Artillery implements!

[Billy1977]

Hello everybody, lately I've gotten really interested in Civil War artillery, especially in the equipment and implements the gunners used (and the stuff associated with the artillery's horse drivers, can't forget them) so I'm posting a thread where I'm putting all the artillery gear I've found from both sides and where others can post their photos of implements as well if they want. I have a few requests for photos of particular items if someone might have one they can add but first I'll post my pictures.

Confederate
These are gimlets (vent picks) used by the Confederates for field pieces.


And here's a gimlet used in heavy artillery, note its much longer length.


Here's a priming wire for puncturing the powder bag.


Some fuse wrenches.


A fuse saw.


A gunner's thumbstall, two different ones.


Vent punch, for removing an obstruction the gimlet can't get out of the vent hole.

 

[Billy1977]

Grease buckets.




Some kind of wooden grease bucket.



Gunners' lanyards.



Hot shot tongs.



Oil can.


A Bormann fuse punch (presumably C.S.)


Calipers, here made in Mississippi.


Tongs for loading shells but I'm not certain they're Confederate.



Artillery hammers.

 

[Billy1977]

Here is a tow hook but again I'm not for certain that it's Confederate.


A ring gauge that is definitely Confederate.


Safety goggles (did anybody actually wear these things aside from this gentleman in the photo?)


Confederate prolonges for the gun carriage.



Some limber chests of Confederate manufacture.



Gunners' ammunition haversacks.

 

[Billy1977]

And here we have some gunners' fuse pouches.


Here's the belt they would wear with the pouch.



Moving on to the traction end of things we have the artillery driver's saddle.


This is a Confederate artillery driver's Jenifer saddle, made by Richmond Arsenal.


And a driver's saddle of the Grimsley variety.


Artillery drivers' stirrups.


Here are a pair of drivers' spurs, these from the Washington Artillery of New Orleans.


An artillery horse's loose ring bit, of western arsenal manufacture.


An artillery horse collar, made from Spanish moss.


Another horse collar, called a "corn shuck" collar (I suppose made from cornstalks?).



And finally the artillery horse's hames.

 

[Billy1977]

Union

Here are some U.S. Army artillery gimlets for field pieces.


And for heavy artillery.


Fuse wrenches.


Priming wire for field pieces, this one is 8" long.


And priming wire for heavy artillery, here 22" long.


Vent punch for field artillery.


And for heavy artillery.


Powder measures.


Gunner's pincers.

 

[MissREP]

I'm fascinated by artillery so seeing all these different tools of the trade is very interesting! Those priming wires look like dangerous weapons in and off themselves...and a horse collar made from Spanish moss? Very ingenuitive!

(By the way, I have two uncles who live in Yellville...)

 

[Billy1977]

Thumbstalls, different types.


Gunner's lanyards.


Grease bucket.


Sponge bucket.


Water bucket, made of gutta-percha.

Leather water bucket.


A 10¼" vent worm (I believe it's called, someone correct me if I've got it wrong).


A Bormann fuze punch.


A Bormann fuze setter.


Calipers, made by Watervliet Arsenal.


Other calipers.

 

[Billy1977]

Thanks MissREP for the kind words. I find all this fascinating too. The Spanish moss collar was a surprise to me as well!

Oh wow, I go to Yellville all the time! Yellville's a nice little town, I like it. I wish Flippin was more like it but since they built that bypass around Flippin the only traffic coming through here are people who actually have to go here and it's killed off at least half the businesses on main street. Drive down main street in Flippin anymore and it's like a depressing ghost town almost.

 

[Billy1977]

These are hot shot tongs.


Artillery safety glasses (again, did they really wear these?).


Handspikes for maneuvering the trail of the piece.


An artillery telescope, or at the very least a telescope used by the Union artillery.


Field glasses used by the artillery, these are imported from France.


Fuse pouches.


Gunner's ammunition haversacks.

 

[StarkvilleCivilWarArsenal]

Hello everybody, lately I've gotten really interested in Civil War artillery, especially in the equipment and implements the gunners used (and the stuff associated with the artillery's horse drivers, can't forget them) so I'm posting a thread where I'm putting all the artillery gear I've found from both sides and where others can post their photos of implements as well if they want. I have a few requests for photos of particular items if someone might have one they can add but first I'll post my pictures.

Confederate
These are gimlets (vent picks) used by the Confederates for field pieces.
View attachment 135427 View attachment 135428 View attachment 135429 View attachment 135430

And here's a gimlet used in heavy artillery, note its much longer length.
View attachment 135431 View attachment 135432

Here's a priming wire for puncturing the powder bag.
View attachment 135433

Some fuse wrenches.
View attachment 135434 View attachment 135435 View attachment 135437

A fuse saw.
View attachment 135438

A gunner's thumbstall, two different ones.
View attachment 135439 View attachment 135440

Vent punch, for removing an obstruction the gimlet can't get out of the vent hole.
View attachment 135441 View attachment 135442

Hello, if you are interested in artillery, I thought you might want to take a look at the artillery rolling stock at the StarkvilleCivilWarArsenal.com

 

[Billy1977]

A sponge-rammer for a 3-in. Ordnance Rifle.


