Coehorn mortar?

[bamaman]

Does anyone know what à Coehorn mortar is?

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Believe it was a small/light smoothbore mortar that fired a 24 or 12-pounder shell and was used by both sides in the war, especially during siege operations. (It was named after the Anglicized version of its Dutch inventor's name, Baron van Menno Coehoorn).

The mortar (consisting of a tube mounted on a wooden bed) had an overall weight of just under 300 pounds and the handles on the sides of the wooden mortar bed enabled it to be carried by soldiers over short distances.

Below is a photograph of a Confederate-made iron 24-pounder 'Coehorn' mortar (with a probable bore diameter of 5.82 inches), captured at Richmond in 1865.

Source: LOC

 

[redbob]

There were also instances where troops took a log, hollowed it out, placed iron hoops around it and used as a mortar.

 

[bayonet]

Some date as far back as our Revolution and beyond. Some were small and could be handled or moved by 1 or 2 men.

 

[USS ALASKA]

The Coehorn Mortar; were they effective weapons? | Cannons / Artillery & Crew Served Weapons

When compared to cannons, mortars are cannon's short fat brothers. Mortars were not modern concept and had been around since the 1600s. Still mortars saw plenty of use during the Civil War. They are simple and rugged and fill a necessary need. Mortar's plunging shells are useful for...

civilwartalk.com

HTHs,
USS ALASKA

 

[Rhea Cole]

To directly answer the question; a link to the National Park manual for loading & firing the Cohorn Mortar.

https://npshistory.com/publications/battlefield/hwp/coehorn-mortar-demos.pdf

Grant's men fashioned 12 pound Cohorn mortars out of logs during the siege of Vicksburg,

Logs to Mortars- Natural Killers

Union troops at Vicksburg were so desperate for siege weapons they made logs into mortars. During the early phases of the Vicksburg Campaign, General

www.historynet.com

Link to a Cohorn Mortar discussion:

The Coehorn Mortar; were they effective weapons? | Cannons / Artillery & Crew Served Weapons

When compared to cannons, mortars are cannon's short fat brothers. Mortars were not modern concept and had been around since the 1600s. Still mortars saw plenty of use during the Civil War. They are simple and rugged and fill a necessary need. Mortar's plunging shells are useful for...

civilwartalk.com

 

[UCVRelics]

Here is a GREAT Vid by my good friend Duffy @StarkvilleCivilWarArsenal It is one that he made an fired.

 

[bamaman]

To directly answer the question; a link to the National Park manual for loading & firing the Cohorn Mortar.

https://npshistory.com/publications/battlefield/hwp/coehorn-mortar-demos.pdf

Grant's men fashioned 12 pound Cohorn mortars out of logs during the siege of Vicksburg,

Logs to Mortars- Natural Killers

Union troops at Vicksburg were so desperate for siege weapons they made logs into mortars. During the early phases of the Vicksburg Campaign, General

www.historynet.com

Link to a Cohorn Mortar discussion:

The Coehorn Mortar; were they effective weapons? | Cannons / Artillery & Crew Served Weapons

When compared to cannons, mortars are cannon's short fat brothers. Mortars were not modern concept and had been around since the 1600s. Still mortars saw plenty of use during the Civil War. They are simple and rugged and fill a necessary need. Mortar's plunging shells are useful for...

civilwartalk.com

Thanks for the replies. I read that the Confederates used them to kill the Union soldiers in the battle of the crater stuck in the bottom in mud

 

[Rhea Cole]

Thanks for the replies. I read that the Confederates used them to kill the Union soldiers in the battle of the crater stuck in the bottom in mud

Both sides had them at Petersburg, so perhaps so. They were a little random about where they fell, so I wouldn't want to be anywhere down range.

 

[Rhea Cole]

This is a Coehorn Mortar link that is very informative, but not for the faint of heart. It does involve live fire.

