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{{short description|One of a series of rifled muzzle-loading cannon}} |
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{{short description|One of a series of rifled muzzle-loading cannon}} |
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'''Blakely rifle''' or '''Blakely gun''' is the name of a series of [[rifled muzzle-loader|rifled muzzle-loading]] cannon designed by British army officer Captain Theophilus Alexander Blakely in the 1850s and 1860s.<ref name="Hazlett196">Hazlett, 2004, p. 196.</ref><ref name="Blakely1860">On May 14, 1860, Captain "A.T. Blakely" presented a paper published at pages 316-324 in Volume 7 of the ''Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (1836-1869)'' entitled "On the practical application of a principle announced to the academy by R. Mallett, Esq.; and some remarks on rifled cannon" with a reply by "Dr. Hart" and further reply by Captain Blakely, available on JSTOR open access as ''Remarks on Artillery'' [https://www.jstor.org/stable/20489879]</ref> Blakely was a pioneer in the banding of cannon but the British army declined to use the design.<ref name="Ripley148">Ripley, Warren. ''Artillery and Ammunition of the Civil War.'' New York: Promontory Press, 1970. {{ISBN|978-0-88394-003-7}}. p. 148.</ref> The guns were mostly sold to Russia and the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] during the [[American Civil War]].<ref name="Hazlett196"/> Blakely rifles were imported by the Confederacy in larger numbers than other Imported English cannon.<ref>Huey, C. A. ''Imported English Artillery''. In [[Richard N. Current|Current, Richard N.]], ed., ''The Confederacy.'' New York: Simon and Schuster Macmillan, 1993. {{ISBN|978-0-02-864920-7}}. Macmillan Compendium. Sections from the four-volume ''Macmillan Encyclopedia of the Confederacy.'' p. 86.</ref> |
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'''Blakely rifle''' or '''Blakely gun''' is the name of a series of [[rifled muzzle-loader|rifled muzzle-loading]] cannon designed by British army officer Captain Theophilus Alexander Blakely in the 1850s and 1860s.<ref name="Hazlett196">Hazlett, James C., Edwin Olmstead, and M. Hume Parks. ''Field Artillery Weapons of the American Civil War, rev. ed.'', Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1983. {{ISBN|978-0-252-07210-9}}, p. 196.</ref><ref name="Blakely1860">On May 14, 1860, Captain "A.T. Blakely" presented a paper published at pages 316{{endash}}324 in Volume 7 of the ''Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (1836{{endash}}1869)'' entitled "On the practical application of a principle announced to the academy by R. Mallett, Esq.; and some remarks on rifled cannon" with a reply by "Dr. Hart" and further reply by Captain Blakely, available on JSTOR open access as ''Remarks on Artillery'' [https://www.jstor.org/stable/20489879]</ref> Blakely was a pioneer in the banding of cannon but the British army declined to use the design.<ref name="Ripley148">Ripley, Warren. ''Artillery and Ammunition of the Civil War.'' New York: Promontory Press, 1970. {{ISBN|978-0-88394-003-7}}. p. 148.</ref> The guns were mostly sold to Russia and the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] during the [[American Civil War]].<ref name="Hazlett196"/> Blakely rifles were imported by the Confederacy in larger numbers than other Imported English cannon.<ref>Huey, C. A. ''Imported English Artillery''. In [[Richard N. Current|Current, Richard N.]], ed., ''The Confederacy.'' New York: Simon and Schuster Macmillan, 1993. {{ISBN|978-0-02-864920-7}}. Macmillan Compendium. Sections from the four-volume ''Macmillan Encyclopedia of the Confederacy.'' p. 86.</ref> |
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Blakely rifles had innovative design features using two layer construction and layers of rings which allowed rifling of larger cannons. Blakely's manufacturing innovations allowed larger guns of lighter weight and greater resistance to explosion. The Confederacy used the Blakely rifles in seacoast fortifications, fortifications at Vicksburg, as naval guns and, in the smaller sizes, as artillery in land battles. |
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Blakely rifles had innovative design features using two layer construction and layers of rings which allowed rifling of larger cannons. Blakely's manufacturing innovations allowed larger guns of lighter weight and greater resistance to explosion. The Confederacy used the Blakely rifles in seacoast fortifications, fortifications at Vicksburg, as naval guns and, in the smaller sizes, as artillery in land battles. |
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== Development and first use == |
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== Development and first use == |
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The Blakely rifled artillery gun was designed with a cast-iron core and included wrought-iron or steel banding to reinforce the breech.<ref name="Hazlett196"/><ref>Blakely's patent, February 27, 1855, described Blakely's ordnance improvement as: "a method of forming guns with an internal tube or cylinder of cast iron or steel, enclosed in a casing of wrought iron or steel. I sometimes form the outer surface of the inner tube somewhat conical, the greatest diameter being just in front of the trunnions, and tapering both ways, and apply the outer casing in the form of collars or rings driven thereon. And in some cases I apply two or more layers of such rings, according to the strength sought to be obtained, the trunnions being of one piece with one of the rings. The other casing may, however, be applied in the form of collars or rings, heated and shrunk upon the cylindrical surface of the inner cylinder or tube...." Hazlett, 2004, p. 196.</ref> Blakely himself noted that the cannon was to be built up tube after tube, compressing the inner tubes and extending the outer tubes by a certain calculation. This was to be done to prevent the inside breaking before sufficient strain was sent to the outside as would be the case with any thick tubes made in one piece.<ref>Blakely, 1860, p. 317.</ref> Blakely wrote that, paradoxically, by using this method of two layer construction, a thick tube would be strengthened by diminishing its thickness and would weigh half as much.<ref>Blakely, 1860, pp. 319, 321.</ref> Blakely wrote that he had shown that no rifled cannon of considerable size had succeeded when made in one mass.<ref>Blakely, 1860, p. 321.</ref> A detailed discussion of the Blakely rifle can be found at the public domain source, Holley, 1865, pp. 36-60, cited in full and linked in the footnote.<ref>[[Alexander Lyman Holley|Holley, Alexander Lyman]]. ''A treatise on Ordnance and Armor ... With an appendix, referring to gun cotton, hooped guns, etc.'' [https://archive.org/details/treatiseonordnan00holl/page/49/mode/1up?q=Blakely+rifle] New York: D Van Nostrand, 192 Broadway; London: Trubner and Company, 1865. {{OCLC|5079161}}. pp. 36-50.</ref> |
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The Blakely rifled artillery gun was designed with a cast-iron core and included wrought-iron or steel banding to reinforce the breech.<ref name="Hazlett196"/><ref>Blakely's patent, February 27, 1855, described Blakely's ordnance improvement as: "a method of forming guns with an internal tube or cylinder of cast iron or steel, enclosed in a casing of wrought iron or steel. I sometimes form the outer surface of the inner tube somewhat conical, the greatest diameter being just in front of the trunnions, and tapering both ways, and apply the outer casing in the form of collars or rings driven thereon. And in some cases I apply two or more layers of such rings, according to the strength sought to be obtained, the trunnions being of one piece with one of the rings. The other casing may, however, be applied in the form of collars or rings, heated and shrunk upon the cylindrical surface of the inner cylinder or tube...." Hazlett, 2004, p. 196.</ref> Blakely himself noted that the cannon was to be built up tube after tube, compressing the inner tubes and extending the outer tubes by a certain calculation. This was to be done to prevent the inside breaking before sufficient strain was sent to the outside as would be the case with any thick tubes made in one piece.<ref>Blakely, 1860, p. 317.</ref> Blakely wrote that, paradoxically, by using this method of two layer construction, a thick tube would be strengthened by diminishing its thickness and would weigh half as much.<ref>Blakely, 1860, pp. 319, 321.</ref> Blakely wrote that he had shown that no rifled cannon of considerable size had succeeded when made in one mass.<ref>Blakely, 1860, p. 321.</ref> A detailed discussion of the Blakely rifle can be found at the public domain source, Holley, 1865, pp. 36{{endash}}60, cited in full and linked in the footnote.<ref>[[Alexander Lyman Holley|Holley, Alexander Lyman]]. ''A treatise on Ordnance and Armor ... With an appendix, referring to gun cotton, hooped guns, etc.'' [https://archive.org/details/treatiseonordnan00holl/page/49/mode/1up?q=Blakely+rifle] New York: D Van Nostrand, 192 Broadway; London: Trubner and Company, 1865. {{OCLC|5079161}}. pp. 36{{endash}}50.</ref> |
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Blakely was a pioneer in this two tube, or two layer, design.<ref name="Hansen66">Hansen, p. 66.</ref> Nonetheless, the British government rejected his designs.<ref name="Hazlett196"/> The contemporaneous [[Armstrong gun]]s of [[William George Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong|Sir William George Armstrong]] were of similar design, but unlike Blakely, Armstrong had his own foundry.<ref name="Hansen66"/> Because Blakely believed that Armstrong had infringed his patents, he stopped offering his designs to the British military when Armstrong became superintendent of the [[Royal Arsenal]] at [[Woolwich]].<ref name="Hazlett196"/> |
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Blakely was a pioneer in this two tube, or two layer, design.<ref name="Hansen66">Hansen, Les D. ''Blakely gun''. In ''Historical Times Illustrated History of the Civil War'', edited by Patricia L. Faust. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. {{ISBN|978-0-06-273116-6}}, p. 66.</ref> Nonetheless, the British government rejected his designs.<ref name="Hazlett196"/> The contemporaneous [[Armstrong gun]]s of [[William George Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong|Sir William George Armstrong]] were of similar design, but unlike Blakely, Armstrong had his own foundry.<ref name="Hansen66"/> Because Blakely believed that Armstrong had infringed his patents, he stopped offering his designs to the British military when Armstrong became superintendent of the [[Royal Arsenal]] at [[Woolwich]].<ref name="Hazlett196"/> |
