A virtual examination of artifacts of the American Civil War
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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 |
| Rifled artillery projectile, James design Research Center: Artillery4400-James,    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery4400-James.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, James design, Federal manufacture, solid bolt, open base with slots, lead and tin sleeve sabot, rifled 6 pounder rifle, 3.67in. Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following the invention of Charles James. The pattern utilized a hollow caged cavity (called a "birdcage") covered by a thin sleeve of lead , tin , and canvass, the thin sabot would expand into the rifling, and then be discharged after the projectile left the bore. This meant that there always be flying metal debris which could be a problem for forward troops . eight small holes were drilled into the base, these are thought to have been vent holes, however they are often lead filled. Shell is solid casting, or "bolt" and was designed to be used against opposing cannon by striking the equipment . This shell was manufactured for the rifled 6 pounder, and is unusual, most shells of this type were made for the larger James 3.8in. caliber. Projectile measures: diameter 3.65in., length 6.5in. weight 11lbs., with sabot. Research Center: Artillery4411-James, Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 187.    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery4411-James.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, James design, Federal manufacture, tall lead canister, canvass covered, open base with slots, lead and tin sleeve sabot, James 14 pounder rifle, 3.8in. Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following the invention of Charles James. The entire projectile was covered with a canvass sleeve. Apparently this was field tested at Shiloh, as the few parts recovered have all come from this site. Projectile measures: diameter 3.8in canister length is 5.5in, base length is 3in. Research Center: Artillery4421-James, Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 61.    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery4421-James.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, James design, Federal manufacture, solid bolt, open base with slots, lead and tin sleeve sabot, rifled James 14 pounder rifle, 3.8in. Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following the invention of Charles James. The pattern utilized a hollow caged cavity (referred to as a "birdcage", this is not a contemporary term) covered by a thin sleeve of lead, tin, and canvass, the thin sabot would expand into the rifling, and then be discharged after the projectile left the bore. This meant that there would always be flying metal debris from the sabot, which could be a problem for forward troops. Four small holes were drilled into the base, these are thought to have been vent holes, however they are often lead filled. Shell is solid casting, or "bolt" and was designed to be used against opposing cannon by striking the equipment. Projectile measures: diameter 3.7in., length 6.75in. weight 12lbs, with sabot. Research Center: Artillery4422-James, Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 187.   Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery4422-James.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, James design, Federal manufacture, bursting shell, "common" (standard), open base with slots, lead and tin sleeve sabot, James percussion fuze, James 14 pounder rifle, 3.8in. Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following the invention of Charles James. The pattern utilized a hollow caged cavity (called a "birdcage") covered by a thin sleeve of lead, tin, and canvass, the thin sabot would expand into the rifling, and then be discharged after the projectile left the bore. This meant that there would always be flying metal debris from the sabot, which could be a problem for forward troops. Four small holes were drilled into the base, these are thought to have been vent holes, however they are often lead filled. Shell is common shot (does not contain balls) and with percussion fuze was was designed to be used against opposing cannon by striking the equipment. Fuze employed was the James brass anvil percussion fuze, "West Point" two part fuze, Jones pg. 30. Projectile measures: diameter 3.7in., length 6.75in. weight 10lbs. Research Center: Artillery4423-James, Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 188.    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery4423-James.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, James design, Federal manufacture, bursting shell, "common" (standard), open base with slots, lead and tin sleeve sabot, tie ring base, James percussion fuze, James 14 pounder rifle, 3.8in. Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following the invention of Charles James. The pattern utilized a hollow caged cavity (called a "birdcage") covered by a thin sleeve of lead , tin , and canvass, the thin sabot would expand into the rifling, and then be discharged after the projectile left the bore. This meant that there always be flying metal debris which could be a problem for forward troops . Four small holes were drilled into the base, these are thought to have been vent holes, however they are often lead filled. A ring around the base was originally installed to hold an iron cup, however it appears the iron cup may not have been used and the tie ring either was abandoned or used to secure the powder bag. Shell is common shot (does not contain balls) and with percussion fuze was designed to be used against opposing cannon by striking the equipment . Fuze employed was the James brass anvil percussion fuze, "West Point" two part fuze, Jones pg. 30 . Projectile measures: diameter 3.7in., length 6.75in. weight 10lbs , with sabot. Research Center: Artillery4424-James, Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 189.     Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery4424-James.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, James design, Federal manufacture, bursting shell, "case shot"iron balls packed in sulfur matrix, open base with slots, lead and tin sleeve sabot, tie ring base, James percussion fuze, James 14 pounder rifle, 3.8in. Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following the invention of Charles James. The pattern utilized a hollow caged cavity (called a "birdcage") covered by a thin sleeve of lead, tin, and canvass, the thin sabot would expand into the rifling, and then be discharged after the projectile left the bore. This meant that there always be flying metal debris which could be a problem for forward troops . Four small holes were drilled into the base, these are thought to have been vent holes, however they are often lead filled. A ring around the base was originally installed to hold an iron cup, however it appears the iron cup may not have been used and the tie ring either was abandoned or used to secure the powder bag. Shell is " case shot", explosive charge with iron balls, packed in sulfur matrix. It is highly unusual for a shell to be equipped with a percussion fuze and case shot, normally case shot shells use time fuzes to explode near an enemy line without needing to strike the target. However, at least one battery was given percussion fuzed case shot shells, any that actually hit the target would also have spread case shot, it is doubtful this was effective. Fuze employed was the James brass anvil percussion fuze, "West Point" two part fuze, Jones pg. 30 . Projectile measures: diameter 3.7in., length 6.75in. weight 11lbs, with sabot, and case shot. Research Center: Artillery4425-James, Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 189.    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery4425-James.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, James design, Federal manufacture, bursting shell, "common" (standard), closed base with slots, lead and tin sleeve sabot, James percussion fuze, James 14 pounder rifle, 3.8in. Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following the invention of Charles James. The earlier hollow caged cavity was replaced with a flanged base with tapered tail, covered by a thick lead sabot, referred to as Type II. This eliminated the automatic blowout of the sabot from the hollow cavity design, but left a very heavy sabot that tended to significantly distort on firing, consequently this pattern was not particularly successful either. Shell is common shot (does not contain balls) and with percussion fuze was designed to be used against opposing cannon by striking the equipment . Fuze employed was the James brass anvil percussion fuze, "West Point" two part fuze , Jones pg. 30 . Projectile measures: diameter 3.7in., length 7.5in. weight 14lbs , with sabot. Research Center: Artillery4426-James, Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 190.     Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery4426-James.html. |
A1999...Rifled artillery projectile, James design, fragments The type I James used a thin lead sheet sabot covering the birdcage. The sabot tends to break in sections around the birdcage. Note also the remnants of wire that held the sabot in place. |
| James, " hot shot" , open base with slots, lead and tin sleeve sabot, 12 pounder rifle, 4.62in. Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following the invention of Charles James. This was intended to fire a "hot shot" or heated round, the iron base was designed to keep the hot ball separated from the powder, presumably the heated ball would cause more damage at the target. Top of the base is rounded to seat a round ball. This caliber is unusual, it is not sure if this was intended for a "rifled" 12 pounder or if this was to be fired from a conventional 12 pounder smooth bore, either way it apparently did not work very well and production was limited to a few test rounds. Shell without ball measures: diameter 4.25in., length 3.125in., weight 7.4lb. Research Center: Artillery4431-James, Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 191, for 3.8in diameter this is 12 pounder.   Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery4431-James.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, James design, Federal manufacture, bursting shell, "common" (standard), open base with slots, lead and tin sleeve sabot, James percussion fuze, rifled heavy 12 pounder gun 4.62in. Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following the invention of Charles James. The pattern utilized a hollow caged cavity (called a "birdcage") covered by a thin sleeve of lead, tin, and canvass, the thin sabot would expand into the rifling, and then be discharged after the projectile left the bore. This meant that there would always be flying metal debris from the sabot, which could be a problem for forward troops. Four small holes were drilled into the base, these are thought to have been vent holes, however they are often lead filled. Shell is common shot (does not contain balls) and with percussion fuze was was designed to be used against opposing cannon by striking the equipment. Fuze employed was the James brass anvil percussion fuze, "West Point" two part fuze, Jones pg. 30. This was an early development for a rifled heavy 12 pounder gun, efforts to develop this weapon system were abandoned early on. Projectile measures: diameter 4.53in., length 8.5in. (excluding fuze), weight 21.7lbs. Research Center: Artillery4432-James, Ref: Dickey & George, Field Artillery (1993 Edition), pg. 258.    