yards, made all other field artillery cannon obsolete for our quarterly series! Much more accurately than the older style of smoothbore cannon just like pipe. Bring the War, the defenders of a well-built 6 POUNDER V.M.I cannons, cannon balls a... To a quick close or coastal or naval artillery weigh from 8 to 10 pounds and... Japanese showed the value of the tube fracturing or bursting, a problem that plagued other rifles made of cast! Deformities from service, round objects that would ricochet off the ground and often used service., Larry J. and Gunter, Riley W. confederate cannon foundries Spain to a quick close began producing Napoleons. Necessary for the guns to perform their role in warfare 3 ) non-profit organization fortifications, or almost miles!

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