A virtual examination of artifacts of the American Civil War
by Harry Ridgeway
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Ridgeway Civil War Research Center, A virtual examination of artifacts of the American Civil War |
| Civil War Artillery | |
by Harry Ridgeway |
| Artillery projectile, stand of grape, contained by rings and plates, iron balls, no sabot, 32 pounder, or rifle 6.4in. The stand of grape was the artillerist's weapon of last resort. Once the enemy got close to the battery, the gunners would load these rounds, and the flimsy stand would burst on firing sending the contents in scatter fashion against the troops charging the cannon. The fire was devastating against the troops but the enemy would be so close that options to reload and shoot would have been limited. The stand of grape consisted of top and bottom plates, held together with a bolt and nut, three rows of three balls (9 total) were stacked around the post, and held in place with two rings and the bolt. The bolt is held in place by a threaded nut on the top, bottom is loosely fitted into a slightly irregular hole on the bottom plate. Based on the diameter of this projectile, it is believed that this could be used with any 6.4in. cannon, smoothbore 32 pounder, rifled 32 pounder or the Confederate Brook rifle. Projectile measures: diameter 6.2 in., length 8 in., weight 40 lbs. Individual balls will measure 2.875in. approximately, the balls are often irregular. Research Center: Artillery2652-GrapeStand, Ref: Bell, Heavy Ordnance, pg. 105.    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery2652-GrapeStand.html. |
A0135...Artillery projectile, stand of grape, contained by rings and plates, iron balls, no sabot, 32 pounder, or rifle 6.4in.  The stand of grape was the artillerist's weapon of last resort. Once the enemy got close to the battery, the gunners would load these rounds, and the flimsy stand would burst on firing sending the contents in scatter fashion against the troops charging the cannon. The fire was devastating against the troops but the enemy would be so close that options to reload and shoot would have been limited. The stand of grape consisted of top and bottom plates, held together with a bolt and nut, three rows of three balls (9 total) were stacked around the post, and held in place with two rings and the bolt. The bolt is held in place by a threaded nut on the top, bottom is loosely fitted into a slightly irregular hole on the bottom plate. Based on the diameter of this projectile, it is believed that this could be used with any 6.4in. cannon, smoothbore 32 pounder, rifled 32 pounder or the Confederate Brook rifle. Projectile measures: diameter 6.2 in., length 8 in., weight 39lbs. Individual balls will measure 2.875in. approximately, the balls are often irregular. Dug projectile, all parts original this has never been taken apart. Projectile is disarmed, solid iron casting, never had a bursting charge. This was one of the stands found in an abandoned battery by Jim Nall, as published in the NSTVol VI No 3 March April 1979, pg. 26. Ref: Bell, Heavy Ordnance, pg. 105. |
A2377...Artillery projectile, stand of grape, contained by rings and plates, iron balls, no sabot, 32 pounder, or rifle 6.4in.    The stand of grape was the artillerist's weapon of last resort. Once the enemy got close to the battery, the gunners would load these rounds, and the flimsy stand would burst on firing sending the contents in scatter fashion against the troops charging the cannon. The fire was devastating against the troops but the enemy would be so close that options to reload and shoot would have been limited. The stand of grape consisted of top and bottom plates, held together with a bolt and nut, three rows of three balls (9 total) were stacked around the post, and held in place with two rings and the bolt. The bolt is held in place by a threaded nut on the top, bottom is loosely fitted into a slightly irregular hole on the bottom plate. Based on the diameter of this projectile, it is believed that this could be used with any 6.4in. cannon, smoothbore 32 pounder, rifled 32 pounder or the Confederate Brook rifle. Projectile measures: diameter 6.2 in., length 8 in., weight 40 lbs. Individual balls will measure 2.875in. approximately, the balls are often irregular. Dug projectile, all parts original this has never been taken apart, the rope is reproduction for display enhancement.. Projectile is disarmed, solid iron casting, never had a bursting charge. This was one of the stands found in an abandoned battery by Jim Nall, as published in the NSTVol VI No 3 March April 1979, pg. 26. Ref: Bell, Heavy Ordnance, pg. 105. |
A0137...Artillery projectile, stand of grape, 32 pounder, or rifle 6.4in., ball from 32 pounder stand of grape. The 32 pounder gun was a heavy immobile defensive weapon. These two balls, approximately 3 in. were both found on the Third Battle of Winchester which was a relative fast moving mostly cavalry engagement in 1864. There were 32 pounder rifles at Fort Milroy, which the Confederates captured in Second Winchester, 1863, it is entirely possible that they tried to salvage these balls from abandoned stock a year later in the 1864 capaign, when supplies were desperate. The balls might seem to fit a 3 inch rifle, however, since the balls are not round, this would not have worked out well. So it is speculated that they were either discarded in the 1864 engagement or used with rags or paper to fire from the 6 or 12 pounder smoothbores. Recovered: Third Battle of Winchester, by Harry Ridgeway, and Steve Baker.Ridgeway collection, Old Court House Civil War Museum, Winchester, Virginia |
| Ridgeway Civil War Research Center, A virtual examination of artifacts of the American Civil War. Artillery Research center, artillery, click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery0000-Index.html.     Research center, artillery, click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery0000-Index.html. |
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