Charleston Shipbuilders- Eason Bros.

[J.Eason.Norris]

Pics of James M. Eason from 1865 & 1870.

 

[Charlie Robbins]

www.civilwarartillery.com/manufacturers.htm

"J. M. Eason Bros.: Charleston firm operated by James M. and Thomas D. Eason. James M. Eason, proprietor. Soon after the capture of Fort Sumter the Eason firm prepared machinery and began rifling a 24-pounder smoothbore for the State of South Carolina. Subsequently, a portable rifling machine was made which could rifle guns at various distant locations. (The Centennial of Incorporation (Charleston: The News and Courier Book Press, 1884), 235.) The Charleston Mercury of July 20, 1861, reported that "... it has been demonstrated that the Eason gun will throw solid shot or shell, with accuracy, further than any other cannon now in our possession." By September over twenty heavy guns were at the shop awaiting rifling operations. (Columbus Times, September 9, 1861) In November, 1862, Major Childs at the Charleston Arsenal reported "That full three weeks have heretofore been taken by Messrs. Eason & Bro. in rifling and banding 32-pounder and 42-pounder guns; but that by working at night and on Sundays and distributing the work between Eason and Cameron I hope to be able to finish one gun per week. I
should state that it is only lately that Cameron & Co. have procured a lathe large enough to hold a 32-pounder." (O.R., XIV, 690). General Beauregard, on his own initiative and without Richmond's approval, later had several Columbiads rifled by Eason. This embroiled him in a controversy with the War Department and initially payment on the bill was refused. Rifling of Columbiads had not proven successful in the past but Eason also banded the guns which made them considerably safer. Under growing political pressure, the War Department backed down and the bills were paid. Two 10-inch Columbiads rifled by Eason survive at Charleston."

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

The most well known of Easons conversions of smoothbores to rifled were two ( possibly three) 10" Columbiands converted at the direction of General Beauregard. One had a damaged trunion which Easons replaced with a "prosthetic " replacement that makes this weapon very distinctive. This gun, emplaced at Battery Bee on Sullivan's Island during the war, is preserved today at Fort Monroe. The second know gun has its original undamaged trunions and is at Fort Johnson, were it served during the war.

 

[rebelatsea]

http://www.augustamagazine.com/2015/04/01/cannons-and-confederate-cakes/

James Eason and his brother manufactured steam engines, boilers and other machinery at their foundry near the Cooper River. During the Civil War, the Eason brothers were called into service by the state of South Carolina to rifle smoothbore iron cannons to increase the range and power of the weapons. The Charleston Mercury reported on July 20, 1861, that "…it has been demonstrated that the Eason gun will throw solid shot or shell, with accuracy, further than any other cannon now in our possession."

Eason also built the CSS Charleston and the CSS Chicora, Confederate ironclad gunboats that defended Fort Sumter and other Confederate positions off Charleston throughout 1863 and 1864. When Charleston was evacuated on February 18, 1865, the crews of the Charleston and the Chicora burned the gunboats to prevent capture by Union soldiers.

https://books.google.com/books?id=MnNDCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT34&lpg=PT34&dq=eason+brothers+shipbuilders+charleston&source=bl&ots=xs6UnEi3Sa&sig=Wl3YShwQ3hrBMUcXpr8U-5BhkVQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj74rzzqvHQAhVhilQKHUeTAEYQ6AEIITAB#v=onepage&q=eason%20brothers%20shipbuilders%20charleston&f=false

http://www.charlestoncurrents.com/issue/12_issues/12.1029.htm

The first of the three gunboats was to be named the Chicora and built by Eason & Brothers, located at 12 Columbus Street. James M. Eason, president of the company, was highly regarded for his locomotives built in the 1830s and his steam engines built in the 1850s. Eason had a Scottish lathe capable of constructing a flywheel twelve feet in diameter.

https://books.google.com/books?id=g2S3_eFxFnMC&pg=PA141&dq=Eason+brothers+ironclad&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjeo7vIrfHQAhVY62MKHYBXBHIQ6AEIIDAB#v=onepage&q=Eason%20brothers%20ironclad&f=false

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https://books.google.com/books?id=XXVDCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT206&dq=James+Eason+charlestown&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjF0MzRr_HQAhUQHGMKHU56B8gQ6AEILDAD#v=onepage&q=James%20Eason%20charlestown&f=false

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https://books.google.com/books?id=aRJiAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA109&dq=CSS+Columbia+Eason&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjZndWasPHQAhUSzGMKHf6fBzYQ6AEIKjAD#v=onepage&q=CSS%20Columbia%20Eason&f=false

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https://books.google.com/books?id=JGQNaParQKQC&pg=PA587&dq=Eason+Brothers+Foundry&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi79qv_sfHQAhUQ52MKHWWXAxIQ6AEIIDAB#v=onepage&q=Eason%20Brothers%20Foundry&f=false

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No Chariot Let Down: Charleston's Free People on the Eve of the Civil War by Michael P Johnson, James L. Roark

Pages 133-139

Reports Of Cases Heard And Determined By The Supreme Court Of South Carolina: From November Term, 1868 by South Carolina. Supreme Court, J. S. G. Richardson

Pages 555-563

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

Eason's did not engine CSS Columbia, that was done by Cameron & Co. She was also the first ironclad to receive Brooke guns, although not the 6 -10" SB intended. She commissioned with 1 -10" SB, 3 - 7" and 2 -6.4" MLR all by Brooke.

 

[rebelatsea]

The most well known of Easons conversions of smoothbores to rifled were two ( possibly three) 10" Columbiands converted at the direction of General Beauregard. One had a damaged trunion which Easons replaced with a "prosthetic " replacement that makes this weapon very distinctive. This gun, emplaced at Battery Bee on Sullivan's Island during the war, is preserved today at Fort Monroe. The second know gun has its original undamaged trunions and is at Fort Johnson, were it served during the war.

They were rifled on the English Britten patent and fired solid bolts at the monitors. These three guns and the triple banded 7" Brooke MLR were the one's that frightened the monitors most.