Castillo de San Marcos, Ft. Clinch, Ft. Caroline-WARNING picture heavy

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

 


I was away for a few days last week because I finally got around to taking a vacation.  I went to a number of places on Florida's east coast, and thought I'd share some of my pictures and videos with you guys.  More pictures can be found on my Facebook page (not sure of this link - it works for me, but it's my page - someone please let me know if it works for you).

Video of 6-pounder being shot at the Castillo de San Marcos.  I actually had some more, but I ran  out of space on my memory card, and deleted the other clips so I could take more pictures.  Sorry about the jump when the cannon fires.  It was actually quieter than my crews when we shoot, but I'm not accustomed to shooting video from my camera, and especially not during cannon shoots (I'm usually shooting the cannon, not the Canon ):

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

Here's a few pics of Fort Caroline, which is a recreation.

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

Fort Clinch was probably my favorite.  I had been to Castillo de San Marcos before, though, so that may have been a factor.  Still, it had a different quality to it, as you can see from the pictures.

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

Finally, the Castillo de San Marcos.  A lot of beautiful guns on display here, of course.  Enjoy!

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

Sorry for the data overload.  I've reduced all the pictures to 640x800.  If that's not good enough, I can try to fully reupload them at reduced quality, but it takes a long time, so I'd rather not.

BTW, if anyone wants to see any at larger resolution or is curious if I have any more images of anything in particular, please let me know.  I didn't post everything.  I've also got pictures of Amelia Island, the Kingsley Plantation, the Jacksonville Budweiser factory, St. Augustine, St. Augustine lighthouse, Daytona Beach lighthouse, and the Kennedy Space Center, though since these aren't directly related to this forum, I haven't posted them.  All of these are available on the Facebook page (if the link works).

[Double D]

Thank you that is much better.

[DalesCarpentry]

Sorry for the data overload.  I've reduced all the pictures to 640x800.  If that's not good enough, I can try to fully reupload them at reduced quality, but it takes a long time, so I'd rather not.

BTW, if anyone wants to see any at larger resolution or is curious if I have any more images of anything in particular, please let me know.  I didn't post everything.  I've also got pictures of Amelia Island, the Kingsley Plantation, the Jacksonville Budweiser factory, St. Augustine, St. Augustine lighthouse, Daytona Beach lighthouse, and the Kennedy Space Center, though since these aren't directly related to this forum, I haven't posted them.  All of these are available on the Facebook page (if the link works).

I lived in Fernindina Beach Fl for 12 years and know FT Clinch inside and out. When I was 17 I volunteered at the fort on weekends and dressed as a Union soldier. I also caught many fish off the pier that you can see from the fort. I have not been back there for almost 20 years and would like to see some pictures of Fernindina Beach and Amelia Island if you have them. It sure brings back memories. Thanks Dale

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

Do you have a Facebook page?  If so, try the link in my first post, and you should be able to access the Amelia Island pictures.  If not, I'll try to give you some in another way.

[DalesCarpentry]

Do you have a Facebook page?  If so, try the link in my first post, and you should be able to access the Amelia Island pictures.  If not, I'll try to give you some in another way.

Do you think you could email them to DALESCARPENTRY@AOL.COM that would be great if you could. Thanks Dale

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

Sent them in reduced size and quality, but it could take a while for you to download.

Let me know if you'd like the full collection of Ft Clinch pics.

[Cannoneer]

Here's a few pics of Fort Caroline, which is a recreation.

 Thanks for the pics; do you have any story to go along with the photos of this bronze culverin reproduction with a steel liner?

[DalesCarpentry]

Sent them in reduced size and quality, but it could take a while for you to download.

Let me know if you'd like the full collection of Ft Clinch pics.

I would like to see them all if you don't mind. I really loved that place and miss living there. I have high speed internet so downloading them is not a problem. I see you took the ferry over to Mayport. Thanks Dale

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

We drove up and took the ferry back.  I'd never been on a ferry, and my mom hadn't since she was little, so it was $5 well spent.  The pictures are on their way.

