What is this? Found Part of Cannon

If the trunnion found was marked '1820', how would the other trunnion have been marked?
It should have as from the others Ive seen the #32 would have been on the other as well as the makers marks on the breach and inspectors on the front of the barrel.
 
That is a long ways from where we found our piece. As the crow flies that is 3.5 miles away where hwy 87 hits the river. We found our piece right below the fort on the banks of Cold Creek (called Coal Creek back then). The river has changed its course since the war and moved more west from where it was then. The fort used to be right above where Cold Creek hit the river.
I would love to see photos of the one you found.
 
I joined this site, just to make this post. I have read the site and enjoy the comments. See the pictures attached of a part of a cannon that my family has had for some time. I will tell the story, and I am hoping to find out any information that anyone may have. As you can see it is the trunnion of a cannon still attached to the outer bore and a small section of the inner bore. It has the markings "1820" on the trunnion. I am assuming that is the year / model number of the cannon. This piece of cannon was found by my father and grandfather in the mid to late 1960's, just below Fort Pillow down the bluff a ways (probably less than 100 yards or so). They were able to keep the cannon because at that time it was private land and not a historic park. I have always wondered why it appears that it was exploded. Years ago, someone told us that a few years after the war, there was a 4th of July celebration at the fort and two cannons were shot off. One of them exploded and killed a few folks. That has always been what we assumed happened, but I have researched that and found nothing. I just don't think that sounds right. I would love to learn any information about the model of cannon, size of cannon, and how it may have exploded. the diameter of the trunnion is 6.25" across. The entire piece is extremely heavy. Once person cant barely lift it 1 inch of the ground. Thanks for any responses.




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Welcome to the forum from The Trans-Mississippi Department. Don't look now but your first post/thread is featured on the CivilWarTalk home page and Facebook page. Salute!
 
I joined this site, just to make this post. I have read the site and enjoy the comments. See the pictures attached of a part of a cannon that my family has had for some time. I will tell the story, and I am hoping to find out any information that anyone may have. As you can see it is the trunnion of a cannon still attached to the outer bore and a small section of the inner bore. It has the markings "1820" on the trunnion. I am assuming that is the year / model number of the cannon. This piece of cannon was found by my father and grandfather in the mid to late 1960's, just below Fort Pillow down the bluff a ways (probably less than 100 yards or so). They were able to keep the cannon because at that time it was private land and not a historic park. I have always wondered why it appears that it was exploded. Years ago, someone told us that a few years after the war, there was a 4th of July celebration at the fort and two cannons were shot off. One of them exploded and killed a few folks. That has always been what we assumed happened, but I have researched that and found nothing. I just don't think that sounds right. I would love to learn any information about the model of cannon, size of cannon, and how it may have exploded. the diameter of the trunnion is 6.25" across. The entire piece is extremely heavy. Once person cant barely lift it 1 inch of the ground. Thanks for any responses.




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Really great first post, and welcome from "inside of Mosby's Confederacy"
 
Consulting Olmstead, Stark, and Tucker... although your fragment isn't directly listed, I find it significant that there is a possible sister piece listed at Fort Pillow. That one is a 32-pounder Navy "Gradual Increase" gun, 60 cwt, 110" length; registry #182, cast 1820 at the Columbia foundry. It had come from the razee USS Independence and therefore I think it highly likely that it was part of the haul of naval artillery the Confederacy gained from the seizure of the Gosport (Norfolk) Navy Yard in 1861.
 
"Gradual Increase" guns

This irregularity in the position of trunnions exists in almost exery species of ordnance belonging to the navy, except the gradual increase guns, which have their trunnions in the centre; and as the navy board have established central trunnions as the navy pattern, a strict regard to uniformity in this important branch of naval equipment, would point out the propriety of excluding every other description of guns from our depots and arsenals, otherwise very fatal consequences may arise from the mismatching of guns and carriages.

From 1835


Illustration of the lower-positioned trunnions.
37a134165f9cd727cd9ff6243ae5bd5c.jpg
 
Thanks for all the replies. We have really enjoyed reading them. I am not a relic hunter at all, so my pictures may not be exactly what you need. I am more than happy to take more if you want with a ruler and give you any other measurements that you need. The article that Story posted from the Cincinnati Gazette makes the most sense to me. I am very familiar with the Fort Pillow area, as I grew up hunting around there, and that location is exactly where the piece was found. There is a plateau just above Cold Creek (what was the river in CW times) now just like that article described back then. This was on the North side of the bluff, just down from the fort.
 
I joined this site, just to make this post. I have read the site and enjoy the comments. See the pictures attached of a part of a cannon that my family has had for some time. I will tell the story, and I am hoping to find out any information that anyone may have. As you can see it is the trunnion of a cannon still attached to the outer bore and a small section of the inner bore. It has the markings "1820" on the trunnion. I am assuming that is the year / model number of the cannon. This piece of cannon was found by my father and grandfather in the mid to late 1960's, just below Fort Pillow down the bluff a ways (probably less than 100 yards or so). They were able to keep the cannon because at that time it was private land and not a historic park. I have always wondered why it appears that it was exploded. Years ago, someone told us that a few years after the war, there was a 4th of July celebration at the fort and two cannons were shot off. One of them exploded and killed a few folks. That has always been what we assumed happened, but I have researched that and found nothing. I just don't think that sounds right. I would love to learn any information about the model of cannon, size of cannon, and how it may have exploded. the diameter of the trunnion is 6.25" across. The entire piece is extremely heavy. Once person cant barely lift it 1 inch of the ground. Thanks for any responses.




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Awesome Find! Cool as it gets!
 
Welcome from the Shiloh/Pittsburg Landing Forum and North Mississippi! Be sure and visit the Forum soon.
Regards
David
 
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