Returning back to December 12, 1860, the testing of rifled cannon had taken place and is mentioned in Series 3, Volume 1, page 12. At that time W. J. Hardee was Lt.-Col, First Cavalry and wrote John B. Floyd, the Secretary of War, stating;
"General Semmes, agent to purchase arms for the State of Georgia...desires to know what kind of projectile you would recommend for rifled cannon; also the weight of the field gun and size of the bore. We know that many experiments have been made under your orders and direction, and if any satisfactory results have been arrived at we should be pleased to get them....".
Two days later Floyd replies (page 14);
"...I have to state the results of trials of rifled cannon and projectiles...indicate a superiority of James' projectiles for such cannon. The regulation field 6-pounder, with rifled bore (weight 884 pounds), caries a James projectile of about 13 pounds; but you can have a field gun made to carry a 6-pound James projectile and not to weigh over 700 pounds."
The modifications and testings of course, continued through the Civil War.
Lubliner.