Texas-made CS Cannon

[Rusk County Avengers]

I got asked the other day to order a copy of the newer book on captured CS arms, and while doing so I thought it about time to order a copy of the old "Confederate Cannon Foundries" book by Larry J. Daniel and Riley W. Gunter.

It coming in today, I looked through for a first look, and saw mentions of Texan cast cannon, which was a heck of a surprise to me!

So far I've noticed mention of Cushman's Foundry of Houston, TX and of an iron 6-pounder cast in Hempstead, TX. Apparently the Cushman gun was a breechloading mountain gun. I was mainly out to see what information the book had on the Ellis & Moore guns from Nashville, the first CW cannon I can remember seeing as a kid being the one in Mansfield, but the existence of Texas made guns was a happy shock for me.

Would anyone happen to know anything about these guns, and or how they looked by any chance?

 

[Bonny Blue Flag]

Cannon were cast at the state foundry at Austin and by Ebenezar B. Nichols at Galveston. When Little Rock, Arkansas, was evacuated in September 1863, the arsenal was removed to Arkadelphia, and in October 1863 the Little Rock and Arkadelphia machinery was removed to Tyler, Texas, as headquarters of the Trans-Mississippi Department.

Source: TSHA
Texas State Historical Association / Gun Manufacturing During the Civil War

--BBF (no pics found, yet)

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

Cannon were cast at the state foundry at Austin and by Ebenezar B. Nichols at Galveston. When Little Rock, Arkansas, was evacuated in September 1863, the arsenal was removed to Arkadelphia, and in October 1863 the Little Rock and Arkadelphia machinery was removed to Tyler, Texas, as headquarters of the Trans-Mississippi Department.

Source: TSHA
Texas State Historical Association / Gun Manufacturing During the Civil War

--BBF (no pics found, yet)

I did not know such an operation existed Austin, thank you. Now I'm curious on those cannon.

As for the Arkadelphia operation, yeah they made probably the crappiest rifle the CSA ever knew, same with Tyler but I think their quality was better.

 

[DaveBrt]

I got asked the other day to order a copy of the newer book on captured CS arms, and while doing so I thought it about time to order a copy of the old "Confederate Cannon Foundries" book by Larry J. Daniel and Riley W. Gunter.

It coming in today, I looked through for a first look, and saw mentions of Texan cast cannon, which was a heck of a surprise to me!

So far I've noticed mention of Cushman's Foundry of Houston, TX and of an iron 6-pounder cast in Hempstead, TX. Apparently the Cushman gun was a breechloading mountain gun. I was mainly out to see what information the book had on the Ellis & Moore guns from Nashville, the first CW cannon I can remember seeing as a kid being the one in Mansfield, but the existence of Texas made guns was a happy shock for me.

Would anyone happen to know anything about these guns, and or how they looked by any chance?

Official report of testing two rifled 6 pdrs, "presented for testing" by the Superintendent of the Galveston, Houston & Henderson RR.

NA, GH&H 1-28-62

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

Official report of testing two rifled 6 pdrs, "presented for testing" by the Superintendent of the Galveston, Houston & Henderson RR.

NA, GH&H 1-28-62

And just like that I got so many more questions and am more interested. Thank you sir!

Very interesting report.

 

[Pollaco]

Not cannons but it is interesting, In addition to captured and "homecast" cannons there was one artillery unit that test-fired rockets that were made in San Antonio. The unit even had the word "Rocket" in their title,
Greer's Rocket Battery.