COEHORN MORTAR

Coehorn Mortar Hunt for Wisconsin Feral Cats. How to Hunt with a Coehorn Mortar. Build a Civil War Mortar.

www.buckstix.com

 

[bayonet]

This is a Coehorn Mortar link that is very informative, but not for the faint of heart. It does involve live fire.

COEHORN MORTAR

Coehorn Mortar Hunt for Wisconsin Feral Cats. How to Hunt with a Coehorn Mortar. Build a Civil War Mortar.

www.buckstix.com

Ok now I can say I've seen and heard it all. Hunting Feral Cats with a mortar. I'm still wondering if it's a parody or joke!
The people come up with! You can't make this up.

 

[Rhea Cole]

Ok now I can say I've seen and heard it all. Hunting Feral Cats with a mortar. I'm still wondering if it's a parody or joke!
The people come up with! You can't make this up.

It is, perhaps, useful to know that his other website is building a 12 pound mountain howitzer & successfully hunting Wisconsin white tailed deer with canister.

I am not kidding, these demonstrations are not for the faint of heart… albeit, the posts are extremely droll. So, the answer to your question is, no & yes… this is the real deal.

 

[52ndFandS]

Some date as far back as our Revolution and beyond. Some were small and could be handled or moved by 1 or 2 men.

I saw 9ne fired at Fort Ticonderoga in upstate NY. I was looking at it before they retired and thought, "Well that doesn't look like much."

After the firing I'm glad I wasn't downrange back when. And at 8 years old I had much respect for artillery.

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

There were also instances where troops took a log, hollowed it out, placed iron hoops around it and used as a mortar. View attachment 517403

Now that seems dangerous, Redbob!

 

[redbob]

Now that seems dangerous, Redbob!

Well maybe just a tad.

 

[52ndFandS]

Ok now I can say I've seen and heard it all. Hunting Feral Cats with a mortar. I'm still wondering if it's a parody or joke!
The people come up with! You can't make this up.

Shotguns are limited in guage now. However before NFA/FFL they had what were called punt guns. Basically giant shotguns used to bring down large amounts to of duck and geese. There were mou Ted like mortars or mounted at an angle from a very strong, reinforced hull of a boat. Not exactly a shoot from the hip sort of thing.

 

[bamaman]

Shotguns are limited in guage now. However before NFA/FFL they had what were called punt guns. Basically giant shotguns used to bring down large amounts to of duck and geese. There were mou Ted like mortars or mounted at an angle from a very strong, reinforced hull of a boat. Not exactly a shoot from the hip sort of thing.

Another question is that was there any type of hand grenade used during the Civil War?

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

Another question is that was there any type of hand grenade used during the Civil War?

There were, but that is not an area in which I have any expertise. Someone here WILL know.

 

[Rhea Cole]

Another question is that was there any type of hand grenade used during the Civil War?

Napoleonic era grenades were thick walled glass balls.

Spherical case shot (shrapnel) & shells were used as impromptu grenades by piercing the fuse, lighting it & rolling it down toward attackers during the Civil War.

Grenades have had a very long history in warfare:

The History of The Hand Grenade

The word “grenade” may have originated in 1688, when used against Jacobites at the Battles of Killiecrankie in 1689.

warfarehistorynetwork.com

The Ketchum grenade was the most remarkable of the Civil War era. These are several links to Ketchum grenade links:

Ketchum Grenade - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Ketchum's patent hand grenades

Museums & Collections (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

There were no other grenades beside the Ketchum that went into mass manufacture. There probably were some glass grenades & others used in the Civil War, but not in significant numbers.

The Ketchum grenade & the Coehorn mortar together are often cited as the genesis of the modern mortar that both sides are using to such effect in Ukraine today.

The Ketchum grenade used a contact fuse. This is a link to how Civil War artillery fuses worked:

How Artillery Fuzes Worked

 

[redbob]

Another question is that was there any type of hand grenade used during the Civil War?

Yes, both sides used forms of hand grenades, landmines and rockets.