Document text
/
ERRATA.
Page 7, line 7, for " Bumford" read " Bomford."
11, line 6 from bottom, for " 125° to 300°" read " not less than 125®."
20, lines 5 and 14 from bottom, for " bands" read " lands."
20, line 9 fi'om bottom, add " and is rifled with one turn in 16 feet."
21, line 7, for " twenty-seven" read " twenty-four."
23, line 10, after "dispensed with," add " with cast iron balls sulphur is used."
24, line 8, for ".2607" read " .2607 lbs."
36, line 5, for "0.75" read " .075."
37, line 22, for "plane" read "line." ^
53, line 25, for ".36 inch" read ".37 inch."
54, line 6, for "band" read "barrel."
56, line 14, for "the size above mentioned" read "48 in. by 14 in. weighing
4 lbs."
ii, line 8 from bottom, for " thin" read " three."
76 (table), weight of 6-pdr, spherical case, for "2.5 lbs." read " 5.5 lbs."
THE
FIELD MANUAL
FOR
THE USE OF THE OFFICERS
ON
ORDNANCE DUTY
PREPARED BY THE ORDNANCE BUREAU.
RICHMOND:
PRINTED BY RITCfflE & DUNNAVANT.
1862.
FIELD MANUAL.
CHAP. I.
ORDNANCE.
Ordnance for the land service is made chiefly by private con-
tractors, under the direction of oflScers of the Ordnance Bureau.
The kinds and calibres used are as follows :
KIND
DF ORDNANCE.
CALIBRE.
MATERIAL.
MODEL.
Mountain rifle, .
2.25-inch, . . .
Bronze, .
1862
■f
3-inch (rifled), ".
Cast iron.
1861
Field, ....
■{
6-pounder, . . .
12 pounder, . .
Bronze, .
1841
1841
12-pounder, . .
"
Napoleon.
Guns. . . .s
r
4.62-inch (rifled),
Cast
iron,
1862
Siege and garrison,
)
1
12-pounder, . .
ISpounder, . .
.
1839
1839
24-pounder, . .
'
1839
Seacoast, . , .
■I
32-pounder, . .
42-pounder, . .
8-inch, . . . .
8-inch, . . . .
'
1841
1841
1844
1861
COLUMBIADS, .
• '
10-inch
10-inch, ....
'
1844
1861
■»
15-inch
"
1862
Mountain, . . .
12-pounder, . .
Bronze, .
1841
'(
]2-pounder, . .
Iron, . .
1862
Field, ....
• <
12-pounder, . .
Bronze, .
1841
Ho^^^TZERs. -
(
24-pounder, . .
"
1844
Garrison and siege.
{
24-pounder, . .
8-inch
Cast
ron.
1841
1841
Seacoast, . ; .
•{
8-inch, . . . .
10-inch, ....
,
1841
1841
Siege
■{
8-iuch, . . . .
10-inch, ....
!
1841
1844
MOJLTARS.
Seacoast, . . ,
■\
10-inch, ....
13-inch, ....
"
1841
1841
. Coehorn, . . .
24-pounder, . .
Bronze, .
1841
There are in some of the forts guns of an older model than the
above. The 42-pounder gun and the 8 and 10 inch seacoast
howitzers are suppressed by order of Feb. 9th, 1861. Some of
the 8 and 10 inch columbiads have been rifled ; the first to a cali-
bre of 5.8 inch ; the second, 6.4 inch. Their frequent bursting
has caused this class of rifled gUns to be discontinued. A few of
the 8 inch siege howitzers were also rifled, for experiment, with a
bore of 4.62 inch.
Guns and howitzers take their denominations from the weights
of their solid shot in round numbers, including the 42-pounder ;
large pieces, rifle guns and mortars, from the diameter of the bore.
Definitions.
Cascable. — The knob on the end of the breech of a gun ; it is
composed of the knoh and neck ; sometimes the fillet.
Breech. — The mass of solid metal behind the bottom of the
bore, extending to the cascable.
Base of the breech. — The rear surface of the breech.
Base line. — A line traced round the gun in rear of the vent.
Base ring. — A projecting band of metal adjoining the base of
the breech, and connected with the body of the gun by a concave
moulding.
