Letter, 1863 September 22, James Wallace to Brooks, regarding Parrott guns that failed [Recto]
National Park Service
Item Details
TitleLetter, 1863 September 22, James Wallace to Brooks, regarding Parrott guns that failed [Recto]
This resource is part of a series
This resource is part of a series
CreatorBaldwin, James
Dates
Date Created
Descriptive Information
LanguageEnglish
Letter to Brooks from James Baldwin, reporting results of Baldwin's examination of the 100 and 200 Pdr Parrott guns that failed during the bombardment of Ft. Sumter. The number of rounds at which guns failed, signs of crystallization, cracks, and fractures in the guns are detailed.
Transcription[Letter] Morris Island SC [South Carolina] Sept [September] 22nd 1863; Major; I have the honor to report the following, as the result of an examination, of the 100 Lb and 200 Lb Parrot guns, which have burst during the present seige. [Table] [Header 1] The guns examined were- [Header 2] Round at which gun burst or failed [Row 1, Column 1] 1. The 200 Pdr in the Marsh Battery [Row 1, Column 2] 36 [Row 2, Column 1] 2. " " " " Left Breaching Battery [Row 2, Column 2] 522 [Row 3, Column 1] 3. " " " " Detached Battery, on the extreme right of the left buttress [Row 3, Column 2] 599 [Row 4, Column 1] 4. " " " Capt. Strahan's Battery [Row 4, Column 2] 227 [Row 5, Column 1] 5. " " " " " " " [Row 5, Column 2] 226 [Row 6, Column 1] " 100 Pdr " Capt Comstock's Battery [Row 6, Column 2] 522 [/Table] Nos 2 and 6 were shattered in pieces. 1, 4, and 5 were disabled by blowing out the cast-iron portion of the breech, from a point 1" in rear of the vent-piece. The metal around the vent piece was sound. The surface of fracture in 1, was covered with minute cracks. No. 3 was cracked from the right trunnion, diagonally toward the vent_the reinforce-band was sound. At the time of their bursting, 1, 2, 4 and 5, threw their projectile nearly or quite to its destination. The projectile of 6 was only thrown a few yards. The fracture of the cast iron, was in each case granular, with no appearance of crystallization. The fracture of the reinforce-bands was granular, with the exception of that of a fragment of the band of 2, which exhibited
TopicsSouth Carolina--History
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Artillery operations
Fort Sumter National Monument (Agency : U.S.)
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Artillery operations
Fort Sumter National Monument (Agency : U.S.)
Physical Descriptions
Mediumcommercial correspondence
TypeStill Image
Formatimage/jpeg
Contributing Institutions
Identifiers
Digital Identifiersmt_brooks440_016_001
Permanent Linkhttp://purl.clemson.edu/DF766558467A517D7832B1ECD75635C2
Batch ID20180328174717