- Joined
- Mar 22, 2009
- Location
- Collierville, TN
After our CWT Vicksburg Tour, I wanted to start a new discussion/research topic. I am NOT an artillery expert but I had to post this Question.
During a stop at the Jefferson Davis Monument, @redbob called us over to some cannons behind the monument. He gave a quick talk about one of the cannon that appears to have repairs to the vent hole. Bob said the original vent hole was plugged and new vent holes were drilled. This gun has 3 holes.
I have talked to a re-enactor who owns an original cannon and my friend who works at the museum at the Gettysburg National Military Park.
Here is a close up of the repaired tube.
The Original vent hole has a typical repair. This was performed at arsenals during and after the war when the vents were found to be worn larger than normal due to constant wear. The tube was sent to an arsenal where the old vent was drilled out and typically a copper or copper/bronze insert installed.
However, the 3 holes off to the side were not new vent holes. As we observed in the park, these 3 holes are drilled in a unique triangular pattern and each hole was threaded. These 3 additional holes are typical of a post-war upgrades to add a rear sight fixture. Before the Spanish-American War, the Army was using these old cannons to train artillerymen before advancing to the new breech-loader cannons. There were a handful of examples of these old guns used to train National Guard units during the Span-Am War, after which they were all condemned for further field use.
The Army even modified the Civil War cannons to convert them to breech-loaders. I have found only one example of a muzzle-loader that was actually put into service with the army.
3.2-inch gun M1897
I would like to find a photo of a sight that was bolted down on this gun. Could the same sight have been used on other models of cannon of this period?
What about it, Bob?
During a stop at the Jefferson Davis Monument, @redbob called us over to some cannons behind the monument. He gave a quick talk about one of the cannon that appears to have repairs to the vent hole. Bob said the original vent hole was plugged and new vent holes were drilled. This gun has 3 holes.
I have talked to a re-enactor who owns an original cannon and my friend who works at the museum at the Gettysburg National Military Park.
Here is a close up of the repaired tube.
The Original vent hole has a typical repair. This was performed at arsenals during and after the war when the vents were found to be worn larger than normal due to constant wear. The tube was sent to an arsenal where the old vent was drilled out and typically a copper or copper/bronze insert installed.
However, the 3 holes off to the side were not new vent holes. As we observed in the park, these 3 holes are drilled in a unique triangular pattern and each hole was threaded. These 3 additional holes are typical of a post-war upgrades to add a rear sight fixture. Before the Spanish-American War, the Army was using these old cannons to train artillerymen before advancing to the new breech-loader cannons. There were a handful of examples of these old guns used to train National Guard units during the Span-Am War, after which they were all condemned for further field use.
The Army even modified the Civil War cannons to convert them to breech-loaders. I have found only one example of a muzzle-loader that was actually put into service with the army.
3.2-inch gun M1897
I would like to find a photo of a sight that was bolted down on this gun. Could the same sight have been used on other models of cannon of this period?
What about it, Bob?