Interesting inquiry mentioning CSS SHENANDOAH

[cannonmn]

Got this in an email today-anyone ever heard anything about this event or the founder "F Reck" mentioned?  No such founder appears in either Kennard or Whisker, my two basic references for worldwide and early US founders respectively.  Of course I told him to send me the photos.

Dear ____ (cannonmn),

I have been referred to you by a nephew in the USA as someone who may be able to help me in my enquiries.

On Churchill Island about 100 kilometres east of Melbourne Victoria there stands a cannon. According to local legend this weapon came from the CSS Shenandoah, the story being that it was given by the ship’s commander, J I Waddell, to the owner of the Island, one Samuel Amess, as a thank you for Amess part in arranging a dinner at the Melbourne Club for the officers of his ship during the ship’s time in Melbourne in January-February 1865.

There is no doubt that the ship came here on her way to the Arctic Ocean and  also no doubt that a dinner was held at the Club, both matters are very well documented. There is however no suggestion of a cannon being given away and in any event the ship was under constant surveillance by the local police and others while undergoing extensive repairs in Melbourne. Further what serving officer would, in the middle of a war, give away a part of his ship’s armoury as a thank you for a night’s dinner party? A colleague and I are trying to trace where the gun came from as this may assist us in tracing its history.

A report exists of an inspection of the gun in 1985 by the Curator of Arms at Melbourne Science Museum. He says it is 5ft 9inches long with a calibre of 3.773 inches and a weight of  shot of six pounds. On the weapon are stamped the marks 860-presumably weight in pounds- 38-possibly the makers number- and the words F RECK. Both the curator and Philip Magrath of Royal Armouries with whom I have corresponded say the appearance of the gun is consistent with it being made in America with possible dates given as between 1787 and 1830. These dates are derived from what is called a Blomefield Pattern breeching loop.

I write to you in the hope that you may be able to help in identifying the maker. I hold photos of the cannon which I can if required forward to you. If they are of interest please let me have an address where I can send them to you as I have only your email address.

Hoping you can assist my colleague and I as we endeavour to unravel this question

Sincerely

Dr Henry Gordon-Clark

 

[KABAR2]

It  would be nice if you can get and have permission to publish the photos.....

[Sunrise]

I have no idea, but I certainly agree with the following comment:

Further what serving officer would, in the middle of a war, give away a part of his ship’s armoury as a thank you for a night’s dinner party?

[cannonmn]

Further what serving officer would, in the middle of a war, give away a part of his ship’s armoury as a thank you for a night’s dinner party?

I should have mentioned that if the "830" mark was indeed a weight mark, then this would be a field piece, not a naval gun for a ship like CSS SHENANDOAH.  Such a piece was likely cargo or ballast.  If it was ballast, I could understand offloading it if the ship had taken on extensive stores to the point where it needed to be offloaded to preserve seaworthiness.

[A.Roads]

The gun is mounted on a naval slide carriage, so it is not a field gun - more like a small deck gun. It was also provided with many dozens of solid spherical shot, apparently every New Year for many years one or two were blasted into the Bay by the later family there. There is a historical re-enactment society in Victoria, who re-enact only that ship's crew, they have, apparently & understandably, done some research re this gun & dispute that it was from the CSS Shenandoah saying she was not armed with such a gun. The Shenandoah was a very successful raider & did a lot of damage - it is not difficult to imagine that she would have relieved at least one of her armed victims of an appealing gun or two - and finding them surplus to requirements later (probably quite a nuisance) & giving them away - getting a small gun like that unloaded would be a trifling for such a ship.

Her story is an interesting one, after the war it cost the British Govt, six million dollars, a vast sum, to compensate the United States for damage she caused after leaving Melbourne - as a neutral colony the ship should not have received any assistance etc in Melbourne. Although Melbourne's citizens were divided on the ship being in Port the captain & officers were feted & looked after by many elements of Melbourne's high society &, apparently, the cannon was given to Mr. Samuel Ames, a member of the City Council (eventually Mayor) in gratitude.
Adrian

[cannonmn]

Thanks for the background Adrian.  I must of course take issue with one thing you mentiion:

The gun is mounted on a naval slide carriage, so it is not a field gun - more like a small deck gun.

We're so accustomed to seeing reproduction carriages, even old ones, of all kinds here, that we tend to give little consideration of the carriage if there's a chance it is a repro, and go on the characteristics of the tube to attempt to guess the weapon's original purpose.  The photos are supposedly in the mail, but if you have some we'd love to see them.

[cannonmn]

I got the info package on that cannon today and posted my opinion here.  Unfortunately there wasn't any one quality image of it worth posting, just fragmentary images.  Most of the cannon was pictured among the various fragments.  The carriage appears to have been someone's fantasy:

http://gs19.inmotionhosting.com/~milita8/cmh/member/member.cgi/read/8024

[Sunrise]

The carriage appears to have been someone's fantasy

As does the Shenandoah connection: at least, according to Ross Brooks' reference to the research completed by Bob Marmion, Barry Crompton and Stuart Duff.

Too bad about the photos, it would be interesting to see the cannon.