Reinforce. — The thickest part of the body of the gun, in front
of the base ring or line : if there is more than one reinforce, that
which is next to the base ring is called the first reinforce ; the
other the second reinforce.
Reinforce hand. — A band at the junction of the first and second
reinforces.
Chase. — The conical part of the gun in front of the reinforce.
Astragal and fillets. — The moulding at the front end of the
chase.
Chase ring. — A band at the front end of the chase.
j^eck. — The smallest part of the piece, in front of the chase.
Swell of the muzzle. — The largest part of the gun in front of
the neck.
Muzzle band. — A band which takes the place of the swell of
the muzzle in some guns.
Face of the piece. — The plane terminating the gun at the muzzle.
Trunnions. — Two cylinders, near the centre of gravity of the
gun, by which it is supported on its carriage. The axes of the
trunnions are in a line perpendicular to the bore, and in our guns,
in the same plane with the axis.
Rimhase. — The shoulder at the base of the trunnions.
Bore. — All the part bored out, including the chamber and the
junction of the bore with the chamber.
Chamber. — The small part of some bores ; it col tains the charge
of powder.
Gomer chaynber. — A conical chamber which is joined to the
cylinder of the bore by a portion of a spherical surface.
True luindaf^e. — The difference between the true diameters of
the bore and of the ball.
Lock piece. — A block of metal at the outer opening of the vent
to facilitate attaching a lock to the gun.
Natural line of sight. — A line drawn in a vertical plane through
the axis of the piece from the highest point of the base ring to
the highest point of the swell of the muzzle, or to the top of the
sight, if there be one. ^
Natural angle of sight. — The angle which the natural line of
sight makes with the axis of the piece.
Dispart. — The difference of the semi-diameters of the base
ring and the swell of the muzzle, or the muzzle band. It is
therefore the tangent of the natural angle of sight to a radius
equal to the distance from the rear of the base ring to the highest
point of the swell of the muzzle, the sight, or the front of the
muzzle band, as the case may be.
Preponderance. — The excess of weight of the part in rear of
the trunnions over that in front ; it is measured by the weight
which the breech #)ears on a balance, the point of support resting
at the rear of the base ring, at the base line, or at the bottom of
the ratchet, the gun being suspended freely on the axis of the
trunnions.
Handles. — Flat rings cast on some bronze pieces ; they are
placed with their centres over the centre of gravity of the piece.
Ear. — A lug of metal cast on some mortars ; it is attached to
a clevis hy a bolt, and constitutes a handle.
Nomenclature.
Guns of the Model of 1861.
Parts. — The bore, a cylinder terminated by curved surfaces,
the chamber. The breech ; the cascable, the knob, the neck. The
body of the gun ; the reinforce, the chase, the muzzle, the /ace,
the trunnions, the rimbases.
Mouldings. — None.
Columbiads. — Add to the above the ratchet, the sight-piece.
The vent is in the vertical plane of the axis, perpendicular to it,
and enters the bore at the termination of the cylinder of the bore,
or slightly in front of it.
Guns of the Model of 1841-44.
The general difference between guns of the model of 1861 and
of 1841-44, is, that in the latter the vent makes an angle of 80^
with the axis of the bore, entering the bore one-fourth diameter
of the bore from the ifRttom, and that the latter have more mould-
ings. In the model of 1861, all unnecessary mouldings are dis-
pensed with, as they are found to materially injure the strength
of th^ gun.
Different kinds of Cannon.
Gun. — A gun, technically, is a heavy cannon, intended to throw
solid shot with large charges of powder. It may be distinguished
from other cannon by its great weight and length, and by the ab-
sence of a chamber.
Howitzer. — The howitzer is a cannon employed to throw large
hollow projectiles with comparatively small chlirges of powder.
It is shorter, lighter, and more cylindrical in shape than a gun of
the same calibre, and it has a cylindrical chamber for the recep-
tion of powder. The chief advantage of a howitzer over a gun
is, that with less weight of piece it can produce at short ranges a
greater effect.
Mortar. — A mortar is a short cannon used to throw large hoi-
low projectiles at great angles of elevation — usually that of 45^.
It has a chamber generally of a conical form.
Columhiad. — The columbiad combines certain qualities of the
gun, howitzer, and mortar. It is a long (the model of 184^-44
having a cylindrical chamber), heavy piece, capable of projecting
shot and shells, with heavy charges of powder, at high angles of
elevation. Invented by Col. Bumford, and used for soUd shot
in 1812.
