What does this mean?

[gary]

Before the evacuation of Charleston, on Feb. 17 at 9 p.m. Union signal officers intercepted a Confederate message:

"Open every bloody sixty-nine on the d*****d Yankee sons of b*****s." The Union men didn't know what 'sixty-nine' meant. I don't either. Does anyone here?

It's probably in reference to artillery, but what piece or pieces?

Source: Frederic Denison's Shot and Shell: The Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Regiment in the Rebellion, 1861-1865. See page 295.

 

[RedRover]

Before the evacuation of Charleston, on Feb. 17 at 9 p.m. Union signal officers intercepted a Confederate message:

"Open every bloody sixty-nine on the d*****d Yankee soons of b*****s." The Union men didn't know what 'sixty-nine' meant. I don't either. Does anyone here?

It's probably in reference to artillery, but what piece or pieces?

Source: Frederic Denison's Shot and Shell: The Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery Regiment in the Rebellion, 1861-1865. See page 295.

Just a guess of course. The 7-inch Brooke rifles used by the Confederates fired a shot/shell about 6.9-inch diameter.

CS Brooke 7 in. Shell (p. 68) | Civil War Artillery

CS Brooke 7 in. Shell, fired from the 7-inch Brooke Rifle. Diameter 6.9-inches; length about 14 inches; weight about 90 pounds CONSTRUCTION : Common Shell; Copper, Brooke ratchet ring sabot…

civilwarartillery.com

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Am guessing the statement-maker here may have been referring to the 8-inch seacoast columbiads that were part of the Charleston defense system, and that fired solid solid shots weighing approximately 65 lbs.. (Believe that some older CW officers used pounder references that did not exactly accord with the actual weights of the fired projectiles).

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

Just a guess of course. The 7-inch Brooke rifles used by the Confederates fired a shot/shell about 6.9-inch diameter.

CS Brooke 7 in. Shell (p. 68) | Civil War Artillery

CS Brooke 7 in. Shell, fired from the 7-inch Brooke Rifle. Diameter 6.9-inches; length about 14 inches; weight about 90 pounds CONSTRUCTION : Common Shell; Copper, Brooke ratchet ring sabot…

civilwarartillery.com

View attachment 589551

I'd say you made a really good guess.

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

The 7-inch Brooke rifles used by the Confederates fired a shot/shell about 6.9-inch diameter.

Ain't nothing would be Caroliner than to be shelled by 6.9ers.

 

[gary]

According to Manigault (Siege Train, p. 268) there was a 7 inch Brooke gun at Tower Battery (Johnson Island) and at Battery Simkins (also Johnson Island).

ETA: Many thanks to all who responded.