Leeds Iron Foundry, New Orleans-- Part 2

During the Reconstruction, the Leeds Foundry functioned as a base for operations for a subgroup called the White League, a  militant white group who were against the Blacks and Northerners.  It produced arms  for the White League, including one cannon.

An arms shipment sent from Leeds Foundry prompted New Orleans police to clash with the White League members in the city and ended with a violent takeover of the city for roughly three days.  Leeds support of this group helped lead to his election as mayor in 1874.

Today, the area that once housed the foundry is home to the Preservation Resource Center.  This particular building in the foundry complex was built to serve as storage space and showrooms, so it is ideally suited for the new center.

This organization was founded  in order to help preserve the architecture of the City of New Orleans.  It is open to the public.  The site of the Leeds  Iron Foundry is on the National register of Historic Places.

--Old Secesh

Leeds Iron Foundry, New Orleans-- Part 1: Produced Supplies for Confederate Army and Navy

From the New Orleans Historical Organization by Paul Zachry & Kathryn O'Dwyer.

The Leeds Iron Foundry was  owned and operated by Charles Leeds and was located at DeLord and  Constance streets during the antebellum period of the 19th century.

The foundry was opened in 1824 and Leeds became a partner upon his father's death in 1844.  Before the Civil War, this foundry was the most prolific producer of "steel cotton bale presses" in the world and  was one of the most important foundries in the South.

It maintained several hundred employees for the production of various iron plantation equipment.  The Leeds Company was successful; enough that it actually issued its own banknotes, a common practice at the time.

The foundry produced supplies for the Confederate Army and Navy, including  two naval vessels and even an early submarine, the Pioneer 1.  In particular, the Leeds Foundry  built 3.3-inch Confederate bronze field  rifles and  6-pounder  bronze field guns.

--Old Secesh

Leeds Cannons

From Civil War Artillery.com  Federal and Confederate Manufacturers.

LEEDS & CO.

New Orleans firm which apparently made a single 8-inch Columbiad, which burst, and from then on produced bronze field calibers  until the fall of that city in April 1862.

Charles J. and Thomas L. Leeds, proprietors.

Several 3.3-inch caliber bronze cannon were manufactured.

One example is located at in the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia.

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QUESTION:  Were any heavy guns made at Leeds & Co's establishment or were any rifled or banded?

ANSSWER:  "We made a few heavy guns for the Navy and one for the Army.  We rifled quite a number of old 32 and 42 pounders for the Army, and we banded one 7-inch gun.  I do not recollect whether any more were banded...."

--Old Secesh

Artillery-- Part 6: Leeds Cannons

**  Several years ago, Frank Crawford gave a talk to the McHenry County Civil War Round Table about the Leeds cannon which is in the Boone County Museum of History in Belvidere, Illinois.  It was shipped from Rock Island Arsenal to the museum.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend it and looked for information on it, but wasn't able to find it until recently.

The Leeds cannon was made in New Orleans for the Confederacy.  The fact that New Orleans fell so soon in the war makes Leeds Confederate cannons very rare.

Leeds cannons were small bore field pieces.

--Old Secesh