Carronade. — A carronade is a light cannon about 6 cahbres
long in the bore, weighing about 65 times the weight of the pro-
jectile. It was formerly much used on ships of war. A car-
ronade has no trunnions, but is supported on its carriage by a
stout bolt, which passes through a loop cast on the under side.
Its name is derived from the Carron foundry, where they were
first made. It is not used in the C. S. service.
Rifie cannon. — These are of a recent date, and are distinguished
from the smooth bore, in having the rifles or threads of a female
screw cut in the bore. There are many varieties.
Chambers.
Experience shows that up to a charge of powder equal to one-
seventh of the weight of the projectile, and a length of bore equal
to 9 or 10 calibres, a chamber is advantageous ; but beyond these
limits, it possesses no compensating advantages.
There are three kinds of chambers used in fire arms : cylin-
drical, conical, or spherical. *
Cylindrical chamber. — This is a cylinder of smaller diameter
than the bore, terminated at bottom by a portion of a sphere, and
connected, by a spherical or a conical surface, with the bore. For
very small charges of powder and short lengths of bore, the cylin-
drical chamber gives better results than the conical. Hence, all
howitzers are provided with the cylindrical chamber.
Conical chamber. — This, called also the Gomer chamber, con-
sists of the frustrum of a cone connected with the bore by a por-
tion of the surface of a sphere. This kind of chamber is con-
sidered the most advantageous for large charges, and is adopted
in mortars.
8
Spherical chamber. — This consists of a sphere joined to the
bore of the piece by means of a small cylinder, which serves as a
channel to the gases. It is now ontirely'iabandoned.
Grooves of the Rifled Gun.
S 4.62-inch
rifled
gnns
7
■ ^3
"
5
(4-62 "
■ ^3
<«
<«
0.5
inch.
<(
<<
0.4
"
5 4.62 "
■ ^3
<(
u
0.1
"
"
((
0.07
<(
S 4.62 "
" >3
<(
<f
1 turn
in 19
feet.
u
((
1
"
in 14
1.1,
<4.62 "
"
<'
1.87
inch.
" ) 3
((
*'
1.5
"
Number of grooves,
Width,
Depth,
Twist,
Width of lands.
To DESIGNATE A PIECE OF ORDNANCE.
State the kind, the calibre (in inches if it be foreign ordnance),
the material, the weight, the inspector's initials, the number, the
country in which it was made, the date, the place of fabrication,
the founder's name, the name inscribed on it, its condition for ser-
vice, the kind of chamber, if any ; whether it has a vent piece, a
lock piece, handles, the ornaments, and any particular marks
which may serve to identify it.
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True windage, - - - - -
Length of bore, exclusive of chamber,
" '• " " indiam.
Diameter of the chamber,
Length of the chamber, . . .
Length from rear of base ring to face of muzzle.
Whole length of the piece,
Semi-diameter of base ring, - - .
Semi-diameter of swell of muzzle.
Distance between these semi-diameters,
Natural angle of sight,
Dist. from rear of base ring to rear of trunnions.
Diameter of base ring, - - - -
Distance between the rimbases.
Length of the trunnions.
Diameter of the trunnions,
Dist. from axis of trunnions to face of muzzle,
Weight, - - - pounds.
Preponderance, - - pounds,
11
Materials for Ordnance.
Bronze.
Bronze for cannon (commonly called brass) consists of 90 parts
of copper, and 10 of tin, allowing a variation of one part of tin,
more or less. It is more fusible than copper, much less so than
tin, more sonorous, harder, and less susceptible of oxidation, and
much less ductile than either of its components. Its fracture is
of a yellowish color, with litlle lustre, a coarse grain, irregular,
and often exhibiting spots of tin, which are of a whitish color.
These spots indicate defects in the metal ; but they seldom con-
tain more than 25 per cent, of tin. The specific gravity of bronze
is about 8,700, being greater than the mean of the specific gravi-
ties of copper and tin.
Pure copper is of a red color, inclining to yellow; it has a fine
metallic lustre. Its fracture exhibits a short, even, close grain, of
a silky appearance ; it is very ductile and very malleable. The
greater the purity of copper, the more malleable it is, and the
finer the grain. !:^pecific gravity from 8,600 to 9,000.