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Blakely was more successful in selling cannons to the Confederacy. One of the guns was a 12-pounder Blakely delivered to the Confederates for use against [[Battle of Fort Sumter|Fort Sumter]] at the start of the American Civil War.<ref>Smith, 2011, p. 234.</ref><ref>"The following are particulars of the first gun sent by Captain Blakely to the Confederates, obtained from a drawing dated May 15, 1860. The gun, made by Fawcett, Preston & Co., was of cast-iron, reinforced by a solid wrougkt-iron hoop made thin at the edges. Total length of gun 84 in. Length of bore 73.5 in. Diameter of bore 3.5 in. Diameter of cast-iron under hoop 9.1in. Maximum diameter of hoop 12.1 in. Length of hoop 22.i in. Diameter of muzzle. 6.0 in." [[Alexander Lyman Holley|Holley, Alexander Lyman]]. ''A treatise on Ordnance and Armor ... With an appendix, referring to gun cotton, hooped guns, etc.'' [https://archive.org/details/treatiseonordnan00holl] New York: D Van Nostrand, 192 Broadway; London: Trubner and Company, 1865. {{OCLC|5079161}}. Public domain.</ref> That gun was the first rifled cannon fired in the war.<ref name="Hansen66"/> It had been bought by [[Charles K. Prioleau]] in London and sent to Charleston before the surrender of Fort Sumter.<ref name="Hansen66"/> The gun was used from [[Morris Island]] where it accurately sent projectiles against Fort Sumter, 1,250 yards (1,193 meters) away.<ref name="Hansen66"/><ref name="Ripley148"/> It was likely the gun which fired a shot scattering debris from the stone cheek of the casemate embrasure, wounding four Union soldiers.<ref name="Ripley148"/> |
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Blakely was more successful in selling cannons to the Confederacy. One of the guns was a 12-pounder Blakely delivered to the Confederates for use against [[Battle of Fort Sumter|Fort Sumter]] at the start of the American Civil War.<ref>Smith, Graham. ''Civil War Weapons''. New York: Chartwell Books, Inc., 2011. {{ISBN|978-0-7858-2854-9}}, p. 234.</ref><ref>"The following are particulars of the first gun sent by Captain Blakely to the Confederates, obtained from a drawing dated May 15, 1860. The gun, made by Fawcett, Preston & Co., was of cast-iron, reinforced by a solid wrougkt-iron hoop made thin at the edges. Total length of gun 84 in. Length of bore 73.5 in. Diameter of bore 3.5 in. Diameter of cast-iron under hoop 9.1in. Maximum diameter of hoop 12.1 in. Length of hoop 22.i in. Diameter of muzzle. 6.0 in." [[Alexander Lyman Holley|Holley, Alexander Lyman]]. ''A treatise on Ordnance and Armor ... With an appendix, referring to gun cotton, hooped guns, etc.'' [https://archive.org/details/treatiseonordnan00holl] New York: D Van Nostrand, 192 Broadway; London: Trubner and Company, 1865. {{OCLC|5079161}}. Public domain.</ref> That gun was the first rifled cannon fired in the war.<ref name="Hansen66"/> It had been bought by [[Charles K. Prioleau]] in London and sent to Charleston before the surrender of Fort Sumter.<ref name="Hansen66"/> The gun was used from [[Morris Island]] where it accurately sent projectiles against Fort Sumter, 1,250 yards (1,193 meters) away.<ref name="Hansen66"/><ref name="Ripley148"/> It was likely the gun which fired a shot scattering debris from the stone cheek of the casemate embrasure, wounding four Union soldiers.<ref name="Ripley148"/> |
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Blakely contracted with companies including Fawcett, Preston, & Company of Liverpool, [[Josiah Vavasseur|Vavasseur]] of London, [[George Forrester and Company]] of Liverpool, Low Moor Iron Company, and the Blakeley Ordnance Company of London (established 1863) for the manufacture of his guns.<ref>Hazlett, 2004, pp. 197-205.</ref><ref>Hazlett noted a slight difference in spelling of Blakeley Ordnance Company and does not "speculate" as to whether Blakely had an interest in the company.* Olmstead, Edwin, Wayne E. Stark and [[Spencer C. Tucker]]. ''The Big Guns: Civil War Siege, Seacoast and Naval Cannon.'' Bloomfield, ONT, Alexandria Bay, NY: Museum Restoration Service, 1997. {{ISBN|978-0-88855-012-5}}, p. 136 identifies the company as founded by Blakely despite the misspelling. The Blakely Company was not incorporated until 1863. Blakely and John Dent acquired Josiah Vavasseur's company. Vavasseur became manager and engineer of Blakely's company, which lasted until 1867. ''Blakely Ordnance Co.'' in Grace's Guide To British Industrial History. [https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Blakely_Ordnance_Co]. Last edited August 12, 2017, Retrieved September 22, 2023.</ref> The cannon foundries produced about 400 guns to Blakely's design.<ref name="Hazlett196"/> Most were made of iron.<ref name="Hazlett196"/> Blakely also sold some guns to Russia.<ref name="Hazlett196"/> Massachusetts bought eight 9-inch and four 11-inch models.<ref>Citing Kersis, Sydney C. and Thomas S. Dickey, ''Field Artillery Projectiles of the Civil War, 1861-1865.'' Atlanta: Phoenix Press, 1968, Hazlett, p. 196, states that at least two batteries of 3.5-inch Blakely guns were in Federal service."</ref> |
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Blakely contracted with companies including Fawcett, Preston, & Company of Liverpool, [[Josiah Vavasseur|Vavasseur]] of London, [[George Forrester and Company]] of Liverpool, Low Moor Iron Company, and the Blakeley Ordnance Company of London (established 1863) for the manufacture of his guns.<ref>Hazlett, 2004, pp. 197{{endash}}205.</ref><ref>Hazlett noted a slight difference in spelling of Blakeley Ordnance Company and does not "speculate" as to whether Blakely had an interest in the company. Olmstead, Edwin, Wayne E. Stark and [[Spencer C. Tucker]]. ''The Big Guns: Civil War Siege, Seacoast and Naval Cannon.'' Bloomfield, ONT, Alexandria Bay, NY: Museum Restoration Service, 1997. {{ISBN|978-0-88855-012-5}}, p. 136 identifies the company as founded by Blakely despite the misspelling. The Blakely Company was not incorporated until 1863. Blakely and John Dent acquired Josiah Vavasseur's company. Vavasseur became manager and engineer of Blakely's company, which lasted until 1867. ''Blakely Ordnance Co.'' in Grace's Guide To British Industrial History. [https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Blakely_Ordnance_Co]. Last edited August 12, 2017, Retrieved September 22, 2023.</ref> The cannon foundries produced about 400 guns to Blakely's design.<ref name="Hazlett196"/> Most were made of iron.<ref name="Hazlett196"/> Blakely also sold some guns to Russia.<ref name="Hazlett196"/> Massachusetts bought eight 9-inch and four 11-inch models.<ref>Citing Kersis, Sydney C. and Thomas S. Dickey, ''Field Artillery Projectiles of the Civil War, 1861-1865.'' Atlanta: Phoenix Press, 1968, Hazlett, p. 196, states that at least two batteries of 3.5-inch Blakely guns were in Federal service."</ref> |
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Because Blakely continued to experiment with designs, he produced five to as many as ten different designs, which were manufactured, some with variants.<ref name="Melton">[https://www.historicalpublicationsllc.com/artillerymanmagazine/basic-facts-on-artillery/article_fffff51e-cca9-11ec-99b7-a3218122c668.html] Melton, Jr., Jack W. ''Basic Facts on Artillery: Civil War Cannon.'' Artilleryman Magazine, May 5, 2022 Updated Sep 4, 2022.</ref> The Blakely rifled guns fired ammunition weighing between 10 and 470 pounds.<ref name="Hansen66"/> |
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Because Blakely continued to experiment with designs, he produced five to as many as ten different designs, which were manufactured, some with variants.<ref name="Melton">Melton, Jr., Jack W. ''Basic Facts on Artillery: Civil War Cannon.'' [https://www.historicalpublicationsllc.com/artillerymanmagazine/basic-facts-on-artillery/article_fffff51e-cca9-11ec-99b7-a3218122c668.html] Artilleryman Magazine, May 5, 2022 Updated Sep 4, 2022.</ref> The Blakely rifled guns fired ammunition weighing between 10 and 470 pounds.<ref name="Hansen66"/> |
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== Specifications and variations == |
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== Specifications and variations == |
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=== In Fortifications === |
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=== In Fortifications === |
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Use by Confederate forces from heavily fortified Morris Island against Fort Sumter was noted above. Two Blakely "siege" rifles were used in the Confederate defense of Fort Pulaski in 1862. The Confederate commander of Fort Pulaski near the coast outside of Savannah, Georgia during the [[Siege of Fort Pulaski]], Colonel [[Charles H. Olmstead]], used two 4.5-inch Blakely rifles in his ultimately unsuccessful defense which ended with the fort's surrender on April 11, 1862 after a 112-day siege.<ref>Wise, 1915. p. 66.</ref><ref>Olmstead wrote an article about Fort Pulaski published in 1917 and available on JSTOR open access [https://www.jstor.org/stable/40575533?searchText=Blakely+AND+rifled&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DBlakely%2BAND%2Brifled&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A966f8acd2978dbb7b3485c0507bf3cce]. Olmstead, Charles H. ''Fort Pulaski'' in ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly'', Vol. 1, No. 2 (June, 1917), pp. 98-105.</ref><ref name="Olmstead136">Olmstead, 1997, p. 136.</ref> These rifles were taken to [[United States Military Academy|West Point]] as old trophies numbers 152 and 153 but returned to [[Fort Pulaski National Monument]].<ref name="Olmstead136"/><ref>Olmstead, 1997, p. 188.</ref> |
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Use by Confederate forces from heavily fortified Morris Island against Fort Sumter was noted above. Two Blakely "siege" rifles were used in the Confederate defense of Fort Pulaski in 1862. The Confederate commander of Fort Pulaski near the coast outside of Savannah, Georgia during the [[Siege of Fort Pulaski]], Colonel [[Charles H. Olmstead]], used two 4.5-inch Blakely rifles in his ultimately unsuccessful defense which ended with the fort's surrender on April 11, 1862 after a 112-day siege.<ref>Wise, Jennings C. ''The long arm of Lee, or, The history of the artillery of the Army of Northern Virginia : with a brief account of the Confederate Bureau of Ordnance''. Volume 1. [https://archive.org/details/01388225.3304.emory.edu/page/65/mode/2up] Lynchburg, VA: J.P. Bell and Co., 1915. {{OCLC|1388225}}, p. 66. '''Attribution:''' Public domain.</ref><ref>Olmstead wrote an article about Fort Pulaski published in 1917 and available on JSTOR open access [https://www.jstor.org/stable/40575533?searchText=Blakely+AND+rifled&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DBlakely%2BAND%2Brifled&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A966f8acd2978dbb7b3485c0507bf3cce]. Olmstead, Charles H. ''Fort Pulaski'' in ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly'', Vol. 1, No. 2 (June, 1917), pp. 98{{endash}}105.</ref><ref name="Olmstead136">Olmstead, 1997, p. 136.</ref> These rifles were taken to [[United States Military Academy|West Point]] as old trophies numbers 152 and 153 but returned to [[Fort Pulaski National Monument]].<ref name="Olmstead136"/><ref>Olmstead, 1997, p. 188.</ref> |