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

Boom J - I thought about asking the rangers, but forgot when I went inside, because I was more focused on buying a few books - Round Shot and Rammers, Artillery Through the Ages, and The 1864 Field Artillery Tactics.  I do have more pictures of them, though it appeared not all of them had a liner, and I couldn't find a vent on any of them.

If you'd like I can post some more pictures of them along with a couple pictures of the signs they had displayed.

[Cannoneer]

Gulfcoastblackpowder,

Yes please, I'd like to see more of them.

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

Here's the rest of what I have of these:

















Here's the signs that were at the fort.  If you can't read them, I can transcribe, but they don't say anything specific about the guns, just about the history of the fort.

[DalesCarpentry]

Thanks I received the rest of the pictures. The fort looks just like it did 20 years ago. I was always amazed about the brick work in the fort. The guys that did the brick work had real talent. Keep in mind there were no power tools back then to cut the brick. Thanks again Dale

[Max Caliber]

Here is one of the French field guns during better times. It is a large gun, wheels around six feet tall. As I recall the barrel is cast in bronze with a heavy steel liner and is vented. And as I remember it appeared to be cast hollow. The barrel is a very well done casting -maybe in two halves - and appeared to me that it may have been cast by a bell foundry using a clay mould. I could see the vent on only one of the barrels and it was drilled on the botton of the barrel putting the trunnions above the centerline of the barrel..

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

Thanks Max!  I tried to look at the bottom of one of them, but since none of them had wheels on their carriages, and I didn't have a mirror handy, I couldn't get a sufficient angle.

I was thinking that they were cast hollow, which could explain why some had liners and some didn't.  Perhaps the funds at the time of commissioning only allowed for a few to have liners installed?

[Terry C.]

Dale, I've probably met you at some point.

Have you ever see them operate the drawbridge?

Not sure when the last time it was raised (actually it doesn't raise, it teeters) but it's been a LONG time ago. It's still appeared funtional the last time I was able to inspect the chain fall. I know the drill by heart, and could do it myself (with a helper) if I had to.

I too spent a lot of time at Fort Clinch and know things about the fort that some of the younger rangers didn't. Like how you used to be able to walk through the open fort at 2:00 am and gain access to the jetties behind it (the original ones, not the ones that cover them now) through an enlarged embrasure in the Northwest Bastion. Or where the sewer from the latrine goes. Or the locations of large pieces of destroyed cannon tubes mixed in with the rocks in the old jetties.

That was a different time. Even though it isn't far away, about an hour and a half, I don't go there nearly as much as I used to. Our friends and relatives have mostly moved away from the area, and I'm not as fond of Fort Clinch 2.0 version. But that's mostly me pining for old times.

[Ex 49'er]

Wow, them is a lot of pictures. Thankyou for posting them. It's just like I took a trip and stayed home. Looks like neat places.

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

Oh...a lot of pictures, you say?  I've got more, but I already got barked at by our self proclaimed "cuddly" moderator because I originally posted them in larger format.

Definitely worth going to some of these places if you get the chance.  I can't speak for Terry's comment on Fort Clinch 2.0, but St. Augustine was a bit like that for me.  I hadn't been there in about 20 years (last time I was there I was a Boy Scout), and they had changed the historic downtown into a mall.  Still had the old buildings, and it was a cool place, but I was put off by the cheapness of it, and felt almost like "overturning the tables" on them re: Matt 21:12.  Would have been much different if they were selling appropriate wares or themed for the period, like Old Salem, NC.

[Cannoneer]

Here is one of the French field guns during better times. It is a large gun, wheels around six feet tall. As I recall the barrel is cast in bronze with a heavy steel liner and is vented.

Thanks, Max. One of the few things that might seem to make some sense about these barrels is that somewhere back in time there was evidently some intention of providing a salute firing demonstration for an audience.

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

That was my thought as well, which could also explain why some appeared unlined.  No need to have all the guns made functional if you're only going to use 1 or 2 as salute guns.