South Carolina Governor F.W. Pickens wrote Confederate Secretary of War L.P. Walker on April 9, 1861 about the Blakely's arrival in Charleston: "...a fine rifled cannon from Liverpool...an improvement upon Armstrong, steel rolls and coils with an elevation of seven and one-half degrees to a mile. It throws a shell or twelve-pound shot with the accuracy of a dueling pistol and with only one and a half pounds of powder."
He went on to say he hoped to have it in position at one of Charleston's fortifications by nightfall.
The "Point Battery" at Cummings Point on Morris Island mounted the gun. During the battle, it "consistently hurled twelve-pound iron projectiles to breach the walls of the fortress, 1250 yards distant. The gun fired only eleven shot and nineteen shells...due to limited ammunition, but it has been noted that the bolts from the rifle penetrated the fort walls as deeply as 11-inches."
Quite the impressive first outing for the cannon. Lack of ammunition was also a problem with the Fort Fisher 100-pdr. Armstrong cannon. Was the Blakely or Armstrong a better cannon? I'd always heard that the Armstrongs were the best there was.
Not Finished Yet. --B-R'er
The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
Showing posts with label Civil War 2010 Mississippi River Trip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Civil War 2010 Mississippi River Trip. Show all posts
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Galena's Blakely Gun-- Part 1
I looked it up and found two really fine articles on what bis called the "Galena Blakely." I had no idea it had so much history. I'll have to go back the next time we're out in Galena, probably near the end of August for our 37th anniversary.
I'll have a whole new appreciation for it.
The first article is from Civil War Talk website under Famous Weapons.
It is a 12-pdr. Blakely Rifle with an 84-inch long steel tube and "may be one of the most historical, and most frequently misidentified Blakely's in the United States."
*** It is believed to have been used in the bombardment of Fort Sumter April 12, 1861.
*** It is also believed to be the first rifled cannon to be used in combat on the American continent.
*** And, it is believed to be the only rifled cannon to be used in that opening battle of the Civil War.
It was designed by British Captain Theophilus Alexander Blakely who designed a variety of his guns. When his government opted not to use his cannons, he sold quite a few to the Confederacy.
More Galena Blakely Coming. --Old B-Runner
I'll have a whole new appreciation for it.
The first article is from Civil War Talk website under Famous Weapons.
It is a 12-pdr. Blakely Rifle with an 84-inch long steel tube and "may be one of the most historical, and most frequently misidentified Blakely's in the United States."
*** It is believed to have been used in the bombardment of Fort Sumter April 12, 1861.
*** It is also believed to be the first rifled cannon to be used in combat on the American continent.
*** And, it is believed to be the only rifled cannon to be used in that opening battle of the Civil War.
It was designed by British Captain Theophilus Alexander Blakely who designed a variety of his guns. When his government opted not to use his cannons, he sold quite a few to the Confederacy.
More Galena Blakely Coming. --Old B-Runner
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Civil War on the Mississippi River Trip 2010-- Part 6
Back in Galena's Grant Park. Walked a ways over to the other Civil War gun, a 3.67 inch Blakely rifled cannon which was present in Charleston, SC, when Fort Sumter was fired upon to start the war.
It is inscribed "Presented to the sovereign State of South Carolina by a citizen residing abroad in commemoration of the 20th of December, 1860." This referred to when the state seceded.
The gun was found abandoned by retreating Confederates in Cheraw, SC, after Charleston was abandoned. It was shipped to the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois where it remained until a veteran of the 45th Illinois remembered the gun's capture.
On April 29, 1896, it was placed in the park. on the celebration of US Grant's birthday. It was restored in 1998.
I Don't Know Much About Blakely Guns So Will Do Some Research. --Old B-Runner
It is inscribed "Presented to the sovereign State of South Carolina by a citizen residing abroad in commemoration of the 20th of December, 1860." This referred to when the state seceded.
The gun was found abandoned by retreating Confederates in Cheraw, SC, after Charleston was abandoned. It was shipped to the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois where it remained until a veteran of the 45th Illinois remembered the gun's capture.
On April 29, 1896, it was placed in the park. on the celebration of US Grant's birthday. It was restored in 1998.
I Don't Know Much About Blakely Guns So Will Do Some Research. --Old B-Runner
Friday, July 16, 2010
Civil War on Mississippi River Trip-- July 2010
Cruising through Illinois right now, not actually a hotbed of Civil War history, although there are many memorials to Union soldiers.
Yesterday, in Oregon, I saw a different kind of Union soldier statue at the Ogle County Courthouse. Actually, it was two Union soldiers made out of concrete by noted sculptor Lorado Taft who made the more famous Blackhawk statue up the Rock River from town.
In addition, there is a plaque with the names of soldiers who served from Ogle County during the war.
Directly out front of the courthouse door are two cannons that were placed there by the local GAR post around 1900. GAR, of course, stands for Grand Army of the Republic, the organization offormer Union veterans formed after the war. Southern soldiers had the UCV United Confederate Veterans.
The plaques on the cannons did not say if they were Civil War cannons or not, but they may well have been.
Real Pretty Courthouse. --Old B-Runner
Yesterday, in Oregon, I saw a different kind of Union soldier statue at the Ogle County Courthouse. Actually, it was two Union soldiers made out of concrete by noted sculptor Lorado Taft who made the more famous Blackhawk statue up the Rock River from town.
In addition, there is a plaque with the names of soldiers who served from Ogle County during the war.
Directly out front of the courthouse door are two cannons that were placed there by the local GAR post around 1900. GAR, of course, stands for Grand Army of the Republic, the organization offormer Union veterans formed after the war. Southern soldiers had the UCV United Confederate Veterans.
The plaques on the cannons did not say if they were Civil War cannons or not, but they may well have been.
Real Pretty Courthouse. --Old B-Runner
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