Blank Artillery Cartridges

[alan polk]

Can anyone here tell me what a "blank cartridge" is in reference to artillery? I know a cartridge is a bag filled with a certain amount of powder which would be used to expell a shell out of a cannon. However, the Chief of Ordnance for the 13th Army Corps. (Union) states that he captured "2 boxes of blank cartridges for-3 inch guns." Does he mean empty cartridge bags, or is he referring to something else?

Thanks.

 

[Red Harvest]

This should be referring to the powder charge in a bag. These would be sized for the bore and type of piece.

Many smoothbore cartridges had the powder bag tied directly to the sabot for the round, "fixed ammunition." This allowed easier loading, but made for a tall arrangement for 24 or 32 pounder howitzers, so their bags would be stored separate from the round in the chest. The norm for either type was something like wwo extra powder cartridges or so in the ammunition chest.

The powder cartridge and projectile were typicaly separate for rifled pieces if I understand correctly.