Pictures from Fort Monroe (3.1MB of images)

[The Jeff]

Today my boss sent me down to Cape Charles on some business and on the way back I snuck some time in to make a brief visit to Fort Monroe. Scoping it out for a future cannon picture taking assault if you will. I took a few pictures some of you might be interested in seeing.


Here's a 10" Rodman, registry number 257, weighs 14,946 pounds, cast in 1865 at Fort Pitt, Pennsylvania and was Inspected by Stephen C. Lyford.



Here's a shot of the breech with rounded sockets. From the rust and bolt holes it looks like there was some sort of scale running up the left hand side.



Here's a 10" Rodman with an 8" rifled steel sleeve.



The square "cascabel" is the head of the breech plug. 



A picture of the muzzle showing the sleeve.



I didn't have time to visit the Casemate Museum, but by the entrance was a 3" Ordnance Rifle. Number 597, 816 pounds, cast in 1863, inspected by T.T.S.L. The barrel was in really rough shape.



For my next project, I'm considering making a 1/3rd scale field carriage so I can make different tubes of the same scale. I've always wondered what that long chain going from trail to cheek does. I know it's called the "brake chain," but how is it used? Wouldn't wrapping it around one wheel make the carriage pull to one side? 



And here's the "Lincoln Gun", a 15" Rodman. This sucker is huge!



49,099 pounds of huge!



15 inches of huge!



Interestingly, this prototype has ratchets instead of the rounded sockets of the 10" Rodman. In later 15" guns the trunnions were moved toward the breech 1.25" to eliminate preponderance, thus making loading easier.



And here's a picture of the gun in the 1860's.

[GGaskill]

I know it's called the "brake chain," but how is it used? Wouldn't wrapping it around one wheel make the carriage pull to one side?

My understanding is that it is hooked to a spoke on the wheel to prevent it from turning when descending steep grades (sort of like retainers on railroad cars.)  I think there is supposed to be one chain on each side.

[KABAR2]

I haven't been there since Oct. 2009 there used to be a 12 pnd howitzer on that carraige.... I guess it went elsewhere..... it was there for years....

This was taken back in 2003 or 4....
I think the cannon now on the carraige was on a concrete stand along the road in front of the museum, were there still concrete stands with various cannon out front?

[The Jeff]

I think the cannon now on the carraige was on a concrete stand along the road in front of the museum, were there still concrete stands with various cannon out front?

I didn't see any other cannons other than a second 10" Rodman and I don't remember seeing any vacant concrete stands. I would have liked to have seen the 12 pounder howitzer, because that's one of the main pieces I'm considering for my next project.

[Artilleryman]

The brake chain passed around a fellie and the tire not around a spoke.  The idea was to cause the wheel to skid slowing down the carriage.  This was only used when descending steep hills or slopes to keep the gun from from pushing the horses.

Nice set of photos.

[Cannoneer]

Thanks for posting the pics, Jeff; very good!

I know it's called the "brake chain," but how is it used? Wouldn't wrapping it around one wheel make the carriage pull to one side?

My understanding is that it is hooked to a spoke on the wheel to prevent it from turning when descending steep grades (sort of like retainers on railroad cars.)  I think there is supposed to be one chain on each side.

The lock chain was only on one side of the carriage, and used on one wheel.

[GGaskill]

OK, now I know more about it, too.

[quickgun]

Thanks for posting the pictures.  Gives me more fodder for thinking up new projects.


Carl

[seacoastartillery]

Here's a shot of the breech with rounded sockets. From the rust and bolt holes it looks like there was some sort of scale running up the left hand side.






And here's a picture of the gun in the 1860's.

      Jeff,    Good detective work there.  Thanks for posting that excellent string of photos!  You bet there was a scale there and I finally found a photo of it on a Rodman Gun that Mike and I located overlooking San Fransisco Bay at Fort Mason.  The battery was built in 1863 to keep the Pacific Ocean Confederate fleet at bay.  I think you can click on the image below for an enlarged view of the elevation scale.  We wondered why this gun was in such good condition being so close to saltwater as it is.  We learned recently that it was a transplant from the Smithsonian in Wash., DC in 1996.




The battery is about 150 feet over San Fransisco Bay where it could put plunging fire onto pesky Rebel ships, should they appear.




This is the surest way to I.D. an Iron, Front-Pintle, Seacoast, Barbette Carriage designed for the Rodman Gun.  That notch in the bronze bushing and the pin in the end of the Eccentric Axle is not found on carriages designed for the Parrott 100 Pdr. or other seacoast tubes.  It is, of course a safety feature which prevents the axle from going too far beyond Top Dead Center and letting the carriage crash down onto the rails of the chassis as the gun is prepared for it's return to battery.






     Thanks also for posting that historical view of the "Lincoln Gun".  I find from my reading that this is the only Rodman gun of any size which was fired in anger.  It was mounted on the "Beach Battery" close to the separate "Water Battery" of forty 10-IN Casemated Rodman Guns.  After the battle of Sewell's Point in May of 1861, the 15" Rodman Lincoln Gun was loaded with a maximum charge to bombard the Confederate batteries there which had no chance to making the almost four mile distance to Fortress Monroe.  It's 370 pound shells flew over Federal, Fort Wool located on the Rip Raps where an experimental 100 Pdr. rifle, the Sawyer Gun was later located to also pound the Sewell's Point Confederates until May of 1862 when they pulled out, burning down the Gosport Navy Yard in Portsmouth, VA for the second time as they left.

[KABAR2]

I think the cannon now on the carraige was on a concrete stand along the road in front of the museum, were there still concrete stands with various cannon out front?

I didn't see any other cannons other than a second 10" Rodman and I don't remember seeing any vacant concrete stands. I would have liked to have seen the 12 pounder howitzer, because that's one of the main pieces I'm considering for my next project.

I believe the Army took them with them when they left, did you get to go into the Casement Museum there was also a 12 pnd howitzer on display inside...... also by the entrance outside was an iron eprovet serial number 1... that probably left also.... I keep meaning to make the trip over there need to make the time...