12-Pounder Whitworth Rifled Cannon

CSA Today

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Honored Fallen Comrade
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
Location
Laurinburg NC
1606918_717046145049728_9019357863742871011_n.jpg


"In the 'Modern Greece' (Blockade runner) was a battery of Whitworth guns, superb breech-loading, rifled pieces, carrying a long conical ball, and endowed with a reach and precision of fire in action little short of marvelous."

1st Lieutenant J.H. Myrover - 13th North Carolina Battalion
 
View attachment 46331

"In the 'Modern Greece' (Blockade runner) was a battery of Whitworth guns, superb breech-loading, rifled pieces, carrying a long conical ball, and endowed with a reach and precision of fire in action little short of marvelous."

1st Lieutenant J.H. Myrover - 13th North Carolina Battalion

Was the cannon cleaned from the back also?
 
Was the cannon cleaned from the back also?

Good question, I’ve never read anything on that, but with all that black powder residue, I suspect the crew cleaned it end to end.

There was a Whitworth in one of my great grandfather’s battery during the two years he spent at Fort Caswell guarding the Old Inlet to the Cape Fear River. I don’t know if he was a member of the gun crew since there were at least four guns in the battery and only one of the cannons was a Whitworth.
 
Good question, I’ve never read anything on that, but with all that black powder residue, I suspect the crew cleaned it end to end.

There was a Whitworth in one of my great grandfather’s battery during the two years he spent at Fort Caswell guarding the Old Inlet to the Cape Fear River. I don’t know if he was a member of the gun crew since there were at least four guns in the battery and only one of the cannons was a Whitworth.
I just finished Gragg's book on Fort Fisher and I found it to be a most enjoyable read and if I'm not mistaken, there have been a number of the larger Whitworth rounds found in that area. Whitworth also made larger muzzle loading smoothbores (10") that fired round balls. And I think that you are right about being cleaned from both ends, that is the way that modern artillery pieces are cleaned.
 
Last edited:
I met a man a few months back that new where there was a Whitworth tube for $7000.
If I was into this cannon business I would surely try to find a group for this.
 
Back
Top