Sponge-rammer, worm and other implements for the 3-in. Ordnance Rifle.


Sponge-rammer for a 6-pdr. Model 1841, here still attached to the piece.


Sponge-rammer for 10-pdr. Parrott Rifle.


And for a 20-pdr. Parrott Rifle.


This is a gunner's level.


And a breech sight, this one for a 12-pdr. "Napoleon".


A breech sight for a 12-pdr. mountain howitzer.


A gunner's quadrant.


Tangent sight for a 6-pdr. gun, though by the Civil War I think this kind of sight had pretty much fallen into disuse.


Pendulum-Hausse for a 12-pdr. "Napoleon".

Pendulum-Hausse for a 3-in. Ordnance Rifle.


Cases for carrying the pendulum-hausse.

 

[Billy1977]

Thanks StarkvilleCivilWarArsenal, I'll have to check that out.

 

[Billy1977]

These are portfires.


A portfire holder.


Portfire cutters (they're the things that look like shears or scissors on the left in this photo).


Here's what's known as a linstock.


These are tongs for loading the rounds.


Tow hooks for unpacking the ammunition from the crate.




Limber chests.



Padlocks for the limber chest.

 

[Billy1977]

Here are two tins for friction primers.


A vent plug, manufactured by Rock Island Arsenal.


A vent cover, supposed to be for a 3-in. Ordnance Rifle.



And artillery hammers.


Now for the gear associated with the drivers. This here is an artillery driver's Grimsley saddle.


This is the artillery driver's saddle blanket.


Artillery driver's stirrups.

 

[Billy1977]

A leg guard to protect the lower leg (from the limber pole?)


Artillery drivers' whips.




Artillery valise saddles.


Artillery horse trace chains (I think they're called).



Something called a whiffletree chain (what a weird word! I'm not making this up).



An artillery horse curb bit Model 1859.


Artillery horse curb bit Model 1863.


And the regular artillery horse's bit Model 1863.

 

[Billy1977]

This is an artillery officer's bit Model 1863.


Artillery horse's headstall and bit.


Headstall.


Reins, Model 1862.


Harness crupper Model 1863.


Bridle.


Artillery horse bridle rosette.


Artillery horse hames housing.


And the artillery horse hames itself.


Well that's about all the artillery implements and gear that I have photos of. Hope you all enjoy the thread and feel free to post your own artillery implement pictures if you want. If anyone has any photos of Confederate gun sighting equipment like gunner's levels, breech sights, quadrants etc. I would love to see them, I can't find pictures of them anywhere. That and some Confederate sponge-rammers and worms and the like if anyone has photos of them. Thanks!

 

[EJ Zander]

Thanks for posting the collars. Good stuff. That moss collar is well made with a nice seat for the hames. I imagine the moss would also serve as a like a built in sweat pad which are used now.

 

[kevikens]

These are portfires.
View attachment 135565 View attachment 135566

A portfire holder.
View attachment 135567

Portfire cutters (they're the things that look like shears or scissors on the left in this photo).
View attachment 135568

Here's what's known as a linstock.
View attachment 135570 View attachment 135571

These are tongs for loading the rounds.
View attachment 135572 View attachment 135573

Tow hooks for unpacking the ammunition from the crate.
View attachment 135574 View attachment 135576



Limber chests.
View attachment 135577 View attachment 135578 View attachment 135580


Padlocks for the limber chest.
View attachment 135583 View attachment 135584

I am familiar with the linstock (slow match) from my Rev. War days but were these still in use during the Civil war?

 

[Billy1977]

Apparently they were still available for use, as were portfires, but obviously using a lanyard was the preferred method. Here's what's supposed to be a genuine Civil War linstock for sale.
http://www.antiquesnavigator.com/d-...linstock--used-to-light-cannon--exc-cond.html

It says here that they were issued during the Civil War but I don't know how much use they saw.

 

[kevikens]

Apparently they were still available for use, as were portfires, but obviously using a lanyard was the preferred method. Here's what's supposed to be a genuine Civil War linstock for sale.
http://www.antiquesnavigator.com/d-...linstock--used-to-light-cannon--exc-cond.html

It says here that they were issued during the Civil War but I don't know how much use they saw.

I don't know about that article's accuracy with respect to the gunlock. Yes, flintlock devices were placed on naval guns circa 1800, and perhaps on garrison guns, though I don't know that, but I have never seen flint gunlocks on field pieces. I thought they went right from linstock to friction primers on those guns. Any reenacting gunners know about CW use of linstocks or earlier flint gunlocks?