Vicksburg Artillery

[redbob]

Has anyone ever seen an account of how many artillery pieces and of what type were used at Vicksburg?

 

[Ole Miss]

@redbob
From what I have discovered the Union army at Vicksburg had 47 batteries with 247 guns and the Confederates had 172 guns with 69 being siege weapons.*
Regards
David
Types of Cannon present during the siege
FIELD ARTILLERY
Smoothbores
6-pounder Gun
12-pounder gun (Napoleon) Gun-Howitzer
12-pounder Howitzer
24-pounder Howitzer

Rifles
10-pounder Parrott
3" Ordnance
20-pounder Parrott

SIEGE & GARRISON
Smoothbores
8" Howitzer
10" Mortar
12-pounder Gun
24-pounder Gun

Rifles
18-pounder Gun(Rifled) Confederate "Whistling Dick" Obsolete, rifled & banded
30-pounder Parrott

SEACOAST these guns capable of firing heated shot
Smoothbores
8" Columbiad
9" Dahlgren Confederate copy of Dahlgren design
10" Columbiad
11" Dahlgren
32-pounder Gun
42-pounder Gun
Rifles
6.4" Brooke
7" Brooke
7.5 Blakely Confederate "Widow Blakely" British 42-pounder, rifled & banded
100-pounder Parrott
24-pounderNAVAL

Smoothbores
8" Dahlgren
9" Dahlgren
11" Dahlgren
12-pounder Howitzer
24-pounder Howitzer
32-pounder Gun
64-pounder Gun

Rifles
30-pounder Parrott
42-pounder (Converted Smoothbore)
50-pounder Dahlgren
100-pounder Parrott
13" Mortar
*Staff Ride Handbook for The Vicksburg Campaign, December 1862-July 1863
https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/educational-services/staff-rides/StaffRideHB_Vicksburg.pdf

 

[UCVRelics]

Great Info. Thanks @Ole Miss.

 

[redbob]

@redbob
From what I have discovered the Union army at Vicksburg had 47 batteries with 247 guns and the Confederates had 172 guns with 69 being siege weapons.*
Regards
David
Types of Cannon present during the siege
FIELD ARTILLERY
Smoothbores
6-pounder Gun
12-pounder gun (Napoleon) Gun-Howitzer
12-pounder Howitzer
24-pounder Howitzer

Rifles
10-pounder Parrott
3" Ordnance
20-pounder Parrott

SIEGE & GARRISON
Smoothbores
8" Howitzer
10" Mortar
12-pounder Gun
24-pounder Gun

Rifles
18-pounder Gun(Rifled) Confederate "Whistling Dick" Obsolete, rifled & banded
30-pounder Parrott

SEACOAST these guns capable of firing heated shot
Smoothbores
8" Columbiad
9" Dahlgren Confederate copy of Dahlgren design
10" Columbiad
11" Dahlgren
32-pounder Gun
42-pounder Gun
Rifles
6.4" Brooke
7" Brooke
7.5 Blakely Confederate "Widow Blakely" British 42-pounder, rifled & banded
100-pounder Parrott
24-pounderNAVAL

Smoothbores
8" Dahlgren
9" Dahlgren
11" Dahlgren
12-pounder Howitzer
24-pounder Howitzer
32-pounder Gun
64-pounder Gun

Rifles
30-pounder Parrott
42-pounder (Converted Smoothbore)
50-pounder Dahlgren
100-pounder Parrott
13" Mortar
*Staff Ride Handbook for The Vicksburg Campaign, December 1862-July 1863
https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/educational-services/staff-rides/StaffRideHB_Vicksburg.pdf

You are the man, thank you.

 

[Ole Miss]

Example of the artillery used at Vicksburg by both Federal and Confederate forces. I apologize for the quality of the photos but I am not a photographer.
Regards
David

 

[hawknknife]

Two left off union....380 James rifle and 3.50 Blakely, same ones used at Mobile area in 64..I've dug these so I know they were there.

 

[Ole Miss]

Would not disagree but did not find them so far.
Regards
David

 

[Ragged Old First]

Forum member @Championhilz wrote an interesting piece on the Artillery at Vicksburg.

Artillery During the Siege of Vicksburg

https://mississippiconfederates-wor...5/14/artillery-during-the-siege-of-vicksburg/

 

[Ole Miss]

Found this post by our own @civilwartalk which covers the 3.5" Blakely, perhaps he can address this subject and provide additional information.
Regards
David

12 pdr. Blakely Rifle at the Old Cyclorama Building, Gettysburg (Sept 2006, Michael Kendra).

• Type: Rifled gun, 6 or 7 saw-tooth rifle grooves
• Rarity: Very Rare
• Years of Manufacture: 1860 - 1861
• Tube Composition: Wrought Iron or Steel
• Bore Diameter: 3.5 inches
• Standard Powder Charge: 1.5 lbs.
• Projectiles: 12 lb. bolt
• Tube Length: 59 inches
• Tube Weight: 800 lbs.
• Effective Range (at 5°): 1,850 yards
• Invented By: Royal Artillery Captain Alexander Theopilis Blakely
• Casting Foundry: Fawcett, Preston & Co., Liverpool, England
• Special Notes: At least seven different varieties of Blakelys have been discovered in the many battlefields an museums across the country
• http://civilwarwiki.net/wiki/12_pdr._Blakely_Rifle

 

[johan_steele]

The Vicksburg NPS gift shop had a pamphlet that identified all the cannon in use during the seige and IIRC it listed who and where they were used during the campaign. I used to have it but for the life of me I can't find it on my porch.

 

[redbob]

3.5" Blakely, James I & II 3.8". Photos by Jack Melton

 

[hawknknife]

Yes, there were several .380 James Bronze rifles in the VB siege. The only one in the park now is in front of the visitors center, rifled with 15 lands and grooves. I've found the Type 1 &2 james shells as well as .380 Hotchkiss on the edge of the park. The union Blakely's I've dug were on the South end by the present amphi theature (two of them). Tom Dickey told me they could be found there. The James rifles were also used at Port Gibson, Ms., probably some of the same guns. Port Gibson was the opening battle of the Vicksburg campaign where Grant crossed the Mississippi River .

 

[hawknknife]

There were also rifled six pound smoothe bores there firing .367 James and hotchkiss shells.

 

[redbob]

The Vicksburg NPS gift shop had a pamphlet that identified all the cannon in use during the seige and IIRC it listed who and where they were used during the campaign. I used to have it but for the life of me I can't find it on my porch.

If it shows back up, I would certainly appreciate some information from it.

 

[Ragged Old First]

The Vicksburg NPS gift shop had a pamphlet that identified all the cannon in use during the seige and IIRC it listed who and where they were used during the campaign. I used to have it but for the life of me I can't find it on my porch.

@johan_steele is this the book you are thinking of?