Sawyer Guns at Fort Wool

USS ALASKA

Captain
Joined
Mar 16, 2016
Been reading about Fort Wool and came across the below statements;

"The 42-pounders (rifle) columbiads were mounted at Newport News and upon the Rip Raps (Fort Wool), the latter being the only guns there that could reach Sewell's Point battery, a distance of three and one-half miles, which they did with great accuracy, and made fearful havoc with the railroad iron-clad batteries."

"A very powerful experimental cannon, the Sawyer Gun, was installed at Fort Wool during the Civil War. The range of this weapon extended all the way to Sewell's Point, more than three miles away (where the Norfolk Naval Base is now located), the site of a Confederate earthen fort with bastions and a redan and three artillery batteries totaling of 45 guns. The Battle of Hampton Roads took place off Sewells Point on March 8–9, 1862. USS Monitor of the Union Navy faced CSS Virginia of the Confederate States Navy during the Battle of the Ironclads in 1862. The Sawyer Gun also fired at the CSS Virginia, although it did no damage to the ironclad's armor."

Can't find much on the web about these weapons. Anyone know anything about them?

Thanks for the help,
USS ALASKA
 
sawyer.png

from Fort Wool, the Union forces could harass the Confederates on Sewells Point with the Sawyer gun
Source: Frank Leslie's Illustrated History of the Civil War.
http://www.virginiaplaces.org/military/fortwool.html
 
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