Navy 20-pounder Parrott rifle

[cannonmn]

I'm doing some research on the 20 pdr. Navy Parrott and need official drawings or any photos at all showing the carriage with or without tube. Sounds like they ought to be around but I've spent some hours looking, and nada. Please help! Thx
John L. Morris
Author/Consultant

 

[Belfoured]

I'm doing some research on the 20 pdr. Navy Parrott and need official drawings or any photos at all showing the carriage with or without tube. Sounds like they ought to be around but I've spent some hours looking, and nada. Please help! Thx
John L. Morris
Author/Consultant

You probably know this but at the NAVSEA "Trophy Park" in Norfolk, Registry No. 115 is displayed without carriage. I've never seen a reference to carriages nor seen a photo/drawing but I would guess the carriage would be some sort of standard Naval carriage for sea service.

 

[cannonmn]

You probably know this but at the NAVSEA "Trophy Park" in Norfolk, Registry No. 115 is displayed without carriage. I've never seen a reference to carriages nor seen a photo/drawing but I would guess the carriage would be some sort of standard Naval carriage for sea service.

Thanks, I'm sure that's correct. I'll have to have traceability of the image so ideally I'd have the original Navy drawing labeled "20 pounder Parrott carriage." I have some other naval carriage drawings of the period, often labeled something like "Lieutenant _——'s Carriage". No reference to any particular gun so I guess once that design was settled upon, carriages to fit a particular gun would be built.

 

[Belfoured]

Thanks, I'm sure that's correct. I'll have to have traceability of the image so ideally I'd have the original Navy drawing labeled "20 pounder Parrott carriage." I have some other naval carriage drawings of the period, often labeled something like "Lieutenant _——'s Carriage". No reference to any particular gun so I guess once that design was settled upon, carriages to fit a particular gun would be built.

My guess - and that's all it is - is that (knowing the long "tradition" of USN BuOrd ), they may have taken an existing design and "made it fit". A field artillery analogy is that the 3" Ordnance Rifle used the standard carriage for the 6 lb. gun. Not a particularly great idea because of the different charge and recoil impact but the Ordnance Dep't wasn't big on customizing carriages as opposed to using what was already approved/in supply.

 

[cannonmn]

Thx, I see CONSTITUTION has a 20 pounder on a repro carriage so asked my contact there if they had orig plans, and found a list of 9 naval carriage drawings ca. ACW era, at Nat Archives, asked my poc there to send dig copies. We'll see if something there looks right.

 

[Rhea Cole]

If you are looking for images the NavSource Naval History website is my go to source. In their "Old Navy Sail & Steam" index every commissioned US & CSA vessel is listed. Some of them have extended photo galleries. If you know which ships had 20 pound Parrotts there is likely to be an image you can use.

Civil War era Monitors are listed in the Battleship index. Some of them have quite extensive photographic documentation. I am not conversant with Monitor armaments, so can't recommend a particular vessel.

I made a search through my visual folders. 20 pound Parrott's are rare beasts, indeed. No joy with naval carriages.

Naval Systems Command, "Trophy Park" at Norfolk Naval Shipyard website has two photos of interest.

The IX inch Dahlgren's are mounted on a naval carriage. While not 20 pound Parrott's, the carriages are likely to be (+/-) the same.

Good hunting, RC

 

[Belfoured]

If you are looking for images the NavSource Naval History website is my go to source. In their "Old Navy Sail & Steam" index every commissioned US & CSA vessel is listed. Some of them have extended photo galleries. If you know which ships had 20 pound Parrotts there is likely to be an image you can use.

Civil War era Monitors are listed in the Battleship index. Some of them have quite extensive photographic documentation. I am not conversant with Monitor armaments, so can't recommend a particular vessel.

I made a search through my visual folders. 20 pound Parrott's are rare beasts, indeed. No joy with naval carriages.

Naval Systems Command, "Trophy Park" at Norfolk Naval Shipyard website has two photos of interest.

The IX inch Dahlgren's are mounted on a naval carriage. While not 20 pound Parrott's, the carriages are likely to be (+/-) the same.

Good hunting, RC

Surprisingly, Parrott turned out 336 for the USN. Given their size, etc. my (pure) speculation is that they were distributed as the "small"gun(s) on screw steamers. The USS Stars and Stripes, for example, had one in addition to four 8" guns. the USS Huron had one in addition to one XI-inch Dahlgren and two 24 lb guns. Even for field artillery it was a "tweener" - too big to be a good field gun, too small to be an effective siege gun.

