The Guns of USS Kearsarge in 1894
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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.

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

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

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The Cannons of Trophy Park
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The Cannons of Trophy Park

Norfolk Navy Yard Trophy Park in Portsmouth, Virginia displays a number of Dahlgrens and Parrott Rifles from the mid 19th Century US Navy. Some are displayed as they were manufactured. Others received modifications and conversions in the 1870s. Many thanks to Flickr user Jimmy for the permission to use these photos.

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8-inch Dahlgren Rifles at Patriot’s Point
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8-inch Dahlgren Rifles at Patriot’s Point

Four Dahlgren 8-Inch Muzzle Loading Rifles are on display outside of Patriots Point Soccer Stadium. These cannon were converted to rifles in 1879-1880 from 11-Inch Dahlgren Smoothbores which had been cast at Builders Foundry in Providence, Rhode Island in 1863.

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