32-Pounder Rifle of CSS Teaser - Then and Now
32-Pounder of 57 Hundredweight, Banded and Rifled by the Confederates, displayed as a trophy at the Washington Navy Yard.
A 32-Pounder of 57 Hundredweight which was banded and rifled by the Confederates, served aboard CSS Teaser, and was captured by the USS Maratanza is displayed as a trophy at the Washington Navy Yard. This 32-Pounder was manufactured by Tredegar in 1852. It was likely one of the 32-Pounders captured at the Gosport Navy Yard in 1861. It is nearly identical to the banded rifles displayed at Fort Fisher and Fort Jackson.
An engraving on the breech reads “Navy 32 Pdr Banded and Rifled by the Rebels taken in Tug Teazer.” CSS Teaser was a tugboat taken into Confederate Navy service. CSS Teaser was armed with a 2.9-Inch Parrott Rifle and this 32-Pounder Banded Rifle. USS Maratanza, the ship which captured CSS Teaser was armed with a 9-Inch Dahlgren, a 100-Pounder (6.4-Inch) Parrott Rifle, and four 24-pounders. A shell from Maratanza destroyed CSS Teaser’s boiler, disabling the converted tug.
After her capture, at least three sets of photos were taken aboard CSS Teaser. One pair of photos (prepared for a stereoscopic viewer) show the aft mounted 32-Pounder which is now preserved at the Navy Yard. A number of details of the piece, its mounting and tackle, and accessories can be seen in the photo. This is a also rare example of an existing photograph from the American Civil War of a specific cannon which has been preserved to the present.
Compare the similar sights and equipment for 9 and 11-Inch Dahlgrens.
32-Pounder of 57 Hundredweight, banded and rifled, aboard the captured CSS Teaser in 1862. I believe this is the "left eye" photo of the set. Library of Congress Photo: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018671446/
32-Pounder of 57 Hundredweight, banded and rifled, aboard the captured CSS Teaser in 1862. I believe this is the "right eye" photo of the set. Library of Congress Photo: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018671446/
The same 32-Pounder photographed in August of 2024. Note the mounting points for the rear sight and front sight.
Detail from the "left" photo above. Note the breeching robe run through the cascabel, the rear sight, the cover for the vent, the lanyard for the firing lock, and the front sight mounted on the block above the trunnions.
A closer look at the rear sight, lanyard, and vent cover. Detail from the "left" photo above.
Detail of front sight. I would be interested to know what the front sight looked like for a standard unbanded smoothbore version of this cannon. Was a taller sight needed to function with the banding?
Elevating screw on carriage and shell (note the empty fuse hole at the top of the shell). Detail from the left photo above.
Detail of carriage. Note the screw clamp on the carriage which I believe is designed to increase the friction of the upper carriage upon the lower slide when the cannon is fired.
Trunnion and trunnion cap of the 32-Pounder showing the "32" and "1852" markings upon the trunnion. Note the slope of the carriage in the vicinity of the trunnion.