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"The Widow Blakely" was a 7.5-inch rifle that the Confederates used during their 1863 defense of [[Siege of Vicksburg|Vicksburg]], [[Mississippi]].<ref name="Melton"/><ref>Grabau, Warren E. ''Ninety-eight days : a geographer's view of the Vicksburg Campaign''. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2000. {{ISBN|978-1-57233-068-9}}</ref> On May 22, 1863, a shell exploded while in the gun's barrel while the Widow Blakely was firing at a Union gunboat.<ref name="Smith333" /> The explosion only took part of the end of the muzzle off.<ref name="Smith333">Smith, 2020, p. 333.</ref> The Confederates cut away part of the barrel and continued to use the rifle as a [[Mortar (weapon)|mortar]] until Vicksburg fell to the [[Union Army]] under the command of [[Major general (United States)|Major General]] [[Ulysses S. Grant]].<ref>U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Historical marker about "Widow Blakely" rifled cannon at Vicksburg National Battlefield Park, as shown at [https://www.nps.gov/vick/learn/historyculture/imagesla1hh_t.jpg?maxwidth=650&autorotate=false&quality=78&format=webp] and shown in larger type at [https://www.hmdb.org/Photos3/389/Photo389195.jpg?714201792900AM].Retrieved September 2, 2023.</ref><ref>''"The Widow Blakely": 7.5-inch Blakely Rifle'' at Civil War Artillery [http://www.civilwarartillery.com/Vicksburg/widowblakely.htm] Retrieved September 2, 2023 relates the muzzle explosion, the cutting down of the barrel from 124 inches to about 100 inches, gives a link to "Actual reports from the Official Records listing 'The Widow Blakely'", and has additional photos of the gun.</ref> A gun at West Point which was misidentified as [[Whistling Dick (cannon)|Whistling Dick]] was returned to the Vicksburg National Battlefield Park when it was identified by Historian [[Ed Bearss]] as "Widow Blakely."<ref>[[Ed Bearss|Bearss, Edwin C.]] ''The Vicksburg River Defenses and the Enigma of "Whistling Dick"'' [[The Journal of Mississippi History]], volume XIX, issue 1, 1957, pages 21{{endash}}30.</ref> |
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"The Widow Blakely" was a 7.5-inch rifle that the Confederates used during their 1863 defense of [[Siege of Vicksburg|Vicksburg]], [[Mississippi]].<ref name="Melton"/><ref>Grabau, Warren E. ''Ninety-eight days : a geographer's view of the Vicksburg Campaign''. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2000. {{ISBN|978-1-57233-068-9}}</ref> On May 22, 1863, a shell exploded while in the gun's barrel while the Widow Blakely was firing at a Union gunboat.<ref name="Smith333"/> The explosion only took part of the end of the muzzle off.<ref name="Smith333">Smith, Timothy B. ''The Union Assaults at Vicksburg: Grant Attacks Pemberton, May 17-22, 1863''. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas Press, 2020. {{ISBN|978-0-7006-2906-0}}, p. 333.</ref> The Confederates cut away part of the barrel and continued to use the rifle as a [[Mortar (weapon)|mortar]] until Vicksburg fell to the [[Union Army]] under the command of [[Major general (United States)|Major General]] [[Ulysses S. Grant]].<ref>U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Historical marker about "Widow Blakely" rifled cannon at Vicksburg National Battlefield Park, as shown at [https://www.nps.gov/vick/learn/historyculture/imagesla1hh_t.jpg?maxwidth=650&autorotate=false&quality=78&format=webp] and shown in larger type at [https://www.hmdb.org/Photos3/389/Photo389195.jpg?714201792900AM].Retrieved September 2, 2023.</ref><ref>''"The Widow Blakely": 7.5-inch Blakely Rifle'' at Civil War Artillery [http://www.civilwarartillery.com/Vicksburg/widowblakely.htm] Retrieved September 2, 2023 relates the muzzle explosion, the cutting down of the barrel from 124 inches to about 100 inches, gives a link to "Actual reports from the Official Records listing 'The Widow Blakely'", and has additional photos of the gun.</ref> A gun at West Point which was misidentified as [[Whistling Dick (cannon)|Whistling Dick]] was returned to the Vicksburg National Battlefield Park when it was identified by Historian [[Ed Bearss]] as "Widow Blakely."<ref>[[Ed Bearss|Bearss, Edwin C.]] ''The Vicksburg River Defenses and the Enigma of "Whistling Dick"'' [[The Journal of Mississippi History]], volume XIX, issue 1, 1957, pages 21{{endash}}30.</ref> |
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Two 12.75-inch Blakelys, the largest guns in the Confederate arsenal, were mounted in 1863 at Charleston, South Carolina.<ref name="Hansen66"/> These were delivered, along with shot, to [[Wilmington, North Carolina in the American Civil War|Wilmington, North Carolina]] in August 1863 from Liverpool by the blockade runner [[CSS Sumter#Blockade runner Gibraltar|''Gibraltar'']].<ref name="Olmstead 139">Olmstead, 1997, p. 139.</ref> These were ordered to the defense of Charleston, South Carolina harbor by [[General officers in the Confederate States Army|Confederate General]] [[P. G. T. Beauregard]] and [[Confederate States Secretary of War|Confederate Secretary of War]] [[James Seddon|James A. Seddon]].<ref name="Olmstead 139"/> The rfiles had 7-inch inside diameter by 30-inch long bronze air chamber behind the seat of its charge.<ref>Olmstead, 1997, pp. 139-140.</ref> General [[Roswell S. Ripley]] improperly loaded the chamber of one of the guns with powder to reduce the size of cartridge bags.<ref name="Olmstead140">Olmstead, 1997, p. 140.</ref> This cracked the chamber and caused other damage on the first fire and it had to be replaced.<ref name="Olmstead140"/> The rifle had a 12.75-inch flanged shot and shell with four grooves and a right-hand twist for rifling.<ref name="Olmstead140"/> |
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Two 12.75-inch Blakelys, the largest guns in the Confederate arsenal, were mounted in 1863 at Charleston, South Carolina.<ref name="Hansen66"/> These were delivered, along with shot, to [[Wilmington, North Carolina in the American Civil War|Wilmington, North Carolina]] in August 1863 from Liverpool by the blockade runner [[CSS Sumter#Blockade runner Gibraltar|''Gibraltar'']].<ref name="Olmstead 139">Olmstead, 1997, p. 139.</ref> These were ordered to the defense of Charleston, South Carolina harbor by [[General officers in the Confederate States Army|Confederate General]] [[P. G. T. Beauregard]] and [[Confederate States Secretary of War|Confederate Secretary of War]] [[James Seddon|James A. Seddon]].<ref name="Olmstead 139"/> The rfiles had 7-inch inside diameter by 30-inch long bronze air chamber behind the seat of its charge.<ref>Olmstead, 1997, pp. 139{{endash}}140.</ref> General [[Roswell S. Ripley]] improperly loaded the chamber of one of the guns with powder to reduce the size of cartridge bags.<ref name="Olmstead140">Olmstead, 1997, p. 140.</ref> This cracked the chamber and caused other damage on the first fire and it had to be replaced.<ref name="Olmstead140"/> The rifle had a 12.75-inch flanged shot and shell with four grooves and a right-hand twist for rifling.<ref name="Olmstead140"/> |
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An 8.12-inch rifled British 68-pounder cannon of 95 hundredweight was captured by Union Army forces at [[Siege of Fort Morgan|Fort Morgan, Alabama]] on August 23, 1864. The cannon was originally a smoothbore manufactured by [[Low Moor Iron Company]] in 1862. It was banded and rifled with three grooves of right-hand twists in the manner of a Blakely.<ref name="Olmstead 139"/> |
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An 8.12-inch rifled British 68-pounder cannon of 95 hundredweight was captured by Union Army forces at [[Siege of Fort Morgan|Fort Morgan, Alabama]] on August 23, 1864. The cannon was originally a smoothbore manufactured by [[Low Moor Iron Company]] in 1862. It was banded and rifled with three grooves of right-hand twists in the manner of a Blakely.<ref name="Olmstead 139"/> |
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=== In Land Battles === |
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=== In Land Battles === |
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A Confederate [[horse artillery]] battery, suggested by Colonel [[Turner Ashby]], was organized November 11, 1861.<ref>Wise, 1915, p. 162.</ref> [[R. Preston Chew|R. Preston Chew's]] battery, the initial battery of the unit, was originally called Ashby's Horse Artillery. The battery was engaged in [[Stonewall Jackson|Stonewall Jackson's]] [[Jackson's Valley campaign|Shenandoah Valley Campaign (1862)]].<ref>Wise, 1915, pp. 162-163.</ref><ref>Ashby's Horse Artillery was combined with Stuart's Horse Artillery before the [[Gettysburg campaign]]. Before the death of Stonewall Jackson at the [[Battle of Chancellorsville]] preceding the Gettysburg campaign, Stuarts Horse Artillery was Captain [[John Pelham (soldier)|John Pelham's]] battery. Wise, 1915, p. 186.</ref> According to historian Jennings C. Wise, the armament of the battery "from first to last consisted of 3 pieces; a Blakely imported British rifled piece, which fired a percussion shell; a smooth-bore 12-pounder howitzer; and a 3-inch iron rifle."<ref>Wise, 1915, p. 163.</ref> |
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A Confederate [[horse artillery]] battery, suggested by Colonel [[Turner Ashby]], was organized November 11, 1861.<ref>Wise, 1915, p. 162.</ref> [[R. Preston Chew|R. Preston Chew's]] battery, the initial battery of the unit, was originally called Ashby's Horse Artillery. The battery was engaged in [[Stonewall Jackson|Stonewall Jackson's]] [[Jackson's Valley campaign|Shenandoah Valley Campaign (1862)]].<ref>Wise, 1915, pp. 162{{endash}}163.</ref><ref>Ashby's Horse Artillery was combined with Stuart's Horse Artillery before the [[Gettysburg campaign]]. Before the death of Stonewall Jackson at the [[Battle of Chancellorsville]] preceding the Gettysburg campaign, Stuarts Horse Artillery was Captain [[John Pelham (soldier)|John Pelham's]] battery. Wise, 1915, p. 186.</ref> According to historian Jennings C. Wise, the armament of the battery "from first to last consisted of 3 pieces; a Blakely imported British rifled piece, which fired a percussion shell; a smooth-bore 12-pounder howitzer; and a 3-inch iron rifle."<ref>Wise, 1915, p. 163.</ref> |
