The 4.62-Inch Gibbon and Andrews Rifle of Fort Branch
A 4.62-Inch Gibbon and Andrews Rifle is displayed at Fort Branch near Hamilton, North Carolina. Behind it are a Model 1819 24-Pounder and a Banded and Rifled 32-Pounder of 57 Hundredweight.
The only (known) surviving 4.62-Inch Gibbon and Andrews Rifle is part of the remarkable collection of original artillery at Fort Branch near Hamilton, North Carolina. This Confederate siege rifle was recovered from the Roanoke River at Fort Branch in 1977 having been submerged since the fort was destroyed and abandoned in April of 1865. It was recovered still mounted on the remains of its siege and garrison carriage which is also on display in the Fort’s museum.
This cannon was cast on December 19th, 1862, and it was shipped to Hamilton in March of 1863. The right trunnion is marked “JRA / TF” for Joseph Reid Anderson, Tredegar Foundry. The left trunnion is marked “1863”. “1720” - the Tredegar Foundry registry number - is marked on the muzzle, and “160” is marked on the breech - which is thought to be the remains of “6,160” - it’s weight in pounds. The caliber - 4.62-Inches - is the same as that of a 12-Pounder smoothbore.
As a rifled cast-iron cannon with a single reinforcing band (made of four individual hoops), the Gibbon and Andrews Rifle bears a strong resemblance to the larger Brooke Rifles. Older sources may have identified this type as a Brooke Rifle. Its simple knob cascabel indicates that the cannon was designed for service on land.
Olmstead et al. note that another cannon of this type was photographed at Port Hudson. The Port Hudson cannon was taken as a trophy to West Point but was scrapped during World War II.
There is also a similar, though unbanded 4.62-Inch Confederate “Gorgas” Seige Rifle which survives in Stony Creek, Virginia. (Stony Creek Google Maps Location - Historical Marker Database Page.)
For further information, see:
Babits, Stratton, and Norris. “The Fort Branch Cannon.” The Artilleryman. Volume 38, No. 2. (Spring 2017).
Olmstead, Edwin, Stark, Wayne E., Tucker, Spencer C. The Big Guns: Civil War Siege, Seacoast, and Naval Cannon. Museum Restoration Service, 1997. Pages 55-56.
The website of Fort Branch Civil War Site: https://fortbranchcivilwarsite.com/
At right a 4.62-Inch Gibbon and Andrews Rifle is displayed at Fort Branch near Hamilton, North Carolina. Behind it are a Model 1819 24-Pounder and a Banded and Rifled 32-Pounder of 57 Hundredweight.
The band, breech, and cascabel of the 4.62-Inch Gibbon and Andrews Siege Rifle
Informational sign on the cannon at Fort Branch
The remains of the 4.62-Inch Rifle’s original carriage are displayed on the upper portion of the wooden stand.
A projectile for the 4.62-Inch Gibbon and Andrews Rifle at Fort Branch
The right trunnion is marked “JRA / TF” for Joseph Reid Anderson, Tredegar Foundry.
The left trunnion is marked “1863”.
The muzzle of the 4.62-Inch Gibbon and Andrews Siege Rifle
A very similar, though unbanded, 4.62-Inch “Gorgas” Siege Rifle at Stony Creek, Virginia. More photos of this cannon may be found here: https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/462-inch-gorgas-rifle-at-stony-creek-virginia