Pure tin is of a white color, a little darker than silver; it Is
malleable, and susceptible of being rolled into sheets, but it is not
very ductile ; it is very soft, and when bent backwards and for-
wards, it gives a peculiar crackling sound, the distinctness of
which is in proportion to the purity of the tin. Specific gravity,
7,290 to 7,320.
Cast Iron.
Iron for making cannon should be smelted with the greatest
possible care, with charcoal, and a blast of a constant tempera-
ture of 125^ to 300'^, depending upon the ore used. * All the ma-
terials wluch enter the smelting furnace should be of the best and
purest quality. The most important quality of gun-iron, after a
medium strength of 25,000 to 30,000 pounds per square inch, is
uniformity, without which no two guns can be made alike, or any
idea formed of what kind of guns are being made. The essential
12
-qnalities of good gttn-iron, are tenacity, elasticity, extensibility and
incompressibility : that iron will Tse tlie best 'whrcli has them ^11 in
the greatest degree, and the absence of any one will render the
iron unfit for guns.
Before making guns from an iron which has never been tried
for this purpose, a sample-gun of the calibre of the gun to be
made, should first endure a satisfactory proof with service charges.
The mean specific gravity of gun-iron is about 7,248, and the
average tenacity about 30,000 pounds per square inch.
Wrought Iron and Steel.
Experimental guns have been made of wrought iron and steel,
giving satisfactory results, and an order has been given for guns,
to be made of the former material. The superior strength of
these materials, and the evenness, smoothness and hardness of
gnrface of which they are susceptible, render it probable that
these are the materials of which our field rifle guns will soon 1>€
exclusively made.
Marks.
All cannon are required to be weighed, and to be marked as
follows, viz : the number of the gun, and the initials of the inspec-
tors name, on Ihe face of the muzzle ; the numbers in a separate
series for each kind and calibre at each foundry ; the initial let-
ters of the name of the founder and of the foundry, on the end of
the right trunnion ; the year of fabrication on the end of the lofi
trunnion; the foundry number on the end of the right rimbase,
above the trunnion ; the weight of the piece in pounds on the base
of the breech ; the letters C. S. on the upper surface of the piece,
near the end of the reinforce.
Cannon rejected on inspection are marked X C on the face of
the muzzle ; if condemned for erroneous dimensions which cannot
be remedied, add X D ; if by powder proof, X P ; if by water
proof, X W.
Injuries caused by service.
Brass cannon are little subject to esternal injury, except from
13
the bending of the trunnions sometimes after long service or heavy
charges.
internal injuries are caused hj the action of the elastic fluids
developed in the combustion of the powder, or by the action of
the shot in passing out of the bore, these effects generally in-»
crease with the calibre of the piece.
Of the first kind, which exhibit themselves in rear of the shot,
are : 21ie enlargement of the bore by the compression of the metal,
which is seldom a serious defect; corrosion of metal, particularly
at the angles, such as the inner orifice of the vent, or the mouth
of a cjluidrical chamber ; cracks, from the yielding of the cohe-
sion of the metal ; cavities, cracks enlarged by the action of the
gas, and by the melting of the metal ; observable especially in
the upper surface of the bore.
Injuries of the second kind, which appear in front of the charge,
are : The lodgment of the shot, a compression of the metal on the
lower side of the bore, at the seat of the shot, caused by the pres-
sure of the fluid in escaping over the top of the shot. There is
a corresponding burr in front of the lodgment, and the motion
thereby given to the shot causes it to strike alternatelj' on the top
and bottom of the bore, producing other enlargemenif;, generally
three in number ; it is chiefly from this cause that bronze guns
become unserviceable. Scratches, caused by the fragments of a
broken shot, or the roughness of an imperfect one.
The durahility of bronze guns may be much increased by
careful use, and by the precautions of increasing the length of
the cartridge, or that of the sabot, or using a wad over the car-
tridge, in order to change the place of the shot ; by wrajyping the
shot in ivoolcn or other cloth, or in paper, so as to diminish the
windage and the bounding of the shdt in the bore. The French
bronze siege guns, which formerly v. < re rendered unserviceable
in 600 service rounds, now endure l)y iliis method 2,500 service
rounds. In field guns, both bronze and iron, the paper cap, which
is taken off from the cartridge, should always be jmt over the shot.