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A July 3, 1862 letter from Frank M. Coker of the Sumter Flying Artillery to his wife mentions that during the [[Seven Days Battles]] he was ordered to carry down the line a large Blakely rifled gun.<ref>Sylvia Head, W. T. Millican, F. M. C. ''The Georgia Review'' Vol. 15, No. 3 (FALL 1961), p. 250 in JSTOR "Old Letters" [https://www.jstor.org/stable/a3acefc4-1a53-3fb9-8a1e-b162b16ae4ff?read-now=1&seq=4]</ref> |
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A July 3, 1862 letter from Frank M. Coker of the Sumter Flying Artillery to his wife mentions that during the [[Seven Days Battles]] he was ordered to carry down the line a large Blakely rifled gun.<ref>Head, Sylvia and W. T. Millican, F. M. C. ''Old Letters'' in in JSTOR "Old Letters" [https://www.jstor.org/stable/a3acefc4-1a53-3fb9-8a1e-b162b16ae4ff?read-now=1&seq=4] The Georgia Review, Vol. 15, No. 3 (FALL 1961), p. 250 </ref> |
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The Confederate [[Army of Northern Virginia]] had a variety of artillery pieces at the [[Battle of Antietam]]. Many were inferior models to those of the Union [[Army of the Potomac]].<ref>Hartwig, 2012, p. 83.</ref> Blakely rifles were among the better rifled models used by the Confederates at that battle.<ref>Hartwig, 2012, p. 84.</ref> Confederate batteries performed well despite being hampered by the frequent deployment of four different cannon in a battery.<ref>Krick, Robert E.L. ''Defending Lee's Flank'' in [[Gary W. Gallagher|Gallagher, Gary W.]], ed. ''The Antietam Campaign''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1999. {{ISBN|978-0-8078-2481-8}}. pp. 192, 194.</ref> John B. Brockenbrough's battery, which was heavily engaged in the battle north and west of the Dunker Church, had four different cannon, including a Blakely rifle.<ref>Krick, 1999, p. 194.</ref> |
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The Confederate [[Army of Northern Virginia]] had a variety of artillery pieces at the [[Battle of Antietam]]. Many were inferior models to those of the Union [[Army of the Potomac]].<ref>* Hartwig, D. Scott. ''To Antietam Creek: The Maryland Campaign of September 1862''. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012. {{ISBN|978-1-4214-0631-2}}, p. 83.</ref> Blakely rifles were among the better rifled models used by the Confederates at that battle.<ref>Hartwig, 2012, p. 84.</ref> Confederate batteries performed well despite being hampered by the frequent deployment of four different cannon in a battery.<ref>Krick, Robert E.L. ''Defending Lee's Flank'' in [[Gary W. Gallagher|Gallagher, Gary W.]], ed. ''The Antietam Campaign''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1999. {{ISBN|978-0-8078-2481-8}}. pp. 192, 194.</ref> John B. Brockenbrough's battery, which was heavily engaged in the battle north and west of the Dunker Church, had four different cannon, including a Blakely rifle.<ref>Krick, 1999, p. 194.</ref> |
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Chew's Battery fought at the [[Battle of Fairfield]], one of the cavalry battles on July 3, 1863, the third day of the [[Battle of Gettysburg]].<ref>Wittenberg, 2011, pp. 122-123.</ref> Blakely rifles, as the most commonly imported British artillery guns, continued in service through the war. Chew's Battery served through the rest of the war concluding with the [[Appomattox campaign]].<ref>Longacre, 2002, pp. 270, 274, 329.</ref> |
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Chew's Battery fought at the [[Battle of Fairfield]], one of the cavalry battles on July 3, 1863, the third day of the [[Battle of Gettysburg]].<ref>[[Eric J. Wittenberg|Wittenberg, Eric J.]] ''Gettysburg's Forgotten Cavalry Actions: Farnsworth's Charge, South Cavalry Field, and the Battle of Fairfield, July 3, 1863'', revised and expanded edition. New York: Savas Beatie LLC, 2011. {{ISBN|978-1-61121-070-5}}, pp. 122{{endash}}123.</ref> Blakely rifles, as the most commonly imported British artillery guns, continued in service through the war. Chew's Battery served through the rest of the war concluding with the [[Appomattox campaign]].<ref>Longacre, 2002, pp. 270, 274, 329.</ref> |
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The U.S. National Park Service has noted that Blakely rifled cannon were used at several battles during the American Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley.<ref>"Blakely Rifled Gun (12-pound). A Confederate import from England, the 12-pounder Blakely Rifled Gun found its way into several battles in the Shenandoah Valley. Most Blakely rifles were muzzleloaders that featured steel or cast-iron barrels with wrought iron bands to reinforce the rear of the barrel near the breech. The Blakely was most effective firing shot and shell projectiles, not so effective with canister. Length: Barrel 4.9 feet. Weight: 2,000 lbs. (800 lbs.). Caliber: 3.5 inch (12-pounder). Effective Range: 1,850 yds. (1.1 miles). Friction Primer and lanyard action. Horse drawn, wooden carriage. Seven or eight-man crew, fired 2-3 rounds per minute. Deployed in batteries of four, or mixed with other gun types. Many variations: 6-pound, 12-pound, 20-pound, 100-pound, 150-pound, etc." United States National Park Service. '' Civil War Weapons in the Shenandoah Valley'' [https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/civil-war-weapons-in-the-shenandoah-valley.htm] Last updated: May 25, 2023. Retrieved September 2, 2023. '''Attribution:''' Public domain. U.S. Government publication.</ref> |
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The U.S. National Park Service has noted that Blakely rifled cannon were used at several battles during the American Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley.<ref>"Blakely Rifled Gun (12-pound). A Confederate import from England, the 12-pounder Blakely Rifled Gun found its way into several battles in the Shenandoah Valley. Most Blakely rifles were muzzleloaders that featured steel or cast-iron barrels with wrought iron bands to reinforce the rear of the barrel near the breech. The Blakely was most effective firing shot and shell projectiles, not so effective with canister. Length: Barrel 4.9 feet. Weight: 2,000 lbs. (800 lbs.). Caliber: 3.5 inch (12-pounder). Effective Range: 1,850 yds. (1.1 miles). Friction Primer and lanyard action. Horse drawn, wooden carriage. Seven or eight-man crew, fired 2-3 rounds per minute. Deployed in batteries of four, or mixed with other gun types. Many variations: 6-pound, 12-pound, 20-pound, 100-pound, 150-pound, etc." United States National Park Service. '' Civil War Weapons in the Shenandoah Valley'' [https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/civil-war-weapons-in-the-shenandoah-valley.htm] Last updated: May 25, 2023. Retrieved September 2, 2023. '''Attribution:''' Public domain. U.S. Government publication.</ref> |
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Blakely rifles were used by the Confederate ship [[SS Georgiana]], which was run aground and scuttled on the night of March 19, 1863, while attempting to run past the Federal Blockading Squadron and into port at Charleston, South Carolina on its first voyage.<ref>{{cite news|title=The SS Georgiana is lost and found today in 1863 and 1965 respectively |url=http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/678202-196/daily-twip--the-ss-georgiana-is.html|date=March 19, 2010|work=[[Nashua Telegraph]]|access-date=26 August 2023}}</ref> Two 2.9-inch iron Blakely rifles were recovered from the wreck in 1974.<ref name="Hazlett197"/><ref>Recovered projectiles from the ''Georgiana'' were 2.890 in diameter, which helped identify the gun as a 2.9-inch Blakely Rifle, Type 11. The salvors noted that the markings on one or both trunnions of the gun when it was recovered were "VAVASSEUR 1862 LONDON." The marking on the top of the reinforcement band was: BLAKELY'S PATENT." Hazlett, 2004, p. 197.</ref><ref>Olmstead, 1997, p. 271.</ref> |
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Blakely rifles were used by the Confederate ship [[SS Georgiana]], which was run aground and scuttled on the night of March 19, 1863, while attempting to run past the Federal Blockading Squadron and into port at Charleston, South Carolina on its first voyage.<ref>{{cite news|title=The SS Georgiana is lost and found today in 1863 and 1965 respectively |url=http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/678202-196/daily-twip--the-ss-georgiana-is.html|date=March 19, 2010|work=[[Nashua Telegraph]]|access-date=26 August 2023}}</ref> Two 2.9-inch iron Blakely rifles were recovered from the wreck in 1974.<ref name="Hazlett197"/><ref>Recovered projectiles from the ''Georgiana'' were 2.890 in diameter, which helped identify the gun as a 2.9-inch Blakely Rifle, Type 11. The salvors noted that the markings on one or both trunnions of the gun when it was recovered were "VAVASSEUR 1862 LONDON." The marking on the top of the reinforcement band was: BLAKELY'S PATENT." Hazlett, 2004, p. 197.</ref><ref>Olmstead, 1997, p. 271.</ref> |
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The commerce raider [[CSS Alabama]] carried a 100-pounder Blakely rifled gun in the forecastle.<ref>Scharf, 1887, p. 797. Public domain.</ref><ref>DeMik, Roger. ''RAIDER: a Rare View of C.S.S. ALABAMA in South Africa'' in ''Military Images'' Vol. 16, No. 2 (September-October 1994), pp. 20-21. Published in JSTOR [https://www.jstor.org/stable/44032703].</ref> The wreck of the ''Alabama,'' which was sunk by the [[USS Kearsarge (1861)|USS Kearsarge]] on June 19, 1864, off [[Cherbourg, France]] was found in 1984 and the 3.5-ton Blakely rifle that was the ''Alabama's'' forward pivot gun was recovered from the wreck.<ref>deKay, 2003, p. 251.</ref> Surviving 7-inch Navy rifles are at the Washington Navy Yard and at Cannes, France.<ref>Olmstead, 1997, p. 226.</ref> Historian Warren Ripley noted that if the shell from ''Alabama's'' Blakely rifle which lodged in the ''Kearsarge's'' rudder post had exploded, the outcome of the battle might have been different.<ref>Ripley, 1970, p. 93.</ref> |
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The commerce raider [[CSS Alabama]] carried a 100-pounder Blakely rifled gun in the forecastle.<ref>[[John Thomas Scharf|Scharf, John Thomas]]. ''History of the Confederate States Navy from Its Organization to the Surrender of Its Last Vessel'' New York: Rogers & Sherwood, 1887. {{OCLC|1707792}}, p. 797. '''Attribution:''' Public domain.</ref><ref>DeMik, Roger. ''RAIDER: a Rare View of C.S.S. ALABAMA in South Africa'' in ''Military Images'' Vol. 16, No. 2 (September-October 1994), pp. 20{{endash}}21. Published in JSTOR [https://www.jstor.org/stable/44032703].</ref> The wreck of the ''Alabama,'' which was sunk by the [[USS Kearsarge (1861)|USS Kearsarge]] on June 19, 1864, off [[Cherbourg, France]] was found in 1984 and the 3.5-ton Blakely rifle that was the ''Alabama's'' forward pivot gun was recovered from the wreck.<ref>deKay, James Tertius. ''The Rebel Raiders: The Astonishing History of the Confederacy's Secret Navy''. New York: Ballentine Books (Presidio Press), 2003. {{ISBN| 978-0-345-43183-7}}; First hardcover edition 2002, p. 251.</ref> Surviving 7-inch Navy rifles are at the Washington Navy Yard and at Cannes, France.<ref>Olmstead, 1997, p. 226.</ref> Historian Warren Ripley noted that if the shell from ''Alabama's'' Blakely rifle which lodged in the ''Kearsarge's'' rudder post had exploded, the outcome of the battle might have been different.<ref>Ripley, 1970, p. 93.</ref> |
