32lb at Franklin?

[danielking1775]

I have been gifted what I believe is a wood fused confederate 32lb. Folks on the forum at first thought it was not a cannon ball but it measures out at a crisp 6.25 and correct weight. The only isssue is this ball was found around the battle of Franklin area. Would it possibly be from a gunboat on the Harpeth? Thanks for your help.

 

[Rhea Cole]

The Harpeth River is very popular canoe, kayaks & tubing river. Unless they figured out how to mount a 32 pounder on an inner tube, it would not be on the Harpeth.

Link:

https://tnstateparks.com/parks/info/harpeth-river

There were 32 pound carronades & cannon in the Fort Donelson River Battery. I am not aware of any others in Middle Tennessee.

Link:

The Confederate River Batteries - Fort Donelson National Battlefield (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

 

[tmorr]

As Rhea mentioned above the Harpeth is non-navigable for anything larger than canoe or kayak.

But, aside from the Battle of Franklin itself, hundreds of thousands of troops passed through Franklin during the fours years of war. IF your shell is indeed from the area it could have been cast off by one of the numerous armies marching through.

I'd have to brush up on the armament of Ft. Granger, as it changed over the years, to see if a 32 pounder was there at some point. I do not recall reading of any.

It could also be that it was brought to Franklin for display and was discarded, or possibly never was at Franklin and the provenance is faulty.

 

[Lampasas Bill]

This marker caption at the fort mentions "6 large siege guns."

Fort Granger Historical Marker

Located along Figuers Bluff overlooking the Harpeth River, this Federal fort, named for Union Major General Gordon Granger, was well situated to control transportation in and out of Franklin. (A historical marker located in Franklin in Williamson County, Tennessee.)

www.hmdb.org

 

[Rhea Cole]

Here is a description of the artillery firing from Fort Granger during the Battle of Franklin. It also lists the makeup of all the Union batteries.

"One of the greatest misconceptions about the Federal artillery fire on the east side of the battlefield is the role played by the guns that were located inside Fort Granger. The facts clearly indicate the two batteries located behind the Federal left flank did the worst damage in that sector. Capt. Alexander Marshall's six 3-inch guns and Capt. Samuel Canby's four Napoleons let loose with a torrent of fire that gashed and tore the advancing Confederates. The divisions led by W. W. Loring and Edward Walthall took the brunt of this ruthless fire. In fact, Marshall's guns began pounding the attacking force as it swept across John McGavock's property. Artillery evidence has been uncovered around Carnton over the years, and nearly all can be tied to the type of ammunition used by 3-inch rifled guns. The guns in Fort Granger simply did not have the range to reach the ground closest to Carnton, but Marshall's guns certainly did."

Link:

Artillery Hell: In the Line of Fire — The Battle of Franklin Trust

boft.org

All of the batteries were field artillery.

I thought that Fort Defiance / Bruce / Sevier in Clarksville TN might have had 32 pounders, but no joy there.

Link:

Fort Defiance

Built in late 1861 by Confederate troops with the forced labor of over 300 African Americans, the earthen fort now known as Fort Defiance was built to...

www.battlefields.org

 

[Lampasas Bill]

On another Fort Granger marker, pvt. Charles Falkler, 92nd Illinois, noted that in letters written on March 19 and April 13, 1863: "They are building a rousing old fort here and yesterday two big siege guns came in on cars and they now have them mounted.

Fort Granger Historical Marker

Directly ahead is Fort Granger’s original entrance and exit, known in military parlance as the sally port. (A historical marker located in Franklin in Williamson County, Tennessee.)

www.hmdb.org

 

[tmorr]

Yes, Ft Granger had other ordnance apart from what was present during the November 30, 1864 battle.

 

[Rhea Cole]

On another Fort Granger marker, pvt. Charles Falkler, 92nd Illinois, noted that in letters written on March 19 and April 13, 1863: "They are building a rousing old fort here and yesterday two big siege guns came in on cars and they now have them mounted.

Fort Granger Historical Marker

Directly ahead is Fort Granger’s original entrance and exit, known in military parlance as the sally port. (A historical marker located in Franklin in Williamson County, Tennessee.)

www.hmdb.org

I have been looking, but have not had any luck with the 1863 armament at Fort Grangier. After the Tullahoma Campaign, the fortified Franklin to Fort Transit east west line were abandoned. It is unlikely that there would have been any guns in place when Schofield arrived.

Fortress Rosecrans in Murfreesboro had 8" siege howitzers, no 32 pounders.

 

[danielking1775]

On another Fort Granger marker, pvt. Charles Falkler, 92nd Illinois, noted that in letters written on March 19 and April 13, 1863: "They are building a rousing old fort here and yesterday two big siege guns came in on cars and they now have them mounted.

Fort Granger Historical Marker

Directly ahead is Fort Granger’s original entrance and exit, known in military parlance as the sally port. (A historical marker located in Franklin in Williamson County, Tennessee.)

www.hmdb.org

This is very interesting

 

[jepridgen]

I'd go with the abandoned or lost ammunition theory already put forth in earlier posts. The CS definitely didn't have 32 pounders with them, and it looks pretty likely the federals didn't either. It's entirely feasible a CS artillery shipment moving to or from Nashville had a mishap resulting in some lost rounds. They may have even abandoned some on purpose.

 

[Rhea Cole]

The 32 pounder question has peeked my curiously. That is what I like about CWT, researching questions I would never ask. What were the 32 pounders in the U.S. Army inventory?

THE THIRD PERIOD MODEL CANNONS

32 Pound James Model 1829 James Banded Gun Mounted in a barrette San Francisco. NPS

The Third Period U.S. Army artillery included 32 pound cannon intended for instillation in fortifications. They were not field or light artillery.

Link:

Cannons of the American "Third System" Period - Golden Gate National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

That explains why U.S. 32 pounders do not seem to appear in Middle Tennessee. The Confederacy, on the other hand, used what ever they could find or manufacture themselves. That explains why Fort Donelson was armed with 32 pound naval carronades & obsolete 32 pound naval cannon were in the water battery at Fort Donelson.

At Fortress Rosecrans, 8" siege howitzers were emplaced at Battery Mitchell. You can visit this installation today. Fortress Rosecrans living history cannon demos have been fired from this location.

Notice the damaged wheel & dent in the side of the 1841 model 6 pounder in the fore ground. These guns are typical of the obsolete artillery that armed fortifications in Middle Tennessee.

In my opinion, U.S. Army 32 pounders armed coastal fortifications. As a result, there was no reason to transport them into the Tennessee.

 

[Tanglewood]

When I was a kid digging Minie balls in southwest Atlanta, one of my buddies had a 10 inch ball in his basement. His older brother swore it came from Chckamauga, which even then didn't make sense to me. The truth eventually came out, it actually did come from Chickamauga - taken by his brother from a monument!

I wonder if this 32 pounder cannonball might have been part of a monument near Franklin long ago.

 

[tmorr]

When I was a kid digging Minie balls in southwest Atlanta, one of my buddies had a 10 inch ball in his basement. His older brother swore it came from Chckamauga, which even then didn't make sense to me. The truth eventually came out, it actually did come from Chickamauga - taken by his brother from a monument!

I wonder if this 32 pounder cannonball might have been part of a monument near Franklin long ago.

That is certainly a possibility.