US ARTY Parrott, Robert Parker

Robert Parker Parrott
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:us34stars:

Born:
October 5, 1804

Birthplace: Lee, New Hampshire

Father: United States Senator John Fabyan Parrott 1767 – 1836
(Buried: Toscan Parrott Family Cemetery, Greenland, New Hampshire)​

Mother: Hannah Skilling Parker 1771 – 1850
(Buried: Toscan Parrott Family Cemetery, Greenland, New Hampshire)​

Wife: Mary Kemble 1799 – 1890
(Buried: Cold Spring Cemetery, Cold Spring, New York)​

Children: None

Education:

1820-1824: Cadet at United States Military Academy at West Point, Graduating With Honors, 3rd in his Class​

Military Service:

1824: Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 3rd Regiment of United States Artillery​
1824-1829: Served as Assistant Professor at West Point teaching Natural & Experimental Philosophy, and Mathematics.​
1829-1831: Served Garrison Duty at Fort Constitution, New Hampshire​
1831-1834: Promoted to First Lieutenant, & Served at Fort Independence, Massachusetts​
1836: Assigned to Staff Duty in the Military Operation in "Creek Nation" Georgia​
1836: Receiving the appointment of Captain of Ordnance January 13​
1836: Ordered to Washington, D.C. as Assistant to the Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance​
1836: Traveled to West Point Foundry to inspect the cannons being cast there to be accepted for U.S. Army use.​
1836: Capt. Parrott meets Gouverneur Kemble, and is offered the position of superintendent. Parrott is convinced that the West Point Foundry is his future.​

1836: Resigned his commission in the U.S. Army, October 13​
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Civilian Career:


1836: Accepted the civilian position of superintendent of the West Point Foundry at Cold Spring, New York on October 31​
1837-1839: Purchased the Greenwood Furnace from the Kemble Brothers​
1840: Parrott marries Mary, the Daughter of Gouverneur Kemble​
1840's: Parrot served as a local judge, as well as the local superintendent of the school system​
1842: Gouverneur Kemble sends in a letter to the U.S. Ordnance Department, a proposal for an experiment with wrought iron hooping, to reinforce a cast iron 6-pdr. gun. In response, the department sends a reply, saying that they "see no objection" to such an experiment.​
1851: Parrott becomes Sole Proprietor of West Point Foundry
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1860:
Invented and successfully tested the 10-pdr. Parrott Rifle
1861: U.S. Patent for Parrott Rifle Manufacturing Process Granted​
1861-1862: In an unprecedented arrangement, acting in Dual roles as Manufacturer and Ordnance Officer for the Federal Government, Parrott was responsible for making sure his own cannons met Ordnance Department specifications. Hence you will find only his R.P.P. Initials on most 1861 & 1862 Parrott Rifles.​
1861: Parrott designs the 30-pdr, 20-pdr, & 100-pdr. Parrott Rifles​
1862: Parrott designs and successfully casts his first 200-pdr. Parrott Rifle​
1862: In June, Parrott gives Abraham Lincoln a tour of the Foundry and demonstrates firing 100-pdr. and 200-pdr. Parrott cannons​
1863: Parrott designs and successfully casts his first 300-pdr. Parrott Rifle, his largest design.​
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1863:
At the request of the Ordnance Department, Parrot changes the design of the 10-pdr. Parrott Rifle to increase bore size to 3.0-inches, gun is re-designated 3-inch Parrott Rifle​
1864: Parrott designs a 60-pdr. Rifle for the Navy​
1865: In late April, as the War closes, Parrott agrees without reservation to cut production on Cannons and Shells despite standing contracts with the Ordnance Department.​
1865: At close of American Civil War, Parrott's West Point Foundry had created and delivered over 2,700 cannons, and 1.3 million shells to the U.S. Army and Navy, and employed as many as 1,400 employees at any one time.​
1867: Resigned as superintendent of the West Point Foundry

Died:
December 24, 1877

Place of Death:
Cold Spring, New York

Age at time of Death: 73 years old

Burial Place:
Cold Spring Cemetery, Cold Spring, New York
 
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BOOKS AUTHORED BY ROBERT PARKER PARROTT

PATENTS ISSUED TO ROBERT PARKER PARROTT

U.S. Patent 33,099 - Issued August 20, 1861 to Robert Parker Parrott
Click Images to See Drawings and Read Specifications

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U.S. Patent 33,100 - Issued August 20, 1861 to Robert Parker Parrott
Click Images to See Drawings and Read Specifications

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U.S. Patent 33,401 - Issued October 1, 1861 to Robert Parker Parrott
Click Images to See Drawings and Read Specifications

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U.S. Patent 33,662 - Issued November 5, 1861 to Robert Parker Parrott
Click Images to See Drawings and Read Specifications

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U.S. Patent 35,171 - Issued May 6, 1862 to Robert Parker Parrott
Click Images to See Drawings and Read Specifications

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U.S. Patent 41,937 - Issued March 15, 1864 to Robert Parker Parrott
Click Images to See Drawings and Read Specifications

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U.S. Patent RE-6027 - Re-Issued August 25, 1874 to Robert Parker Parrott
Click Images to See Drawings and Read Specifications

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U.S. Patent 173,331 - Issued February 8, 1876 to Robert Parker Parrott
Click Images to See Drawings and Read Specifications

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U.S. Patent 175,742 - Issued April 4, 1876 to Robert Parker Parrott
Click Images to See Drawings and Read Specifications

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U.S. Patent 196,682 - Issued to Peter B. Lawson
Assignor to Robert P. Parrott
Click Images to See Drawings and Read Specifications

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I've always suspected that Parrott realized that the money was to be made in the ammunition and not necessarily in the tubes themselves. By making a tube that was smaller than 3" be was able to corner the 2.9" field artillery
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market until 1863 when the government strongly suggested that he start making 3" tubes so that ammunition could be somewhat standardized and open the market to more manufacturers. left to right: a 100# Parrott Bottlenose Bolt, a 10# (3") shell, a 200# Parrott Shell and a 100# Parrott Incendiary Shell. Photo by author.
 
Here's a story involving Parrott that I like and have mentioned before but will repeat again:

Supposedly during an inspection tour of the Cold Spring Foundry which is just across the Hudson from the West Point U. S. Military Academy he was also visiting, President Lincoln was told there was about to be a test firing of one of Parrott's guns at a target across the river. Lincoln, apparently tired from his trip, replied, "I have no doubt that Col. Parrott can hit that mountain from here - let's go have lunch."
 
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