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The [[CSS Florida (cruiser)]] also carried two 7-inch and four 6-inch Blakely guns.<ref>Scharf, 1887, p. 790.</ref><ref>''American Civil War Artillery - Rifled and Imported Cannon'' October 19, 2019. At War Machines and Weapons. [http://www.warmachinesandweapons.com/2018/10/american-civil-war-artillery-rifled-and.html] Retrieved September 2, 2023.</ref> A 7-inch Blakely rifle displayed as a trophy at [[Washington Navy Yard]] was taken from the "Anglo-Rebel Pirate ''Florida''".<ref name="Olmstead136"/> |
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The [[CSS Florida (cruiser)]] also carried two 7-inch and four 6-inch Blakely guns.<ref>Scharf, 1887, p. 790.</ref><ref>''American Civil War Artillery - Rifled and Imported Cannon'' October 19, 2019. At War Machines and Weapons. [http://www.warmachinesandweapons.com/2018/10/american-civil-war-artillery-rifled-and.html] Retrieved September 2, 2023.</ref> A 7-inch Blakely rifle displayed as a trophy at [[Washington Navy Yard]] was taken from the "Anglo-Rebel Pirate ''Florida''".<ref name="Olmstead136"/> |
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== References == |
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== References == |
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* ''American Civil War Artillery and Cannon: Field, Siege and Garrison, and Seacoast (Coastal) Guns'' at thomaslegion.net [http://www.thomaslegion.net/americancivilwar/artillerycivilwarcannonweaponsmortars.html] Retrieved September 3, 2023. |
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* ''American Civil War Artillery - Rifled and Imported Cannon'' October 19, 2019. At War Machines and Weapons. [http://www.warmachinesandweapons.com/2018/10/american-civil-war-artillery-rifled-and.html] Retrieved September 2, 2023. |
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* [[Ed Bearss|Bearss, Edwin C.]] ''The Vicksburg River Defenses and the Enigma of "Whistling Dick"'' [[The Journal of Mississippi History]], volume XIX, issue 1, 1957, pages 21{{endash}}30. |
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* [[Ed Bearss|Bearss, Edwin C.]] ''The Vicksburg River Defenses and the Enigma of "Whistling Dick"'' [[The Journal of Mississippi History]], volume XIX, issue 1, 1957, pages 21{{endash}}30. |
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* Blakely, "A. T." ''Remarks on Artillery'' on JSTOR [https://www.jstor.org/stable/20489879] open access. This is a paper published at pages 316-324 in Volume 7 of the ''Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (1836-1869)'' entitled "On the practical application of a principle announced to the academy by R. Mallett, Esq.; and some remarks on rifled cannon" with a reply by "Dr. Hart" and further reply by Captain Blakely. '''Attribution:''' Public domain. |
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* Blakely, "A. T." ''Remarks on Artillery'' on JSTOR [https://www.jstor.org/stable/20489879] open access. This is a paper published at pages 316{{endash}}324 in Volume 7 of the ''Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (1836{{endash}}1869)'' entitled "On the practical application of a principle announced to the academy by R. Mallett, Esq.; and some remarks on rifled cannon" with a reply by "Dr. Hart" and further reply by Captain Blakely. '''Attribution:''' Public domain. |
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* deKay, James Tertius. ''The Rebel Raiders: The Astonishing History of the Confederacy's Secret Navy''. New York: Ballentine Books (Presidio Press), 2003. {{ISBN| 978-0-345-43183-7}}. First hardcover edition 2002. |
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* deKay, James Tertius. ''The Rebel Raiders: The Astonishing History of the Confederacy's Secret Navy''. New York: Ballentine Books (Presidio Press), 2003. {{ISBN| 978-0-345-43183-7}}. First hardcover edition 2002. |
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* DeMik, Roger. ''RAIDER: a Rare View of C.S.S. ALABAMA in South Africa'' in ''Military Images'' Vol. 16, No. 2 (September-October 1994), pp. 20-21. Published in JSTOR [https://www.jstor.org/stable/44032703]. |
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* DeMik, Roger. ''RAIDER: a Rare View of C.S.S. ALABAMA in South Africa'' in ''Military Images'' Vol. 16, No. 2 (September-October 1994), pp. 20{{endash}}21. Published in JSTOR [https://www.jstor.org/stable/44032703]. |
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* Grabau, Warren E. ''Ninety-eight days : a geographer's view of the Vicksburg Campaign''. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2000. {{ISBN|978-1-57233-068-9}}. |
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* Grabau, Warren E. ''Ninety-eight days : a geographer's view of the Vicksburg Campaign''. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2000. {{ISBN|978-1-57233-068-9}}. |
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* Grace's Guide To British Industrial History. ''Blakely Ordnance Co.'' [https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Blakely_Ordnance_Co]. Last edited August 12, 2017, Retrieved September 22, 2023. |
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* Grace's Guide To British Industrial History. ''Blakely Ordnance Co.'' [https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Blakely_Ordnance_Co]. Last edited August 12, 2017, Retrieved September 22, 2023. |
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* Hartwig, D. Scott. ''To Antietam Creek: The Maryland Campaign of September 1862''. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012. {{ISBN|978-1-4214-0631-2}}. |
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* Hartwig, D. Scott. ''To Antietam Creek: The Maryland Campaign of September 1862''. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012. {{ISBN|978-1-4214-0631-2}}. |
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* Hazlett, James C., Edwin Olmstead, and M. Hume Parks. ''Field Artillery Weapons of the American Civil War, rev. ed.'', Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1983. {{ISBN|978-0-252-07210-9}}. |
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* Hazlett, James C., Edwin Olmstead, and M. Hume Parks. ''Field Artillery Weapons of the American Civil War, rev. ed.'', Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1983. {{ISBN|978-0-252-07210-9}}. |
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* Head, Sylvia and W. T. Millican, F. M. C. ''Old Letters'' in JSTOR [https://www.jstor.org/stable/a3acefc4-1a53-3fb9-8a1e-b162b16ae4ff?read-now=1&seq=4], The Georgia Review, Vol. 15, No. 3 (FALL 1961). |
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* [[Alexander Lyman Holley|Holley, Alexander Lyman]]. ''A treatise on Ordnance and Armor ... With an appendix, referring to gun cotton, hooped guns, etc.'' [https://archive.org/details/treatiseonordnan00holl] New York: D Van Nostrand, 192 Broadway; London: Trubner and Company, 1865. {{OCLC|5079161}}. '''Attribution:''' Public domain. |
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* [[Alexander Lyman Holley|Holley, Alexander Lyman]]. ''A treatise on Ordnance and Armor ... With an appendix, referring to gun cotton, hooped guns, etc.'' [https://archive.org/details/treatiseonordnan00holl] New York: D Van Nostrand, 192 Broadway; London: Trubner and Company, 1865. {{OCLC|5079161}}. '''Attribution:''' Public domain. |
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* Huey, C. A. ''Imported English Artillery'' in [[Richard N. Current|Current, Richard N.]], ed., ''The Confederacy.'' New York: Simon and Schuster Macmillan, 1993. {{ISBN|978-0-02-864920-7}}. Macmillan Compendium. Sections from the four-volume ''Macmillan Encyclopedia of the Confederacy.'' pp. 85-86. |
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* Huey, C. A. ''Imported English Artillery'' in [[Richard N. Current|Current, Richard N.]], ed., ''The Confederacy.'' New York: Simon and Schuster Macmillan, 1993. {{ISBN|978-0-02-864920-7}}. Macmillan Compendium. Sections from the four-volume ''Macmillan Encyclopedia of the Confederacy.'' pp. 85{{endash}}86. |
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* Krick, Robert E.L. ''Defending Lee's Flank'' in [[Gary W. Gallagher|Gallagher, Gary W.]], ed. ''The Antietam Campaign''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1999. {{ISBN|978-0-8078-2481-8}}. |
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* Krick, Robert E.L. ''Defending Lee's Flank'' in [[Gary W. Gallagher|Gallagher, Gary W.]], ed. ''The Antietam Campaign''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1999. {{ISBN|978-0-8078-2481-8}}. |
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* [[Edward Longacre|Longacre, Edward G.]] ''Lee's Cavalrymen: A History of the Mounted Forces of the Army of Northern Virginia''. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2002. {{ISBN|978-0-8117-0898-2}}. |
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* [[Edward Longacre|Longacre, Edward G.]] ''Lee's Cavalrymen: A History of the Mounted Forces of the Army of Northern Virginia''. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2002. {{ISBN|978-0-8117-0898-2}}. |
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* [https://www.historicalpublicationsllc.com/artillerymanmagazine/basic-facts-on-artillery/article_fffff51e-cca9-11ec-99b7-a3218122c668.html] Melton, Jr., Jack W. ''Basic Facts on Artillery: Civil War Cannon.'' Artilleryman Magazine, May 5, 2022 Updated Sep 4, 2022. |
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* Melton, Jr., Jack W. ''Basic Facts on Artillery: Civil War Cannon.'' [https://www.historicalpublicationsllc.com/artillerymanmagazine/basic-facts-on-artillery/article_fffff51e-cca9-11ec-99b7-a3218122c668.html] Artilleryman Magazine, May 5, 2022 Updated Sep 4, 2022. |
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* * Olmstead, Edwin, Wayne E. Stark and [[Spencer C. Tucker]]. ''The Big Guns: Civil War Siege, Seacoast and Naval Cannon.'' Bloomfield, ONT, Alexandria Bay, NY: Museum Restoration Service, 1997. {{ISBN|978-0-88855-012-5}}.