Iron guns are subject to the above defects in a less degree than
bronze, except from corrosion of the metal. The principal cause
14
of injury to iron guus is rusting of the metal, producing a rough-
ness and enlargement of the bore.
The service to which an iron gun has been subjected, may gene-
rally be determined by the appearance of the vent. This is ex-
amined by taking a cast of it in lead. After about 500 rounds,
the vent becomes enlarged to .3 inch, and should not be longer
used.
In rifled guns, the wear of the vent is about twice as great as
in smooth bored guns.
Replacing vents. — In bronze field pieces, the vent piece is taken
out and a new one screwed in. In other guns, the vent is filled
up by pouring in melted zinc, the vent being closed on the inte-
rior by means of cLay placed on the head of a rammer, and pressed
against the upper surface of the bore, and a new vent is bored at
a distance of two or three inches from the first.
Spiking and unspiking Guns, and rendering them unser-
viceable.
To spike a piece, or to render it unserviceable. — Drive into the
vent a jagged and hardened steel spike with a soft point, or a nail
without a head ; break it off flush with the outer surface, and
clinch the point inside by means of a rammer. Wedge a shot in
the bottom of the bore by wrapping it with felt, or by means of
iron wedges, using the rammer, or a bar of iron to drive them in ;
a wooden wedge would be easily burnt by means of a charcoal
fire, lighted with the aid of a bellows. Cause shells to burst in
the bore of bronze guns, or fire broken shot from them with high
charges. Fill a piece with sand over the charge to burst it. Fire
a piece against another, muzzle to muzzle, or the muzzle of one
to the chase of the other. Light a fire under the chase of a bronze
gun, and strike on it with a sledge to bend it. Break off the
trunnions of iron guns ; or burst them by firing them with heavy
charges, and full of shot at a high elevation. When guns are to
be spiked temporaril}^ and are likely to be retaken, a sjning spike
is used, having a shoulder to prevent its being too easily extracted.
To unspike a piece.— H the spike is not screwed in or clinched,
16
and the bore is not impeded, put in a charge of powder of one-
third the weight of the shot, and ram junk wads over it with a
handspike, laying on the bottom of the bore a strip of wood with
a gl'oove on the under side, containing a strand of quick-match,
by which fire is communicated to the charge ; in a bronze gun,
take out some of the metal at the upper orifice of the vent and
pour sulphuric acid into the groove for some hours before firing.
If this method, several times repeated, is not successful, unscrew
the vent piece if it be a bronze gUn, and if an iron one, drill out
the spike, or drill a new vent.
^o drive out a shot wedged in the hare. — Unscrew the vent
piece, if there be one, and drive in wedges so as to start the shot
forward — then ram it back again, in order to seize the wedge with
a hook; or pour in powder and fire it after replacing the vent
piece. In the last resort bore a hole in the bottom of the breech,
drive out the shot and stop the hole with a screw.
To use a piece ivhich has been spiked. — Insert one end of a
piece of quick-match in the cartridge, allowing the other to pro*
ject out of the muzzle of the gun. Apply the fire to the quick-
match, and get out of the way. When quick-match of sufficient
length is not at hand, insert one end in the cartridge, the other
projecting in front of the shot; and after ramming the cartridge
home, throw two or three pinches of powder into the bore. Place
another piece of match in the muzzle, the end projecting out.
The piece may be fired in this way without danger. Quick-match
in the cartridge may be dispensed witli by piercing three or four
holes in the cartridge bag. In this manner the gun may be fired
with great rapidity.
Preservation of Ordnance.
Cannon should be placed together, according to kind and calibre,
oti skids of stone, iron, or wood, laid on hard ground, well rammed
and covered with a layer of cinders, or of some other material, to
prevent vegetation.
Guns and long; howitzers. — The pieces should rest on the skids
in front of the base ring and in rear of the astragal; the aiis in-
16
dined at an angle of 4 or 5 degrees with the horizon, the muzzle
lowest ; the trunnions touching each other ; or if space is wanting
for that arrangement, the trunnion of one piece may rest on the
adjoining piece, so that the axis of the trunnions is inclined about
45° with a horizontal line ; the vent down, stopped with a greased
w^ooden plug, or with putty or tallow. If circumstances require it,
the pieces may be piled in two tiers, with skidding placed between
them, exactly over those which rest on the ground ; the muzzles
of both tiers in the same direction and their axes preserving the
game inclination.
