The Southern Iron Navy Version 2 update 2

[rebelatsea]

Guns of the first three Charleston Ironclads

The rifled guns of Chicora, Palmetto State and Charleston have been referred to in the literature as Brooke, or by various weight of shot descriptions, which the first edition of this book followed as far as possible in an attempt to clarify the actual ordnance mounted.

It has since become clear, by examining the records of Both Tredegar and Selma foundries, and the Charleston defences, that no Brooke rifles actually reached the vessels. Any such weapons despatched being commandeered by General P.G.T Beauregard for the shore defences. In fact overall, more Brooke rifles have been claimed than actually existed.

They were instead armed by James Eason's foundry using rifled and banded 7" (42 - 45pdrSB) firing 80 - 90pdr shot and 6.4" (32pdr SB) firing 60 - 64pdr shot to the same English patent system that was used on the three 10" Columbiads. So far it has not been possible to identify which particular weight of either calibre was so employed but logic would suggest that Easons would have utilised the most recent incarnations.

These guns, being shorter and lighter than the equivalent Brooke guns, had lesser range but almost the same power, with lighter shot and were capable of firing Brooke, or indeed any sabot equipped projectile.

Palmetto State and Chicora both carried 9" Dalghren SB in broadside, and it is interesting to note that, whilst Gosport Navy yard banded one gun, carried by CSS Macrae at New Orleans, no attempt was ever made to rifle these weapons, possibly the ratio of length of bore to calibre (they were designed as shell guns) precluded this.

 

[Santee1821]

A badly corroded Double Banded 7-Inch Brooke Rifle is displayed at The Citadel (The Military College of South Carolina). The Brooke was brought up in dredging operations in Charleston Harbor in the summer of 1929.

A front page article published in Charleston's Post and Courier on October 27th, 2005 describes how the Brooke was initially thought to have come from CSS Chicora, but a gentlemen with memory of the disposition of the ironclads at the time of their destruction remembered that the site was that of CSS Palmetto State. The article notes that two other cannons and their carriages were brought up. One was subsequently lost in an accident on a barge - though the article notes that a diver claims to have found it. I am not sure of the disposition of the other.

The article also notes that a number of smaller artifacts from the ironclad(s) were recovered. Apparently some of those were sent to the Confederate Museum - which I believe now goes by the name of The Museum at Market Hall.

As can be seen in the photos (Spring 2024), the Brooke is badly neglected and surrounded by bushes.

I believe that you are correct that - at least initially - the ironclads were armed with 9-Inch Dahlgrens and rifled and banded smoothbores. It would make sense for that banding to have been done by the Easons.

I recall reading a primary source about Brooke rifles being shipped or mounted aboard the ironclads of the Charleston squadron, but I cannot find where I read that. Beauregard may have indeed intercepted such guns, but it is possible that the armament evolved over time.

The Brooke at the Citadel gives a solid indication that at least one of the ironclads mounted a genuine Brooke Rifle.

7-Inch Brooke Rifle at the Citadel in Charleston, SC - Spring 2024

https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/the-mystery-brooke-at-the-citadel

 

[rebelatsea]

Yes, the USN Chronology Special Appendix claims all the ironclads had Brooke rifles, and many authors followed suit, but one or two adding projectile weights which don't correspond to known Brooke projectile weights, but do correspond to known rifled and banded SBs.
I did look at the produce of Gosport Navy yard in respect of the 6.4" but only eight were despatched - all initially to Memphis for the Arkansas pair with four being diverted to New Orleans for CSS Louisiana. Of the known others 1 rifled and banded 32pdr went to CSS / VSN Brandywine and two to CSS Virginia. Apparently more were produced but the above are the one's i have a definite trace on.

Tredegar rifled and banded six 9" SB gun blocks to Brookes pattern, of these two went to CSS Virginia and four to New Orleans for CSS Mississippi.

That Citadel gun - confusing maybe, as one proven Brooke 7" identified and assigned to CSS Charleston was intercepted by Beauregard and sent to the defences. The other thing is that Brooke in the photo appears to be double banded. CSS Palmetto State seems to have been "played with" during her career, but until now the only definite alteration I knew was the removal of her broadside 9" guns to be4 replaced by by an 11" Brooke smoothbore. That gun also never reached the ship, but the turntable was fitted and two extra ports cut, so I'm quite happy to accept that one of her rifles could have been changed.
Three 7" double banded Brookes were sent from Selma: 4th June 1864, S70 to Major General Samuel Jones CSA,
14 & 15th June 1864, S74 & S76 to Commodore D Ingraham CSN.
According to Olmstead, Stark & Tucker all three survive, but one is illegible due to scale and rust, as they identified 74 & 76, by elimination the Citadel gun is S70, which is the CSA weapon, which means it cannot be from CSS Palmetto State.

 

[Santee1821]

Yes, the USN Chronology Special Appendix claims all the ironclads had Brooke rifles, and many authors followed suit, but one or two adding projectile weights which don't correspond to known Brooke projectile weights, but do correspond to known rifled and banded SBs.
I did look at the produce of Gosport Navy yard in respect of the 6.4" but only eight were despatched - all initially to Memphis for the Arkansas pair with four being diverted to New Orleans for CSS Louisiana. Of the known others 1 rifled and banded 32pdr went to CSS / VSN Brandywine and two to CSS Virginia. Apparently more were produced but the above are the one's i have a definite trace on.

Tredegar rifled and banded six 9" SB gun blocks to Brookes pattern, of these two went to CSS Virginia and four to New Orleans for CSS Mississippi.

That Citadel gun - confusing maybe, as one proven Brooke 7" identified and assigned to CSS Charleston was intercepted by Beauregard and sent to the defences. The other thing is that Brooke in the photo appears to be double banded. CSS Palmetto State seems to have been "played with" during her career, but until now the only definite alteration I knew was the removal of her broadside 9" guns to be4 replaced by by an 11" Brooke smoothbore. That gun also never reached the ship, but the turntable was fitted and two extra ports cut, so I'm quite happy to accept that one of her rifles could have been changed.
Three 7" double banded Brookes were sent from Selma: 4th June 1864, S70 to Major General Samuel Jones CSA,
14 & 15th June 1864, S74 & S76 to Commodore D Ingraham CSN.
According to Olmstead, Stark & Tucker all three survive, but one is illegible due to scale and rust, as they identified 74 & 76, by elimination the Citadel gun is S70, which is the CSA weapon, which means it cannot be from CSS Palmetto State.

According to the edition of Olmstead, Stark, and Tucker in my possession (1997), of the three Selma Brookes that you mentioned, only S76 is listed. The Citadel gun is listed as "illegible due to scale and paint." I am not aware of another Brooke in the Charleston area (except for the triple banded one at Fort Moultrie).

Do you have a different edition of the registry listing S74?

Photos below: S76 at White Point Gardens in Charleston in 2024 and circa 1905.

 

[rebelatsea]

My apologies, you are right, I mis read the entry.