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* Olmstead, Edwin, Wayne E. Stark and [[Spencer C. Tucker]]. ''The Big Guns: Civil War Siege, Seacoast and Naval Cannon.'' Bloomfield, ONT, Alexandria Bay, NY: Museum Restoration Service, 1997. {{ISBN|978-0-88855-012-5}}. |
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* Ripley, Warren. ''Artillery and Ammunition of the Civil War.'' New York: Promontory Press, 1970. {{ISBN|978-0-88394-003-7}}. |
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* Ripley, Warren. ''Artillery and Ammunition of the Civil War.'' New York: Promontory Press, 1970. {{ISBN|978-0-88394-003-7}}. |
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* [[John Thomas Scharf|Scharf, John Thomas]]. ''History of the Confederate States Navy from Its Organization to the Surrender of Its Last Vessel'' New York: Rogers & Sherwood, 1887. {{OCLC|1707792}}. p. 797. '''Attribution:''' Public domain. |
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* [[John Thomas Scharf|Scharf, John Thomas]]. ''History of the Confederate States Navy from Its Organization to the Surrender of Its Last Vessel'' New York: Rogers & Sherwood, 1887. {{OCLC|1707792}}. p. 797. '''Attribution:''' Public domain. |
One of a series of rifled muzzle-loading cannon
Blakely rifle or Blakely gun is the name of a series of rifled muzzle-loading cannon designed by British army officer Captain Theophilus Alexander Blakely in the 1850s and 1860s.[1][2] Blakely was a pioneer in the banding of cannon but the British army declined to use the design.[3] The guns were mostly sold to Russia and the Confederacy during the American Civil War.[1] Blakely rifles were imported by the Confederacy in larger numbers than other Imported English cannon.[4]
Blakely rifles had innovative design features using two layer construction and layers of rings which allowed rifling of larger cannons. Blakely's manufacturing innovations allowed larger guns of lighter weight and greater resistance to explosion. The Confederacy used the Blakely rifles in seacoast fortifications, fortifications at Vicksburg, as naval guns and, in the smaller sizes, as artillery in land battles.
Development and first use
The Blakely rifled artillery gun was designed with a cast-iron core and included wrought-iron or steel banding to reinforce the breech.[1][5] Blakely himself noted that the cannon was to be built up tube after tube, compressing the inner tubes and extending the outer tubes by a certain calculation. This was to be done to prevent the inside breaking before sufficient strain was sent to the outside as would be the case with any thick tubes made in one piece.[6] Blakely wrote that, paradoxically, by using this method of two layer construction, a thick tube would be strengthened by diminishing its thickness and would weigh half as much.[7] Blakely wrote that he had shown that no rifled cannon of considerable size had succeeded when made in one mass.[8] A detailed discussion of the Blakely rifle can be found at the public domain source, Holley, 1865, pp. 36–60, cited in full and linked in the footnote.[9]
Blakely was a pioneer in this two tube, or two layer, design.[10] Nonetheless, the British government rejected his designs.[1] The contemporaneous Armstrong guns of Sir William George Armstrong were of similar design, but unlike Blakely, Armstrong had his own foundry.[10] Because Blakely believed that Armstrong had infringed his patents, he stopped offering his designs to the British military when Armstrong became superintendent of the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich.[1]
Blakely was more successful in selling cannons to the Confederacy. One of the guns was a 12-pounder Blakely delivered to the Confederates for use against Fort Sumter at the start of the American Civil War.[11][12] That gun was the first rifled cannon fired in the war.[10] It had been bought by Charles K. Prioleau in London and sent to Charleston before the surrender of Fort Sumter.[10] The gun was used from Morris Island where it accurately sent projectiles against Fort Sumter, 1,250 yards (1,193 meters) away.[10][3] It was likely the gun which fired a shot scattering debris from the stone cheek of the casemate embrasure, wounding four Union soldiers.[3]
Blakely contracted with companies including Fawcett, Preston, & Company of Liverpool, Vavasseur of London, George Forrester and Company of Liverpool, Low Moor Iron Company, and the Blakeley Ordnance Company of London (established 1863) for the manufacture of his guns.[13][14] The cannon foundries produced about 400 guns to Blakely's design.[1] Most were made of iron.[1] Blakely also sold some guns to Russia.[1] Massachusetts bought eight 9-inch and four 11-inch models.[15]
Because Blakely continued to experiment with designs, he produced five to as many as ten different designs, which were manufactured, some with variants.[16] The Blakely rifled guns fired ammunition weighing between 10 and 470 pounds.[10]
Specifications and variations
The foundries that manufactured Blakely rifles produced them in 2.5-inch (6-pounder), 2.9-inch, 3.5-inch (12-pounder), 3.75-inch (16-pounder), 4-inch (18-pounder), 4.5-inch (20-pounder), 6.4-inch (100-pounder), 7-inch (120-pounder), 7.5-inch (150-pounder), 8-inch (200-pounder), 9-inch (250-pounder), 11-inch and 12.75-inch (450-pounder shells or 650-pound solid shot) bores.[17]
At least nine varieties of 3.5-inch 12-pounder rifles alone were produced.[16] Rifling types included flat-sided bores or bores with grooves cut in them into which flanges on the shells would fit.[18] The main characteristics of 3.5-inch, 12-pounder M1861 Blakely rifles used in field artillery were: Bore diameter (inches): 3.40; Material: Steel; Length of tube (inches): 59.0; Weight of tube (pounds): 800; Weight of projectile (pounds): 10.00; Weight of charge (pounds): 1.00; Muzzle velocity (ft./sec.): 1,250; Range at 5° elevation (yards): 1,850.[19]
Principal characteristics of Blakely rifled seacoast artillery were: (1) 8-inch Blakely Rifle: Bore diameter (inches): 8.00; Material: Steel; Length of tube (inches): 156.00; Weight of tube (pounds): 17,000; Weight of projectile (pounds): 200.0; Weight of charge (pounds): 50.00; Muzzle velocity (ft./sec.): 1,250. (2) 12 3/4-inch Blakely rifled seacoast artillery characteristics were: Bore diameter (inches): 12.75; Material: Steel; Length of tube (inches): 192.0; Weight of tube (pounds): 54,000; Weight of projectile (pounds): 1,700; Weight of charge (pounds): --. (Range at 5° elevation (yards) not shown).[19]
Survivors of several variations of 3.5-inch Blakely wrought iron rifles can be found at Shiloh National Military Park (4); West Point, New York, (2); Beaufort, South Carolina; Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Tennessee unit; Gettysburg National Military Park; Warren, Pennsylvania; Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois; Charleston, South Carolina; Greenwood, Mississippi; Wortham, Texas; and Winona, Minnesota.[20] A survivor was stolen from Rivers Bridge, South Carolina on February 2, 1995.[20] The only known survivor of a 3.75-inch Blakely wrought iron rifle can be found at Grant Park in Galena, Illinois.[21]
Further use in the American Civil War
Confederate forces used various sizes of Blakely rifles in several ways during the American Civil War.