Short howitzers and mortars. — On thick planks, standing on
their muzzles, the trunnions touching, the vents stopped.
Iron ordnance should be covered on the exterior with a lacker
impervious to water; the bore and the vent should be greased
with a mixture of oil and talloiv, or of tallow and beeswax melted
together and boiled to expel the water. The lacker should be
renewed as often as requisite, and the grease at least once every
year.
The lacker and grease should be applied in hot weather.
The cannon should be frequently inspected, to see that moisture
does not collect in the bore.
History of Cannon.
Gunpowder became generally known in Europe about 1320,
and about this time it was first used to project rounded stones
from short conical guns, made in the shape of an apothecary's
mortar.
Perrieres. — These were succeeded by guns made of long and
cylindrical bars of iron bound together by hoops, with a chamber
for the powder, called perneies, from being used to breach stone
walls.
Culverin. — The introduction of the cast iron instead of the
stone projectile, caused the rejection of the perrieres for the cul-
verin, a gun somewhat like that used at present, of cast metal,
only much longer bore, and ornamented on the exterior with
"vajrious devices. There is one now at Dover, England, 25 feet
17
long, which casts a projectile of 18 pounds, called " Queen Anne's
Pocket Piece."
Breech-loading cannon. — In the repository at Woolwich, there
is a gun marked 1426, with a moveable breech. Among the ear-
liest cannon are found those loading at the- breech. They were
soon abandoned for want of strength.
ArqueUise. — The arquehuse was a light gun, to be used by the
hand, which came into use about 1524; and this was finally suc-
ceeded by the musket, cannon having been in use nearly two
hundred years before the musket.
Ancient mortars. — In 1478 an attempt was made to use hollow
projectiles, to which was attached a burning match, but with little
success. In 1G34 the present mortars were introduced in the
French service.
Ancient howitzers. — Early attempts were also made to throw
hollow projectiles from the long culverins ; but the difficulty of
loading, as the match was lighted before they were introduced,
caused the attempt to be abandoned, until the Dutch artillerists
conceived the idea of reducing its length so the projectile could
be readily inserted. These cannon, thus reduced, came into
general use, under the name of Howitzers from the German,
Haubitz.
Calibres. — The principal series were the French: the 32-
pounder, 16-pounder, 8-pounder, 4-pounder and 2-pounder ; and
the German, the 48-pounder, 24-pounder, 12-pounder, 6-pounder,
3-pounder and 1^-pounder. To one or the other of these, all the
various systems of calibres were finally reduced.
Valiere.— In 1732 Gen. Yaliere established a system of uni-
formity for cannon throughout France. Still, the carriages for
different calibres were of different dimensions ; the axletrees were
of wood, and gun carriages without limbers.
Gribeauval. — In 1765 Gen. Gribeauval effected the most im-
portant changes in artillery. He diminished the charge of pow-
der from one-half to one-third the weight of the ball, and was
thereby enabled to make the gun lighter ; he disposed the horses
in double file, having been previously arranged in single ; he in-
X8
troduced iron axletrees, cartridges instead of loose powder, ele-
vatiug- screws and tangent scales, and compelled all the arsenals
to make the work according to fixed dimensions.
Aftcj'wards, all field carriages were reduced to two, making the
wheels of the limber and of the carriage the same, and an am-
munition chest placed on the limber. The two flasks which
formed the trail, were replaced by a single piece, called the stoclc^
allowing the piece to turn in a smaller space.
Napoleon gun. — In 1850 the present Emperor of France sub-
stituted a single gun of medium weight and 12 lbs. calibre, capa-
ble of firing both shot and shell, for the 8 and 12-pounder guns,
and 24 and 32-pounder howitzers then in use. It is also called
canon-obusier, or gun-howitzer. All the field batteries in the
French service in the Crimean war, consisted of these Napoleon
guns, each drawn by eight horses. This gun is now adopted in
the C. S. service.
