During the action at Fort Sumter, the Blakely gun was commanded by Captain J.P. Thomas of the Citadel Academy. He later became commandant 1882-1885.
General P.G.T. Beauregard wrote Walker, "We have a remarkable rifled cannon, 12-pdr., superior to any other here. Others ought to be ordered."
The plaque on the gun saying it was a gift was a major identifying aspect of the gun. It is no longer on the gun, but its original location is easy to see. It was a gift specifically from Charles K. Prioleau of John Fraser & Co. of London. This company was very involved in blockade-running.
There was even an article and picture of the Galena Blakely in the May 18, 1861, Harpers Weekly. This is kind of surprising since this was a northern newspaper.
Not much is known about this cannon from Fort Sumter to near the end of the war. O would imagine it did participate in the defense of Charleston during the time.
When Charleston was evacuated, the gun was taken by Confederate forces as far as Cheraw, SC, where elements of Sherman's 17th Army Corps caught up with it. On March 3, 1865, there was skirmishing before Confederate forces withdrew across the Big Peedee River (US-52 goes through Cheraw).
And the Story Continues. --Old B-Runner
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