In Fortifications
Use by Confederate forces from heavily fortified Morris Island against Fort Sumter was noted above. Two Blakely "siege" rifles were used in the Confederate defense of Fort Pulaski in 1862. The Confederate commander of Fort Pulaski near the coast outside of Savannah, Georgia during the Siege of Fort Pulaski, Colonel Charles H. Olmstead, used two 4.5-inch Blakely rifles in his ultimately unsuccessful defense which ended with the fort's surrender on April 11, 1862 after a 112-day siege.[22][23][24] These rifles were taken to West Point as old trophies numbers 152 and 153 but returned to Fort Pulaski National Monument.[24][25]
"The Widow Blakely" was a 7.5-inch rifle that the Confederates used during their 1863 defense of Vicksburg, Mississippi.[16][26] On May 22, 1863, a shell exploded while in the gun's barrel while the Widow Blakely was firing at a Union gunboat.[27] The explosion only took part of the end of the muzzle off.[27] The Confederates cut away part of the barrel and continued to use the rifle as a mortar until Vicksburg fell to the Union Army under the command of Major General Ulysses S. Grant.[28][29] A gun at West Point which was misidentified as Whistling Dick was returned to the Vicksburg National Battlefield Park when it was identified by Historian Ed Bearss as "Widow Blakely."[30]
Two 12.75-inch Blakelys, the largest guns in the Confederate arsenal, were mounted in 1863 at Charleston, South Carolina.[10] These were delivered, along with shot, to Wilmington, North Carolina in August 1863 from Liverpool by the blockade runner Gibraltar.[31] These were ordered to the defense of Charleston, South Carolina harbor by Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard and Confederate Secretary of War James A. Seddon.[31] The rfiles had 7-inch inside diameter by 30-inch long bronze air chamber behind the seat of its charge.[32] General Roswell S. Ripley improperly loaded the chamber of one of the guns with powder to reduce the size of cartridge bags.[33] This cracked the chamber and caused other damage on the first fire and it had to be replaced.[33] The rifle had a 12.75-inch flanged shot and shell with four grooves and a right-hand twist for rifling.[33]
An 8.12-inch rifled British 68-pounder cannon of 95 hundredweight was captured by Union Army forces at Fort Morgan, Alabama on August 23, 1864. The cannon was originally a smoothbore manufactured by Low Moor Iron Company in 1862. It was banded and rifled with three grooves of right-hand twists in the manner of a Blakely.[31]
Four Blakely 9-inch seacoast rifles and four smoothbores were taken from Liverpool, England in August 1871 by the USS Worcester and off loaded at Boston Navy Yard. These were manufactured for use on Confederate cruisers. The 9-inch rifled cannon number 95 is on private property at Bernhards Bay, New York on Oneida Lake.[31]
In Land Battles
A Confederate horse artillery battery, suggested by Colonel Turner Ashby, was organized November 11, 1861.[34] R. Preston Chew's battery, the initial battery of the unit, was originally called Ashby's Horse Artillery. The battery was engaged in Stonewall Jackson's Shenandoah Valley Campaign (1862).[35][36] According to historian Jennings C. Wise, the armament of the battery "from first to last consisted of 3 pieces; a Blakely imported British rifled piece, which fired a percussion shell; a smooth-bore 12-pounder howitzer; and a 3-inch iron rifle."[37]
A July 3, 1862 letter from Frank M. Coker of the Sumter Flying Artillery to his wife mentions that during the Seven Days Battles he was ordered to carry down the line a large Blakely rifled gun.[38]
The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia had a variety of artillery pieces at the Battle of Antietam. Many were inferior models to those of the Union Army of the Potomac.[39] Blakely rifles were among the better rifled models used by the Confederates at that battle.[40] Confederate batteries performed well despite being hampered by the frequent deployment of four different cannon in a battery.[41] John B. Brockenbrough's battery, which was heavily engaged in the battle north and west of the Dunker Church, had four different cannon, including a Blakely rifle.[42]
Chew's Battery fought at the Battle of Fairfield, one of the cavalry battles on July 3, 1863, the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg.[43] Blakely rifles, as the most commonly imported British artillery guns, continued in service through the war. Chew's Battery served through the rest of the war concluding with the Appomattox campaign.[44]
The U.S. National Park Service has noted that Blakely rifled cannon were used at several battles during the American Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley.[45]
At Sea
Blakely rifles were used by the Confederate ship SS Georgiana, which was run aground and scuttled on the night of March 19, 1863, while attempting to run past the Federal Blockading Squadron and into port at Charleston, South Carolina on its first voyage.[46] Two 2.9-inch iron Blakely rifles were recovered from the wreck in 1974.[17][47][48]
The commerce raider CSS Alabama carried a 100-pounder Blakely rifled gun in the forecastle.[49][50] The wreck of the Alabama, which was sunk by the USS Kearsarge on June 19, 1864, off Cherbourg, France was found in 1984 and the 3.5-ton Blakely rifle that was the Alabama's forward pivot gun was recovered from the wreck.[51] Surviving 7-inch Navy rifles are at the Washington Navy Yard and at Cannes, France.[52] Historian Warren Ripley noted that if the shell from Alabama's Blakely rifle which lodged in the Kearsarge's rudder post had exploded, the outcome of the battle might have been different.[53]
The CSS Florida (cruiser) also carried two 7-inch and four 6-inch Blakely guns.[54][55] A 7-inch Blakely rifle displayed as a trophy at Washington Navy Yard was taken from the "Anglo-Rebel Pirate Florida".[24]
Union Rejection of a Blakely
In 1863, the U.S. government rejected a 7-inch Blakely smoothbore with obvious manufacturing defects and non-conformity with specifications. Also, the piece was marked as manufactured by Blakely Ordnance Company, a known Confederate supplier not used by the Union army, contrary to representations by the agent, that it would be made by Sheffield.[56]
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hazlett, James C., Edwin Olmstead, and M. Hume Parks. Field Artillery Weapons of the American Civil War, rev. ed., Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1983. ISBN 978-0-252-07210-9, p. 196.
- ^ On May 14, 1860, Captain "A.T. Blakely" presented a paper published at pages 316–324 in Volume 7 of the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (1836–1869) entitled "On the practical application of a principle announced to the academy by R. Mallett, Esq.; and some remarks on rifled cannon" with a reply by "Dr. Hart" and further reply by Captain Blakely, available on JSTOR open access as Remarks on Artillery [1]
- ^ a b c Ripley, Warren. Artillery and Ammunition of the Civil War. New York: Promontory Press, 1970. ISBN 978-0-88394-003-7. p. 148.
- ^ Huey, C. A. Imported English Artillery. In Current, Richard N., ed., The Confederacy. New York: Simon and Schuster Macmillan, 1993. ISBN 978-0-02-864920-7. Macmillan Compendium. Sections from the four-volume Macmillan Encyclopedia of the Confederacy. p. 86.
- ^ Blakely's patent, February 27, 1855, described Blakely's ordnance improvement as: "a method of forming guns with an internal tube or cylinder of cast iron or steel, enclosed in a casing of wrought iron or steel. I sometimes form the outer surface of the inner tube somewhat conical, the greatest diameter being just in front of the trunnions, and tapering both ways, and apply the outer casing in the form of collars or rings driven thereon. And in some cases I apply two or more layers of such rings, according to the strength sought to be obtained, the trunnions being of one piece with one of the rings. The other casing may, however, be applied in the form of collars or rings, heated and shrunk upon the cylindrical surface of the inner cylinder or tube...." Hazlett, 2004, p. 196.
- ^ Blakely, 1860, p. 317.
- ^ Blakely, 1860, pp. 319, 321.
- ^ Blakely, 1860, p. 321.
- ^ Holley, Alexander Lyman. A treatise on Ordnance and Armor ... With an appendix, referring to gun cotton, hooped guns, etc. [2] New York: D Van Nostrand, 192 Broadway; London: Trubner and Company, 1865. OCLC 5079161. pp. 36–50.
- ^ a b c d e f g Hansen, Les D. Blakely gun. In Historical Times Illustrated History of the Civil War, edited by Patricia L. Faust. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. ISBN 978-0-06-273116-6, p. 66.
- ^ Smith, Graham. Civil War Weapons. New York: Chartwell Books, Inc., 2011. ISBN 978-0-7858-2854-9, p. 234.
- ^ "The following are particulars of the first gun sent by Captain Blakely to the Confederates, obtained from a drawing dated May 15, 1860. The gun, made by Fawcett, Preston & Co., was of cast-iron, reinforced by a solid wrougkt-iron hoop made thin at the edges. Total length of gun 84 in. Length of bore 73.5 in. Diameter of bore 3.5 in. Diameter of cast-iron under hoop 9.1in. Maximum diameter of hoop 12.1 in. Length of hoop 22.i in. Diameter of muzzle. 6.0 in." Holley, Alexander Lyman. A treatise on Ordnance and Armor ... With an appendix, referring to gun cotton, hooped guns, etc. [3] New York: D Van Nostrand, 192 Broadway; London: Trubner and Company, 1865. OCLC 5079161. Public domain.
- ^ Hazlett, 2004, pp. 197–205.
- ^ Hazlett noted a slight difference in spelling of Blakeley Ordnance Company and does not "speculate" as to whether Blakely had an interest in the company. Olmstead, Edwin, Wayne E. Stark and Spencer C. Tucker. The Big Guns: Civil War Siege, Seacoast and Naval Cannon. Bloomfield, ONT, Alexandria Bay, NY: Museum Restoration Service, 1997. ISBN 978-0-88855-012-5, p. 136 identifies the company as founded by Blakely despite the misspelling. The Blakely Company was not incorporated until 1863. Blakely and John Dent acquired Josiah Vavasseur's company. Vavasseur became manager and engineer of Blakely's company, which lasted until 1867. Blakely Ordnance Co. in Grace's Guide To British Industrial History. [4]. Last edited August 12, 2017, Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ^ Citing Kersis, Sydney C. and Thomas S. Dickey, Field Artillery Projectiles of the Civil War, 1861-1865. Atlanta: Phoenix Press, 1968, Hazlett, p. 196, states that at least two batteries of 3.5-inch Blakely guns were in Federal service."
- ^ a b c Melton, Jr., Jack W. Basic Facts on Artillery: Civil War Cannon. [5] Artilleryman Magazine, May 5, 2022 Updated Sep 4, 2022.
- ^ a b Hazlett, 2004, p. 197.
- ^ Hazlett, 2004, p. 205.
- ^ a b American Civil War Artillery and Cannon: Field, Siege and Garrison, and Seacoast (Coastal) Guns at thomaslegion.net [6] Retrieved September 3, 2023.
- ^ a b Olmstead, 1997, p. 284.
- ^ Olmstead, 1997, p. 301.
- ^ Wise, Jennings C. The long arm of Lee, or, The history of the artillery of the Army of Northern Virginia : with a brief account of the Confederate Bureau of Ordnance. Volume 1. [7] Lynchburg, VA: J.P. Bell and Co., 1915. OCLC 1388225, p. 66. Attribution: Public domain.
- ^ Olmstead wrote an article about Fort Pulaski published in 1917 and available on JSTOR open access [8]. Olmstead, Charles H. Fort Pulaski in The Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 1, No. 2 (June, 1917), pp. 98–105.
- ^ a b c Olmstead, 1997, p. 136.
- ^ Olmstead, 1997, p. 188.
- ^ Grabau, Warren E. Ninety-eight days : a geographer's view of the Vicksburg Campaign. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2000. ISBN 978-1-57233-068-9
- ^ a b Smith, Timothy B. The Union Assaults at Vicksburg: Grant Attacks Pemberton, May 17-22, 1863. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas Press, 2020. ISBN 978-0-7006-2906-0, p. 333.