Increase in calibre. — In 1830 the heaviest gun mounted in the
U. S. service, was a 42-pounder; now, 15-inch columbiads, cast-
ing a ball of 400 lbs. weight, and mortars, throwing 15-inch shell
of 320 lbs. weight, are in use.
Rijle cannon. — The first rifled small arm is said to have been
made in 1498; yet the method of rifling was not applied to can-
non until a recent period. Col. Cavalli of the Sardinian service'
introduced about 1832 a breech-loading rifle cannon, which was
somewhat noted, though not generally adopted.
Lancaster gun. — During the Crimean war Mr. Lancaster in-
troduced his rifle cannon of elliptical bore. It was like a smooth
bore with its section an ellipse instead of a circle ; having the
major axis of the ellipse at the muzzle at right angles to the major
axis at the breech. They wholly failed, at the siege of Sevasto-
pol, to realize the expectations formed, and from frequent burst-
ing, were finally discarded.
Rifle fi.eld j^ieces were first used with great efi^ect by the French
in the Italian war, and rifle siege 2yieces have been first used in
the present war.
Among the most celebrated rifle cannon, are the Armstrong,
19
the Whilworth and the Parrott. Some of these are now in the
C. S. service, obtained either by capture or purchase.
The Armstrong gun, so called from the inventor, who was
knighted by the English government for the invention, is a
breech-loading rifle cannon, made of wrought iron tubes welded
together ; each tube is from two to three feet long, and is formed
by twisting a square bar of iron around a mandrel, and welding
the edges together, as a good fowling piece is made. In the rear
of the trunnions it is enveloped with two additional thicknesses of
tubes. The outer consists of a spiral coil, but the inner is formed
of an iron slab bent into a circular shape and welded. This in-
termediate layer has chiefly to sustain the pressure on the bottom
of the bore.
Breech. — The breech is closed with a vent piece, which is
slipped with the hand into a slot cut into the breech of the piece,
and held in its place by a breech screw, which supports it from
behind. This screw is made in the form of a tube, so that its
hollow forms a part of the bore prolonged, when the vent piece is
withdrawn : and through this hollow tube the charge is passed
into the chamber.
Bore. — The bore of the field gun is three inches in^diameter,
and is rifled with thirty-four narrow grooves. Twist, one turn in
9 feet.
Projectile. — It consists of a very thin cast iron shell enclosing
forty -two segment shaped pieces of cast iron built up so as to form
a cylindrical cavity in the centre. The exterior of the shell is
thinly coated with lead. The lead is also allowed to percolate
among the segments so as to fill up the interstices, the central
cavity being kept open bj^ the insertion of a steel core. In this
state the projectile is so compact that it may be fired through six
feet of hard timber without injury ; while its resistance to a burst-
ing charge is so small that less than one ounce of powder is re-
quired to burst it.
The gun can be fired with great rapidity, and apparently for
any length of time, without being sponged. The Armstrong gun
always throws to the right, increasing ^nth the range. This con-
20
stant deviation or *' drift" is allowed for by a lateral motion of
the rear sight.
Eight degrees of elevation give a range of about 3,000 yards.
In connection with the elevating apparatus, the field carriage has
a lateral screic for giving a slight transverse motion to the piece
in pointing. None of them are in the C. S. service.
The Whitworth gun is a breech-loading rifle cannon, made of
steel, with a wrought iron band at the breech. The breech screws
off and works in a collar turning on a hinge. It is 100 inches
long in the bore, which is somewhat hexagonal in form. The ca-
libre of the inscribed circle is 2.71 inches. The sides of the hex-
agon have one turn in 4i feet. The vent is in the direction of the
axis of the bore. The projectile is a hexagonal prismoid in form,
to fit the bore, with the front end a paraboloid. The carriage is
provided with an azimuth screw of play of 1^ inch for moving the
gun in azimuth. It derives its name from the celebrated English
machinist Whitworth, its inventor, and is said to have a remark-
able range. A few are in the C. S. service, by purchase.
The Parrott gun derives its name from its inventor, Mr. Par-
rott of New York. It is a cast iron rifle cannon, with the dis-
tinctive clmracteristic of being reinforced at the breech with a
wrought iron band, and of having grooves equal in luidth to the
lands. The groove is a portion of an annulus with rounded
cornei-s.
