The May 27th Selma Daily Photo blog had a picture of the Brooke cannon on the grounds of the Selma City Hall. It has undergone extensive restoration in the last year and was cast August 24, 1863 in Selma at the Confederate Naval Gun Foundry under the command of Cmdr. Catesby ap R. Jones (always like that name).
It was the first gun shipped from the Selma Foundry and was a pivot gun on the Selma-built CSS Tennessee. (Sure didn't know the Tennessee was built in Selma. I always assumed it was built in Mobile. To tell the truth, I didn't even know they had a navigable river at Selma. But upon further thought, I remembered the Civil Roghts confrontation at he Selma Bridge.)
During the Battle of Mobile Bay, Admiral Buchanan and the two crew members killed on the Tennessee were standing by this gun.
It was designed by Lt. John M. Brooke, CSN (I thought the Brooke guns were Union. Sure finding out a lot in this article.) and weighed 15,300 pounds, was 12'3.5" long and could throw a shell 7900 yards, 4.5 miles. That is one powerful weapon.
It was captured by the Fedral Navy Aug. 5, 1864, with the capture of the Tennessee. It was later taken off and removed to the Washington Naval Yard and since returned to Selma in loan.
I'd Want to Be Standing 7901 Yards Away, If It Didn't Explode. --Old B-Runner
The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
