The Cannons of Fort Macon
Santee1821 . Santee1821 .

The Cannons of Fort Macon

Fort Macon on Bogue Banks in North Carolina is a beautifully preserved and restored Third System fort which has been operated as a state park since 1924. Over the last decades the Friends of Fort Macon have raised money to rearm the fort and in so doing has made a very significant contribution to the historical interpretation of the fort. For those who are interested in American Seacoast Artillery, Fort Macon is a fascinating site to visit.

Read More
The 32-Pounder of 51 Hundredweight in Waseca, Minnesota
Santee1821 . Santee1821 .

The 32-Pounder of 51 Hundredweight in Waseca, Minnesota

A 32-Pounder of 51 Hundredweight is displayed in Waseca, Minnesota. This type of cannon was used a chase gun on the upper decks of heavy frigates and ships of the line of the United States Navy prior to the American Civil War.

Read More
USS Olympia - Protected Cruiser of the New Navy
Santee1821 . Santee1821 .

USS Olympia - Protected Cruiser of the New Navy

USS Olympia was commissioned in 1895 at a time when wooden steam and sail ships of the “Old Navy” still actively cruised as part of the US Navy. She represents the “New Navy” and the end of the time period that this website actively covers. She is a unique survivor of the late 19th Century US Navy and a national treasure in need of our support!

Read More
The Guns of USS Kearsarge in 1894
Santee1821 . Santee1821 .

The Guns of USS Kearsarge in 1894

When the USS Kearsarge grounded and sank on February 2nd, 1894 she was carrying two 8-Inch Muzzle Loading Rifles, four 9-Inch Dahlgrens, and one 5.3-Inch Breech Loading Rifle. This post looks at historic photos of USS Kearsarge, photos of preserved cannons similar to those lost aboard the ship, and photos that may show the current disposition of the cannons at Kearsarge’s wreck site.

Read More
The 8-Inch Muzzle Loading Rifle of USS Richmond in Lambertville, New Jersey
Santee1821 . Santee1821 .

The 8-Inch Muzzle Loading Rifle of USS Richmond in Lambertville, New Jersey

A US Navy 8-Inch Muzzle Loading Rifle which served in the 1870s and 1880s aboard the famous Civil War ship USS Richmond is displayed in front of a Civil War Memorial at Mary E. Sheridan Park in Lambertville, New Jersey. The cannon was converted from an 11-Inch Dahlgren in 1877. (The cannon had been originally cast in 1863.)

Read More
The Cannons of Freeport: The Trubia Rifle and Hartford’s Parrott
Santee1821 . Santee1821 .

The Cannons of Freeport: The Trubia Rifle and Hartford’s Parrott

Two 19th Century muzzle-loading rifled cannon sit about a half-mile apart on Long Island in Freeport, New York. One is an 8-Inch Muzzle Loading Rifle made at Trubia, Spain in 1874 and captured in the Spanish American War. The other is a US Navy 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle which served aboard USS Hartford during the American Civil War.

Read More
Fort Fisher has Reopened!
Santee1821 . Santee1821 .

Fort Fisher has Reopened!

Fort Fisher State Historic Site has reopened! The newly constructed visitors center and museum is magnificent. The fort itself has two newly reconstructed gun emplacements “armed” with replica banded and rifled 32-Pounders and two field pieces in front of the fort. It was a beautiful day for a visit. More posts will follow in the future which will try to tell something of the history of the fort and its people, but here are a few photos.

Read More
The 9-Inch Dahlgren and 8-Inch Rodman at Fort Sill
Santee1821 . Santee1821 .

The 9-Inch Dahlgren and 8-Inch Rodman at Fort Sill

The US Army Artillery Museum at Fort Sill offers the unique opportunity to directly compare an 8-Inch Rodman to an 9-Inch Dahlgren. In presenting these two cannon side by side, the visitor to the museum is able to see the approach of both the US Navy and the US Army to produce shell guns capable of also firing solid shot. The Photos in this post were taken by Flickr User “rcaustintx” in 2019. They are used with his permission. Many, many thanks!

Read More
30-Pounder US Army Parrott Rifles at Fort Pulaski
Santee1821 . Santee1821 .

30-Pounder US Army Parrott Rifles at Fort Pulaski

US Army 30-Pounder Parrott Rifles were successfully used in the Siege of Fort Pulaski in April of 1862. Several 30-Pounder Parrott Rifles (also called 4.2-Inch Parrotts) are displayed at the Fort. The US Army Model is both longer and heavier than the Navy 30-Pounder.

Read More
30-Pounder Parrott in Cincinnati, Ohio
Santee1821 . Santee1821 .

30-Pounder Parrott in Cincinnati, Ohio

A 30-Pounder Parrott mounted on a reproduction Marsilly style carriage is displayed at Washington Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. This Parrott seems to have a late-production extension to its breeching block for connection to an elevating screw. Many thanks to Ferd454231 for the photos of this Parrott!

Read More
USS Constitution - Frigate of the United States Navy
Santee1821 . Santee1821 .

USS Constitution - Frigate of the United States Navy

USS Constitution, a sailing frigate built in 1797 for the United States Navy, is in active commission at Boston, Massachusetts. She shows the culmination of the 18th Century frigate: powerful and fast. She is a wooden city at sea, able to provide for her 400 crew for months at a time as she cruises the world’s oceans. As an active duty ship, she is still crewed by sailors of the United States Navy. As this website shows the development of naval and artillery technology during the 19th century, Constitution shows the beginning point.

Read More
The US Navy Cannons of Townsend Park in Oyster Bay, New York
Santee1821 . Santee1821 .

The US Navy Cannons of Townsend Park in Oyster Bay, New York

Three American Civil War era United States Navy cannons sit surrounding a bandstand in Townsend Park in Oyster Bay, York. The three cannons are a rare 50-Pounder Dahlgren Rifle, a 5.3-Inch Parrott Rifle converted to a breechloader, and a 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle which saw service aboard USS R.R. Cuyler during the American Civil War. These photos were provided by another individual and are used with permission.

Read More
The Dahlgren Boat Howitzers of Hanover, Massachusetts
Santee1821 . Santee1821 .

The Dahlgren Boat Howitzers of Hanover, Massachusetts

Two US Navy 12-Pounder Bronze Dahlgren Boat Howitzers are displayed in Hanover, Massachusetts flanking an 1878 Monument "Erected by the people of Hanover in grateful memory of her sons who died in the War for the Preservation of the Union."

Read More
The Manufacture of US Navy 8-Inch Muzzle Loading Rifles from 11-Inch Dahlgren Shell Guns
Santee1821 . Santee1821 .

The Manufacture of US Navy 8-Inch Muzzle Loading Rifles from 11-Inch Dahlgren Shell Guns

An excerpt from Augustus Paul Cooke's A Text Book of Naval Ordnance and Gunnery Prepared for the Use of Cadet Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy describes the manufacture of 8-Inch Muzzle Loading Rifles from existing 11-Inch Dahlgren Smoothbore Shell Guns. The post includes cutaway illustrations from the book and photographs from preserved Dahlgren cannons.

Read More