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery4432-James.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, James design, Federal manufacture, bursting shell, open base with slots, lead and tin sleeve sabot, James percussion fuze, rifled 24 pounder, 5.8in. Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following the invention of Charles James. The pattern utilized a hollow caged cavity (called a "birdcage") covered by a thin sleeve of lead, tin, and canvass, the thin sabot would expand into the rifling, and then be discharged after the projectile left the bore. This meant that there always be flying metal debris which could be a problem for forward troops . Four small holes were drilled into the base, these are thought to have been vent holes, however they are often lead filled. Shell is common shot (does not contain balls) and with percussion fuze was designed to be used against opposing cannon by striking the equipment . Fuze employed was the James brass anvil percussion fuze, "West Point" two part fuze, Jones pg. 30 . Projectile measures: diameter 5.75in., length 11in. weight 42lbs , with sabot. Research Center: Artillery4441-James, Ref: Bell, Heavy Ordnance, pg. 259.    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery4441-James.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, James design, Federal manufacture, solid bolt, open base with slots, lead and tin sleeve sabot, rifled 32 pounder, 6.4in. Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following the invention of Charles James. The pattern utilized a hollow caged cavity (called a "birdcage") covered by a thin sleeve of lead, tin, and canvass, the thin sabot would expand into the rifling, and then be discharged after the projectile left the bore. This meant that there always be flying metal debris which could be a problem for forward troops . Four small holes were drilled into the base, these are thought to have been vent holes, however they are often lead filled. Shell is solid casting, or "bolt" and was designed to be used against opposing cannon by striking the equipment. These heavy James shells were supplied to the batteries at Fort Sumter at the start of the war, and were used in campaigns around Charleston in the early part of the war. Projectile measures: diameter 6.3in., length 11.5in., weight not determined. Research Center: Artillery4451-James, Ref: Bell, Heavy Ordnance, pg. 260., bolt not listed.  Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery4451-James.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, James design, Federal manufacture, solid bolt, open base with slots, lead and
tin sleeve sabot, rifled 42 pounder, 7in. Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following the invention of Charles James. The pattern utilized a hollow caged cavity (called a "birdcage") covered by a thin sleeve of lead, tin, and canvass, the thin sabot would expand into the rifling, and then be discharged after the projectile left the bore. This meant that there always be flying metal debris which could be a problem for forward troops . Four small holes were drilled into the base, these are thought to have been vent holes, however they are often lead filled. Shell is solid casting, or "bolt" and was designed to be used against opposing cannon by striking the equipment. These heavy James shells were supplied to the batteries at Fort Sumter at the start of the war, and were used in campaigns around Charleston in the early part of the war. Research Center: Artillery4461-James, Reference: Bell, Heavy Ordnance, pg. 261.    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery4461-James.html. |
| Rifled artillery projectile, James design, Federal manufacture, bursting shell, open base with slots, lead and tin sleeve sabot, James percussion fuze, rifled 42 pounder, 7in. Projectile was manufactured in the Federal arsenals following the invention of Charles James. The pattern utilized a hollow caged cavity (called a "birdcage") covered by a thin sleeve of lead, tin, and canvass, the thin sabot would expand into the rifling, and then be discharged after the projectile left the bore. This meant that there always be flying metal debris which could be a problem for forward troops . Four small holes were drilled into the base, these are thought to have been vent holes, however they are often lead filled. Shell is common shot (does not contain balls) and with percussion fuze was designed to be used against opposing cannon by striking the equipment . Fuze employed was the James brass anvil percussion fuze, "West Point" two part fuze, Jones pg. 30 . These heavy James shells were supplied to the batteries at Fort Sumter at the start of the war, and were used in campaigns around Charleston in the early part of the war. Projectile measures: diameter 6.85in., length 12.25in., weight 55lbs. Research Center: Artillery4462-James, Ref: Bell, Heavy Ordnance, pg. 262.    Details click: http://relicman.com/artillery/Artillery4462-James.html. |
| 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. |
| Civil War Relicman, Harry Ridgeway, Civil War artillery, Relicman sales catalog. Click here: http://relicman.com/artillery/RelicmanSalesArtillery1.html.     Artillery for sale: http://relicman.com/artillery/RelicmanSalesArtillery1.html. |