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Regtl. Staff Shiloh 2020
Asst. Regtl. QM Stones River / Franklin 2022
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The Port Hudson Witness Sawyer 6-pounder Rifled cast steel cannon was a weapon ahead of its time. It was the first cast steel rifled cannon accepted by the US government. Sylvanus Sawyer was a visionary inventor who’s weapon was quickly incorporated into the James and Parrot rifles.
Regards
David
There are only 2 known examples of the 3.67” 6-pounder Sawyer Rifles, one being in private hands, serial #13 and the other is located in the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial in Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN serial #16. I have the dimensions of serial #16 are as listed below:
Trunions 3/8” diam 2 1/4” length
Rimbase 9 1/2” apart
Muzzle Diameter 6 9/16”
Chase Diameter 7 1/16” Ahead of Reinforce
Chase Length 37 1/2”
Reinforce 9 1/4” Front End 9 3/16” Rear End 29” Length of Reinforce between 2 diametersr
Rifling is a 6 groove right hand twist, lands wider than grooves, grooves being 1/8" deep which are 2 to 3 times deeper than other rifles.*
This is the auction information on the Port Hudson witness Sawyer
VERY RARE CIVIL WAR SAWYER CANNON, ONE OF ONLY 2 SURVIVORS.
SN 13. Rifled 6-pounder, 3.67″ Sawyer cannon saw service in the western theatre of war. The most famous battery was Captain Pythagoras Holcomb, 2nd Vermont’s six 6-pounder Sawyer rifles which saw major action at Port Hudson, Louisiana where many unique lead-covered Sawyer projectiles are found. These cannons were made of cast steel, most likely by Putnam Machine Company, of Fitchburg, Mass. Sylvanus and Addison Sawyer made at least 3 cal. of projectiles and guns of which there are only two known. This gun is registry “No. 13”; and the only other example is in a memorial, which is registry “No. 16”. This is only privately owned example. Hazlett, Olmstead & Parks in their definitive text Field Artillery Weapons of the Civil War list other survivor as registry number “16” and is at Lakeview Cemetery, Minneapolis in memorial to fallen Union soldiers. This is no doubt the rarest of all Civil War-used Union field guns that would fit on a standard No. 1 carriage. Cannon has total length of 78-1/2″ with weight as noted 872 pounds. PROVENANCE: New York estate. CONDITION: Very good overall. Gold painted with iron patina, well defined rifled pitted bore. Three drilled holes rear of vent for sighting bracket which is still found on No. 16. Left trunnion marked with 872 which is the weight. It will be interesting to see if any other markings will be found after the paint is removed. 52758-1 JS (30,000-40,000) – Lot 1319*
*Field Artillery Weapons of the Civil War By James C Hazlett, Edwin Olmstead, M. Hume Parks
^https://www.morphyauctions.com/jamesdjulia/item/52758-1-397/
Regards
David
There are only 2 known examples of the 3.67” 6-pounder Sawyer Rifles, one being in private hands, serial #13 and the other is located in the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial in Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN serial #16. I have the dimensions of serial #16 are as listed below:
Trunions 3/8” diam 2 1/4” length
Rimbase 9 1/2” apart
Muzzle Diameter 6 9/16”
Chase Diameter 7 1/16” Ahead of Reinforce
Chase Length 37 1/2”
Reinforce 9 1/4” Front End 9 3/16” Rear End 29” Length of Reinforce between 2 diametersr
Rifling is a 6 groove right hand twist, lands wider than grooves, grooves being 1/8" deep which are 2 to 3 times deeper than other rifles.*
This is the auction information on the Port Hudson witness Sawyer
VERY RARE CIVIL WAR SAWYER CANNON, ONE OF ONLY 2 SURVIVORS.
SN 13. Rifled 6-pounder, 3.67″ Sawyer cannon saw service in the western theatre of war. The most famous battery was Captain Pythagoras Holcomb, 2nd Vermont’s six 6-pounder Sawyer rifles which saw major action at Port Hudson, Louisiana where many unique lead-covered Sawyer projectiles are found. These cannons were made of cast steel, most likely by Putnam Machine Company, of Fitchburg, Mass. Sylvanus and Addison Sawyer made at least 3 cal. of projectiles and guns of which there are only two known. This gun is registry “No. 13”; and the only other example is in a memorial, which is registry “No. 16”. This is only privately owned example. Hazlett, Olmstead & Parks in their definitive text Field Artillery Weapons of the Civil War list other survivor as registry number “16” and is at Lakeview Cemetery, Minneapolis in memorial to fallen Union soldiers. This is no doubt the rarest of all Civil War-used Union field guns that would fit on a standard No. 1 carriage. Cannon has total length of 78-1/2″ with weight as noted 872 pounds. PROVENANCE: New York estate. CONDITION: Very good overall. Gold painted with iron patina, well defined rifled pitted bore. Three drilled holes rear of vent for sighting bracket which is still found on No. 16. Left trunnion marked with 872 which is the weight. It will be interesting to see if any other markings will be found after the paint is removed. 52758-1 JS (30,000-40,000) – Lot 1319*
*Field Artillery Weapons of the Civil War By James C Hazlett, Edwin Olmstead, M. Hume Parks
^https://www.morphyauctions.com/jamesdjulia/item/52758-1-397/