- ^ U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Historical marker about "Widow Blakely" rifled cannon at Vicksburg National Battlefield Park, as shown at [9] and shown in larger type at [10].Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ "The Widow Blakely": 7.5-inch Blakely Rifle at Civil War Artillery [11] Retrieved September 2, 2023 relates the muzzle explosion, the cutting down of the barrel from 124 inches to about 100 inches, gives a link to "Actual reports from the Official Records listing 'The Widow Blakely'", and has additional photos of the gun.
- ^ Bearss, Edwin C. The Vicksburg River Defenses and the Enigma of "Whistling Dick" The Journal of Mississippi History, volume XIX, issue 1, 1957, pages 21–30.
- ^ a b c d Olmstead, 1997, p. 139.
- ^ Olmstead, 1997, pp. 139–140.
- ^ a b c Olmstead, 1997, p. 140.
- ^ Wise, 1915, p. 162.
- ^ Wise, 1915, pp. 162–163.
- ^ Ashby's Horse Artillery was combined with Stuart's Horse Artillery before the Gettysburg campaign. Before the death of Stonewall Jackson at the Battle of Chancellorsville preceding the Gettysburg campaign, Stuarts Horse Artillery was Captain John Pelham's battery. Wise, 1915, p. 186.
- ^ Wise, 1915, p. 163.
- ^ Head, Sylvia and W. T. Millican, F. M. C. Old Letters in in JSTOR "Old Letters" [12] The Georgia Review, Vol. 15, No. 3 (FALL 1961), p. 250
- ^ * Hartwig, D. Scott. To Antietam Creek: The Maryland Campaign of September 1862. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012. ISBN 978-1-4214-0631-2, p. 83.
- ^ Hartwig, 2012, p. 84.
- ^ Krick, Robert E.L. Defending Lee's Flank in Gallagher, Gary W., ed. The Antietam Campaign. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1999. ISBN 978-0-8078-2481-8. pp. 192, 194.
- ^ Krick, 1999, p. 194.
- ^ Wittenberg, Eric J. Gettysburg's Forgotten Cavalry Actions: Farnsworth's Charge, South Cavalry Field, and the Battle of Fairfield, July 3, 1863, revised and expanded edition. New York: Savas Beatie LLC, 2011. ISBN 978-1-61121-070-5, pp. 122–123.
- ^ Longacre, 2002, pp. 270, 274, 329.
- ^ "Blakely Rifled Gun (12-pound). A Confederate import from England, the 12-pounder Blakely Rifled Gun found its way into several battles in the Shenandoah Valley. Most Blakely rifles were muzzleloaders that featured steel or cast-iron barrels with wrought iron bands to reinforce the rear of the barrel near the breech. The Blakely was most effective firing shot and shell projectiles, not so effective with canister. Length: Barrel 4.9 feet. Weight: 2,000 lbs. (800 lbs.). Caliber: 3.5 inch (12-pounder). Effective Range: 1,850 yds. (1.1 miles). Friction Primer and lanyard action. Horse drawn, wooden carriage. Seven or eight-man crew, fired 2-3 rounds per minute. Deployed in batteries of four, or mixed with other gun types. Many variations: 6-pound, 12-pound, 20-pound, 100-pound, 150-pound, etc." United States National Park Service. Civil War Weapons in the Shenandoah Valley [13] Last updated: May 25, 2023. Retrieved September 2, 2023. Attribution: Public domain. U.S. Government publication.
- ^ "The SS Georgiana is lost and found today in 1863 and 1965 respectively". Nashua Telegraph. March 19, 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
- ^ Recovered projectiles from the Georgiana were 2.890 in diameter, which helped identify the gun as a 2.9-inch Blakely Rifle, Type 11. The salvors noted that the markings on one or both trunnions of the gun when it was recovered were "VAVASSEUR 1862 LONDON." The marking on the top of the reinforcement band was: BLAKELY'S PATENT." Hazlett, 2004, p. 197.
- ^ Olmstead, 1997, p. 271.
- ^ Scharf, John Thomas. History of the Confederate States Navy from Its Organization to the Surrender of Its Last Vessel New York: Rogers & Sherwood, 1887. OCLC 1707792, p. 797. Attribution: Public domain.
- ^ DeMik, Roger. RAIDER: a Rare View of C.S.S. ALABAMA in South Africa in Military Images Vol. 16, No. 2 (September-October 1994), pp. 20–21. Published in JSTOR [14].
- ^ deKay, James Tertius. The Rebel Raiders: The Astonishing History of the Confederacy's Secret Navy. New York: Ballentine Books (Presidio Press), 2003. ISBN 978-0-345-43183-7; First hardcover edition 2002, p. 251.
- ^ Olmstead, 1997, p. 226.
- ^ Ripley, 1970, p. 93.
- ^ Scharf, 1887, p. 790.
- ^ American Civil War Artillery - Rifled and Imported Cannon October 19, 2019. At War Machines and Weapons. [15] Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ Olmstead, 1997, p. 138.
References
- American Civil War Artillery and Cannon: Field, Siege and Garrison, and Seacoast (Coastal) Guns at thomaslegion.net [16] Retrieved September 3, 2023.
- American Civil War Artillery - Rifled and Imported Cannon October 19, 2019. At War Machines and Weapons. [17] Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- Bearss, Edwin C. The Vicksburg River Defenses and the Enigma of "Whistling Dick" The Journal of Mississippi History, volume XIX, issue 1, 1957, pages 21–30.
- Blakely, "A. T." Remarks on Artillery on JSTOR [18] open access. This is a paper published at pages 316–324 in Volume 7 of the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (1836–1869) entitled "On the practical application of a principle announced to the academy by R. Mallett, Esq.; and some remarks on rifled cannon" with a reply by "Dr. Hart" and further reply by Captain Blakely. Attribution: Public domain.
- deKay, James Tertius. The Rebel Raiders: The Astonishing History of the Confederacy's Secret Navy. New York: Ballentine Books (Presidio Press), 2003. ISBN 978-0-345-43183-7. First hardcover edition 2002.
- DeMik, Roger. RAIDER: a Rare View of C.S.S. ALABAMA in South Africa in Military Images Vol. 16, No. 2 (September-October 1994), pp. 20–21. Published in JSTOR [19].
- Grabau, Warren E. Ninety-eight days : a geographer's view of the Vicksburg Campaign. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2000. ISBN 978-1-57233-068-9.
- Grace's Guide To British Industrial History. Blakely Ordnance Co. [20]. Last edited August 12, 2017, Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- Hansen, Les D. Blakely gun. In Historical Times Illustrated History of the Civil War, edited by Patricia L. Faust. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. ISBN 978-0-06-273116-6. p. 66.
- Hartwig, D. Scott. To Antietam Creek: The Maryland Campaign of September 1862. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012. ISBN 978-1-4214-0631-2.
- Hazlett, James C., Edwin Olmstead, and M. Hume Parks. Field Artillery Weapons of the American Civil War, rev. ed., Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1983. ISBN 978-0-252-07210-9.
- Head, Sylvia and W. T. Millican, F. M. C. Old Letters in JSTOR [21], The Georgia Review, Vol. 15, No. 3 (FALL 1961).
- Holley, Alexander Lyman. A treatise on Ordnance and Armor ... With an appendix, referring to gun cotton, hooped guns, etc. [22] New York: D Van Nostrand, 192 Broadway; London: Trubner and Company, 1865. OCLC 5079161. Attribution: Public domain.
- Huey, C. A. Imported English Artillery in Current, Richard N., ed., The Confederacy. New York: Simon and Schuster Macmillan, 1993. ISBN 978-0-02-864920-7. Macmillan Compendium. Sections from the four-volume Macmillan Encyclopedia of the Confederacy. pp. 85–86.
- Krick, Robert E.L. Defending Lee's Flank in Gallagher, Gary W., ed. The Antietam Campaign. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1999. ISBN 978-0-8078-2481-8.
- Longacre, Edward G. Lee's Cavalrymen: A History of the Mounted Forces of the Army of Northern Virginia. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2002. ISBN 978-0-8117-0898-2.
- Melton, Jr., Jack W. Basic Facts on Artillery: Civil War Cannon. [23] Artilleryman Magazine, May 5, 2022 Updated Sep 4, 2022.
- Olmstead, Edwin, Wayne E. Stark and Spencer C. Tucker. The Big Guns: Civil War Siege, Seacoast and Naval Cannon. Bloomfield, ONT, Alexandria Bay, NY: Museum Restoration Service, 1997. ISBN 978-0-88855-012-5.
- Ripley, Warren. Artillery and Ammunition of the Civil War. New York: Promontory Press, 1970. ISBN 978-0-88394-003-7.
- Scharf, John Thomas. History of the Confederate States Navy from Its Organization to the Surrender of Its Last Vessel New York: Rogers & Sherwood, 1887. OCLC 1707792. p. 797. Attribution: Public domain.
- Smith, Graham. Civil War Weapons. New York: Chartwell Books, Inc., 2011. ISBN 978-0-7858-2854-9.
- Smith, Timothy B. The Union Assaults at Vicksburg: Grant Attacks Pemberton, May 17-22, 1863. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas Press, 2020. ISBN 978-0-7006-2906-0.
- "The SS Georgiana is lost and found today in 1863 and 1965 respectively". Nashua Telegraph. March 19, 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
- United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Historical marker about "Widow Blakely" rifled cannon at Vicksburg National Battlefield Park, as shown at [24] and shown in larger type at [25]. Retrieved September 2, 2023. Attribution: Public domain. U.S. Government publication.
- United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Civil War Weapons in the Shenandoah Valley [26] Last updated: May 25, 2023. Retrieved September 2, 2023. Attribution: Public domain. U.S. Government publication.
- Wise, Jennings C. The long arm of Lee, or, The history of the artillery of the Army of Northern Virginia : with a brief account of the Confederate Bureau of Ordnance. Volume 1. [27] Lynchburg, VA: J.P. Bell and Co., 1915. OCLC 1388225. Attribution: Public domain.
- Wittenberg, Eric J. Gettysburg's Forgotten Cavalry Actions: Farnsworth's Charge, South Cavalry Field, and the Battle of Fairfield, July 3, 1863, revised and expanded edition. New York: Savas Beatie LLC, 2011. ISBN 978-1-61121-070-5.
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