In the Field Spiking Cannon

[RaggedAssSecond]

Where were the nails kept for spiking cannon? Which member of the gun crew would have been responsible for spiking the cannon?

 

[Dan Kohli]

I want to say that they were stored in ammunition chests in the limbers and caissons. For the designation of the the nail man, it's any man who can get them and successfully spike the gun, as far as I can tell.

 

[Rhea Cole]

This is the vent of a bronze cannon. To spike the gun all that was necessary was to drive a square nail into the vent & clinch it by ramming a ball to bend it over.

Another way to spike a cannon was to ram one or two balls & jam them in place with wedges.

You will notice that the vent is a threaded plug of brass. With repeated firing, the vent erodes & is routinely replaced.

The vent was removed by tapping the vent counter to the vent plug threads. A bolt was screwed into the vent & then used to remove the plug.

The replacement plug was cast with a square head on it. After the plug was wrenched down tight, the hex head was chiseled off & filed smooth.

On an iron gun the spike was cut off & then drilled out.

During the Civil War, cannoneer #4 had the friction primers contained in a pouch on his belt. Simply running off with the primers effectively "spiked" the gun.

If the vent was obstructed, a vent punch was a standard piece of kit. It is simply used to force the obstruction down into the breech. I have done this myself when a friction primer tube became stuck in the vent.

A simple way to disable a gun would be to pull out the locking pin ( on the right ) & remove the cap that holds the trunnion in place. The caps were thrown away or carried off.

It is then surprisingly easy to raise the trail & tip the barrel onto the ground. I have done this a number of times to demonstrate how to dismount & mount the barrel. We only stood the cannon upright on its muzzle for obvious reasons.

There was a jagged edged spike made for obstructing the vent. It was stored in the battery wagon parked far from danger. I have never seen one nor read an account of one being used.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

In an attempt to answer the two questions posed.

According to Warren Ripley in 'Artillery and Ammunition of the Civil War' (p. 197), any spikes/nails (for spiking cannon) were often one of the items of artillery accessories carried in the wagon body of the battery wagon (for the field artillery battery).

In the 'Ordnance Manual for the Use of the Officers of the U.S. Army' (1861), it states (p. 42) ...'The Battery Wagon carries tools, spare parts of carriages, spare harness, and other stores required for the service of a battery in the field, and for repairs'. (See link below).

The ordnance manual for the use of the officers of the United States Army : United States. Army. Ordnance Dept : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Caption (p. [1]) Ordnance manual. Chapter first. Ordnance. The following are the kinds and calibres of ordnance used in the land service of the Confederate...

archive.org

Thought the spiking of field guns would have mostly happened in desperate and chaotic circumstances, involving abandonment and retreat from the pieces - an extreme decision of last resort for any battery commander. Imagine the order to spike the cannon would have been issued by the battery commander (usually a captain) and could be carried out by any one of the canoneers in the gun crew who was conveniently available in such circumstances.

Am no expert on this subject, though. Perhaps one of the artillery experts could provide authoritative elaboration.

 

[Jim in Wisconsin]

Having to spike your gun seems like the artillery's version of the navy's having to abandon ship in combat. Letting the enemy get it to use against you is much worse than loosing it. You have to destroy it.

 

[Rhea Cole]

Side bar: The battery wagon is something that few have heard of or ever seen in person. It was an absolutely essential rolling hardware store necessary for maintaining the battery.

The lid of this battery wagon is closed. It would have been hitched to a limber just like the guns, caisson & traveling forge. The cradle on the back was for hay. This is a post war example only different in detail.

Every battery was assigned a battery wagon.

The contents of the battery wagon was an exactly sized & placed collection of boxes. Each of which contained an exact inventory of necessary items.
•
Link to contents of battery wagon & traveling forge:

Examples of Items Contained Within the Battery and Forge Wagons Lost at Monterey Pass

We hear about it during the historical interpretive talks, as well as tours of the Monterey Pass Battlefield. We read about it in all publications, and we try to comprehend what they looked like an…

southmountaincw.wordpress.com

•

Link to CWT thread showing contents of a battery wagon:

Take A Look At The Inside Of A Battery Wagon | Cannons / Artillery & Crew Served Weapons

Here at the Starkville Civil War Arsenal, I have just finished stocking the Battery Wagon with the necessary items needed to go into active service. I thought those of you with an artillery interest would enjoy taking a look at the contents of this very special vehicle...

civilwartalk.com

 

[RaggedAssSecond]

Thank you for the information @Rhea Cole .

 

[1st Section]

Side bar: The battery wagon is something that few have heard of or ever seen in person. It was an absolutely essential rolling hardware store necessary for maintaining the battery.

View attachment 532317
The lid of this battery wagon is closed. It would have been hitched to a limber just like the guns, caisson & traveling forge. The cradle on the back was for hay.

Just a heads up - that is a post war image of post war equipment.

 

[Rhea Cole]

Just a heads up - that is a post war image of a post war equipment.

Thanks, I know that. The wheel hub is a dead giveaway. The battery wagon is still illustrative. I have edited the post to indicate that it is a post war image.

 

[19thOhio]

Thanks to the above contributions for the "short course" in cannon spiking and forges and such equipment and activity. I learned a lot in just 15 minutes.