 

[Rhea Cole]

Surprisingly, Parrott turned out 336 for the USN. Given their size, etc. my (pure) speculation is that they were distributed as the "small"gun(s) on screw steamers. The USS Stars and Stripes, for example, had one in addition to four 8" guns. the USS Huron had one in addition to one XI-inch Dahlgren and two 24 lb guns. Even for field artillery it was a "tweener" - too big to be a good field gun, too small to be an effective siege gun.

The 20 pound Parrott had a reputation as a horse killer. I have been intrigued by the 20 pounders that led the way during the Army of the Tennessee's investment of Vicksburg. It must have involved what an old uncle called "lots of whooping!" & double teaming to get up any kind of a grade.

The loess soil of the Vicksburg earthworks were no protection from 20 pound bolts. The garrison had to add several more feet of soil to the inner face of the berms… don't you know that was pain to accomplish.

I have really enjoyed participating in a TN State Park program at Johnsonville State Park. A private 20 pounder forms up with the park's gun. That section fire makes Stones River's 6 pounders sound like fire crackers.

The 30 pound Parrott they fire inside Fort Pulaski is a whole 'nother order of magnitude.

 

[Rhea Cole]

I am always puzzled by the multiplicity of gun types on 19th Century gunboats. It must have been a logistics furball .

The 20 pound Parrott had a reputation as a horse killer. I have been intrigued by the 20 pounders that led the way during the Army of the Tennessee's investment of Vicksburg. It must have involved what an old uncle called "lots of whooping!" & double teaming to get up any kind of a grade.

The loess soil of the Vicksburg earthworks were no protection from 20 pound bolts. The garrison had to add several more feet of soil to the inner face of the berms… don't you know that was pain to accomplish.

I have really enjoyed participating in a TN State Park program at Johnsonville State Park. A private 20 pounder forms up with the park's gun. That section fire makes Stones River's 6 pounders sound like fire crackers.

The 30 pound Parrott they fire inside Fort Pulaski is a whole 'nother order of magnitude.

 

[Belfoured]

The 20 pound Parrott had a reputation as a horse killer. I have been intrigued by the 20 pounders that led the way during the Army of the Tennessee's investment of Vicksburg. It must have involved what an old uncle called "lots of whooping!" & double teaming to get up any kind of a grade.

The loess soil of the Vicksburg earthworks were no protection from 20 pound bolts. The garrison had to add several more feet of soil to the inner face of the berms… don't you know that was pain to accomplish.

I have really enjoyed participating in a TN State Park program at Johnsonville State Park. A private 20 pounder forms up with the park's gun. That section fire makes Stones River's 6 pounders sound like fire crackers.

The 30 pound Parrott they fire inside Fort Pulaski is a whole 'nother order of magnitude.

The prescribed team was 8 horses. I haven't seen confirmation that was ever actually used. The tube was literally double the weight of the 10 lb.

 

[cannonmn]

Checked NAVSOURCE for photos of all ship that carried 20 pounders listed in The Registry. Most of the photos were distant, no use. Some showed scenes around the deck, but if a gun was shown, it was always one of the largest onboard, never a 20 pounder.

 

[Rhea Cole]

Checked NAVSOURCE for photos of all ship that carried 20 pounders listed in The Registry. Most of the photos were distant, no use. Some showed scenes around the deck, but if a gun was shown, it was always one of the largest onboard, never a 20 pounder.

At least you had an entertaining search.

 

[Rhea Cole]

At least you had an entertaining search.

I looked at illustrations. The big Rodmans seem to have absorbed all the bandwidth.

The 20 pounder of the USS Sumpter was recovered & is on display at the Trophy Yard. Sumpter was sunk by a collision.

 

[Biscoitos]

I'm doing some research on the 20 pdr. Navy Parrott and need official drawings or any photos at all showing the carriage with or without tube. Sounds like they ought to be around but I've spent some hours looking, and nada. Please help! Thx
John L. Morris
Author/Consultant

There are 4 tubes, but no carriages in Jackson Square New Orleans.
One in each corner. Most visitors don't notice them.

 

[cannonmn]

There are 4 tubes, but no carriages in Jackson Square New Orleans.
One in each corner. Most visitors don't notice them.

Thanks. The registry shows nos. 259, 263 in New Orleans but no others. If there are really two more, what are their numbers?

 

[Biscoitos]

Thanks. The registry shows nos. 259, 263 in New Orleans but no others. If there are really two more, what are their numbers?

Perhaps my memory fails me. I can't swear there are 4. At least I was half right.