The March 9th Shorpy old picture site featured a picture taken in April 1865 of Union soldiers guarding a captured Confederate Whitworth gun with its breech open.
A sign on it said "Richmond Arsenal 1864."
This is a very good photograph of a weapon way ahead of its time. One that had an amazing distance that it could fire a shell, around 4 to 5 miles.
Several readers commented on it. Rip Tragle said it was a 2.75 inch Whitworth Rifle imported from England bu both the Union and Confederacy. (I thought just the Confederacy). It was designed by Sir Joseph Whitworth and fired elongated 12-pound shells up to 2,800 yards.
Two were used by an Alabama battery at Gettysburg, where even during the horrendous bombardment preceding Pickett's Charge, their shrill whine could be heard distinctly.
They were very accurate but has serious problems in their breech mechanisms. Their great distance was hurt by lack of artillery spotting at the time.
One Wondrous Weapon. --Old B-Runner
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