 

[Joe Whitworth]

Thanks, I know that. The wheel hub is a dead giveaway. The battery wagon is still illustrative. I have edited the post to indicate that it is a post war image.

The wash tub caught my eye as post CW. Great picture of a farrier at work. Thanks for artillery lesson.

 

[RaggedAssSecond]

During the initial training of a Civil War Artillery Battery, were all members of the battery or a gun crew trained on how to spike a cannon?

 

[Dan Kohli]

During the initial training of a Civil War Artillery Battery, were all members of the battery or a gun crew trained on how to spike a cannon?

Theoretically. It doesn't take much training to hammer a nail into a hole. And all the cannoneers were cross trained in all the other positions.

 

[1st Section]

From Instruction for Field Artillery, 1860 et al.

SPIKING AND UNSPIKING CANNON, AND RENDERING THEM UNSERVICEABLE.​

To spike a piece, or to render it unserviceable. Drive into the vent a jagged and hardened steel spike with a soft point, or a nail without a head; break it off flush with the outer surface and clinch the point inside by means of the rammer. Wedge a shot in the bottom of the bore by wrapping it with felt, or by means of iron wedges, using the rammer or a bar of iron to drive them in; a wooden wedge would be easily burnt by means of a charcoal fire lighted with the aid of a bellows. Cause shells to burst in the bore of brass guns, or fire broken shot from them with high charges. Fill a piece with sand over the charge to burst it. Fire a piece against another, muzzle to muzzle, or the muzzle of one to the chase of the other. Light a fire under the chase of a brass gun, and strike on it with a sledge to bend it. Break off the trunnions of iron guns; or burst them by firing them with heavy charges and full of shot, at a high elevation.

When guns are to be spiked temporarily, and are likely to be retaken, a spring spike is used, having a shoulder to prevent its
being too easily extracted.

 

[Rhea Cole]

From Instruction for Field Artillery, 1860 et al.

SPIKING AND UNSPIKING CANNON, AND RENDERING THEM UNSERVICEABLE.​

To spike a piece, or to render it unserviceable. Drive into the vent a jagged and hardened steel spike with a soft point, or a nail without a head; break it off flush with the outer surface and clinch the point inside by means of the rammer. Wedge a shot in the bottom of the bore by wrapping it with felt, or by means of iron wedges, using the rammer or a bar of iron to drive them in; a wooden wedge would be easily burnt by means of a charcoal fire lighted with the aid of a bellows. Cause shells to burst in the bore of brass guns, or fire broken shot from them with high charges. Fill a piece with sand over the charge to burst it. Fire a piece against another, muzzle to muzzle, or the muzzle of one to the chase of the other. Light a fire under the chase of a brass gun, and strike on it with a sledge to bend it. Break off the trunnions of iron guns; or burst them by firing them with heavy charges and full of shot, at a high elevation.

When guns are to be spiked temporarily, and are likely to be retaken, a spring spike is used, having a shoulder to prevent its
being too easily extracted.

Whoops, look below.

 

[Rhea Cole]

From Instruction for Field Artillery, 1860 et al.

SPIKING AND UNSPIKING CANNON, AND RENDERING THEM UNSERVICEABLE.​

To spike a piece, or to render it unserviceable. Drive into the vent a jagged and hardened steel spike with a soft point, or a nail without a head; break it off flush with the outer surface and clinch the point inside by means of the rammer. Wedge a shot in the bottom of the bore by wrapping it with felt, or by means of iron wedges, using the rammer or a bar of iron to drive them in; a wooden wedge would be easily burnt by means of a charcoal fire lighted with the aid of a bellows. Cause shells to burst in the bore of brass guns, or fire broken shot from them with high charges. Fill a piece with sand over the charge to burst it. Fire a piece against another, muzzle to muzzle, or the muzzle of one to the chase of the other. Light a fire under the chase of a brass gun, and strike on it with a sledge to bend it. Break off the trunnions of iron guns; or burst them by firing them with heavy charges and full of shot, at a high elevation.

When guns are to be spiked temporarily, and are likely to be retaken, a spring spike is used, having a shoulder to prevent its
being too easily extracted.

4th of July anvil shoot. LOC

Muzzle to muzzle… stand on end filled with balls… muzzle to chase… this sounds like an anvil shoot gone wild! I had no idea that the Acme Products Company, Wile E. Coyote chairman, wrote CW era artillery manuals.

Note: Mr. Coyote reluctantly had to take Acme Products to court in order to gain restitution for their faulty products.

Link:

Wile E. Coyote v. Acme Company

From 1990: “Much as he has come to mistrust Defendant’s products, Mr. Coyote has no other domestic source of supply to which to turn.”

www.newyorker.com

 

[toot]

putting cannon balls up to he muzzle with out any powder, is that similar to bare balling a musket with a round ball. ?except a bare ball in a musket can be removed with a worm.

 

[Rhea Cole]

putting cannon balls up to he muzzle with out any powder, is that similar to bare balling a musket with a round ball. ?except a bare ball in a musket can be removed with a worm.

Intention was to cause an over pressure in the chase when the charge was ignited.