Before & After: USS Pawnee

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Great work again @Mike Serpa and @civilwarincolor !

My exact thoughts.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

Hmmm.... a problem. According to Canney's The Old Steam Navy Vol I, the maximum battery the Pawnee carried was eight IX-inch Dahlgrens in broadside. There are six in that photo alone, all on one side and I'm betting there are more "behind" the camera. This can't be Pawnee. With the apparent size of the armament, I'm tending toward a frigate, possibly Wabash if it's indeed at Charleston... or maybe a heavy sloop like Pensacola et. al.

 

[AndyHall]

Changing armament of Pawnee, from the ORN:

August 28-9, 1861, 8 IX-inch, 2 12-pdrs.
May 5, 1863, 1 100-pdr. Parrott rifle, 8 IX-inch Dahlgren S. B., 1 60-pdr. Dahlgren rifle
June 23, 1864, add 4 IX-inch Dahlgren to the preceding
June 30, 1864, removed 2 IX-inch Dahlgren S. B
December 31, 1864, similar to that of June 23, 1864
July 21, 1865, add to that of June 23, 1864, 1 light 12-pdr., 1 24-pdr. howitzer.​

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

Mmm-hm. But if that photo shows the entire armament of the side of the ship, and there are six IX-inch in picture, she's mounting at least twelve... but I don't think we're seeing the entire armament even on the one side.

The mystery gun looks to me like a 8-inch siege howitzer, possibly of the 1840 type, but it's not a very firm identification.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

Now I'm wavering again. If this is taken from the quarterdeck, and that's the mizzenmast to the left of the photo, then the raked funnel, a mainmast close to the funnel and then the foremast farther up... it could yet be Pawnee. The wartime photo in Canney on p. 86 does show six gunports on the side, though one of them in the photo doesn't have a gun in it... hm.

 

[AndyHall]

That doesn't look like a standard gun of any sort to me. Where's the rest of the barrel? There don't seem to be any capsquares securing the trunnions to the carriage, either. It's odd.

 

[AndyHall]

There's some good stuff in that image.

1. Improvised armor of iron plate and chain around the top of the boiler; chains and reels for raising/lowering funnel; ready-use grapeshot.

2. Big Parrott rifle on the forecastle.

3. Turk's heads on the stanchions; a rack of cutlasses; Able Seaman Methuselah.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

That doesn't look like a standard gun of any sort to me. Where's the rest of the barrel? There don't seem to be any capsquares securing the trunnions to the carriage, either. It's odd.

An 1860's version of a carronade perhaps ?

 

[AndyHall]

No idea.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

I think this is the mystery weapon:

US Army 8-inch Siege Howitzer, Model of 1841 on the quarterdeck of USS Pawnee while she was off Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1864-1865.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/86/86060.htm

 

[AndyHall]

Well done, sir!

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Well done, sir!

Thank you.

Here's a better image:

http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/86/098606004.jpg

 

[AndyHall]

That is a butt-ugly gun.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

That is a butt-ugly gun.

It does have that late Middle Ages/early Renaissance look.
Reminds me of the Tsar Gun.

http://www.warlordgames.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=16228

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

I think this is the mystery weapon:

US Army 8-inch Siege Howitzer, Model of 1841 on the quarterdeck of USS Pawnee while she was off Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1864-1865.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/86/86060.htm

I had half-remembered that photo and wondered about it... thanks for posting it! There was a note in The Big Guns that there were two 8" siege howitzers that were seized by sailors from three Union gunboats, one of which was the Pawnee. But it didn't say anything about them keeping it aboard ship, and I don't think it appears in any of the armament listings. Maybe it's just there as a trophy?

(But that does support the identification of the vessel as Pawnee. I retract my earlier reservations.)

 

[civilwarincolor]

I think this is the mystery weapon:

US Army 8-inch Siege Howitzer, Model of 1841 on the quarterdeck of USS Pawnee while she was off Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1864-1865.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/86/86060.htm

Great find! More about the 8" Siege Howitzer here.

Below is a modern photo of a surviving one. According to the page above this was made of cast iron. Looks like I am going to have to update my colorization.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

Still an ugly gun.

 

[Mike Serpa]

Thank you.

Here's a better image:
View attachment 105787
http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/86/098606004.jpg

Hah! I did a "Before & After" of this gun a couple of years ago. I forgot all about it. Good job, @7th Mississippi Infantry!

http://civilwartalk.com/threads/before-after-u-s-s-pawnee-howitzer.95492/

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

I like how you were able to bring out the "Serpa" on the tompion. You can't even see it on the original.

 

[Mike Serpa]

I like how you were able to bring out the "Serpa" on the tompion. You can't even see it on the original.

Lol. It takes years of practice and some imagination!