The Parrott {called also 10-pounder rijled) gun has a calibre
2.9 inches. Length from rear of base band to muzzle, 72.8 inches.
Three grooves .05 inch deep, wrought iron band at breech 13
inches in length and 1.18 inch thick.
The 20-pounder Parrott gun (captured before Eichraond) has
a calibre of 3.67 inches ; length from rear of base band to muzzle,
83 inches ; wrought iron band at breech, 16 inches in length and
1.5 inch in thickness. It has five grooves equal to the bands in
width, atd is rifled with one turn in 24 feet.
The 30-pounder Parrott gun (captured at Manassas) has a
calibre of 4.2 inches ; weight 4190 lbs. ; entire length 132 inches ;
five grooves. The wrought iron band at breech is 19 inches in
length and 2 inches in thickness. It is rifled ^vith one turn in
24 feet.
A few 3-inch guns have been rifled and banded at the Tredegar
works like the Parrott gun. A few 3-inch wrought iron guns have
also been captured. They arc known by the outline being a con-
tinuous curve.
Austrian guns. — Twenty-seven bronze field pieces have been
introduced into the C. S. service from Austria. Seven are 24-
pounder howitzers, cast in Vienna, 1857-50, of calibre 5.87, in-
stead of 5.82. The remaining seventeen are 6-pounders, cast in
Vienna in 1826 and 1859, of calibre 3.74 instead of 3.67. By
having the balls enclosed in canvas, the ordinary ammunition
issued for the approximate calibres in the C. S. service may be
used with these guns and howitzers.
The Blakeleij gun derives its name from its maker, Mr. Blake-
ley of England. The field piece is a 12-pounder rifle cannon, of
calibre 3.50 inches, with saw tooth grooves. Some are in service;,
obtained by purchase.
22
CHAP. II.
PROJECTILES.
Material.
Stone ^yrojec tiles were used before tlie invention of gunpowder,
and very generally after it, until the year 1400, when the French
made them of cast iron. Un^il quite lately, bronze guns, throwing
stone balls of enormous calibre, were used by the Turks in de-
fending the passage of the Dardanelles.
Lead is too soft to be used against very resisting objects. Large
projectiles are liable to be disfigured and partially melted by "the
violent shock and great heat of large charges of powder.
Wrought iron can be used when great strength and density are
required. It is very expensive.
Cast iron unites, in a greater degree than any other material,
the essential qualities of hardness, strength, density and cheapness.
Compound projectiles.-^ AX the siege of Cadiz, cast iron projec-
tiles, filled with lead, were used, combining thus great strength
and density. For rifle guns, in some services, the projectiles are
coated with lead.* In the C. S. service a copper disc is used.
Classification.
Projectiles may be classified in spherical and oblong. The
spherical are used in smooth bored guns, and the oblong in rifle
guns. They are further classified according to their structure.
Solid or round shot are made of cast iron, and are used in guns.
Shells are hollow shot made of cast iron. For field guns and
howitzers their calibres are expressed by tJie weight of the equiva-
lent solid shot, as 12 and 24 pound shells ; and for all other howit-
zers and mortars, by the diameter of the bore of the piece, as 8
and 10 inch shells. They have less strength to resist a shock,
and are therefore fired with a smaller charge of powder than solid
shot. The cavity contains a bursting charge of powder, or a
23
bursting charge and incendiary composition, if the object be to
destroy by combustion.
Spherical case shot were invented or perfected by Col. Schrap-
nell of the British army, and hence are often called " Schraimeli:'
They consist of thin cast iron shells filled with round musket balls.
Formerly the interstices were filled with melted sulphur to solidify
the mass, and a hole bored through the mass to receive the burst-
ing charge. Now, by packing the balls in tight, the sulphur is
dispensed with. The 12-pounder spherical case shot contains
about 90 bullets and a bursting charge of 1 oz. of powder, and
the 24-pounder contains about 175 bullets.
Grape shot. — A grape shot is composed of nine small cast iron
balls of a size appropriate to the calibre, disposed in three layers
of three balls each. Formerly the balls were held together by a
covering of canvas and a net-work of twine, called quilted grape.
Now a stand of grape is held together by two rings and a plate
at each end of the stand connected by a rod or bolt. Grape shot
are used in all smooth bored guns except the field and mountain
services.
Canister shot. — A canister shot is a tin cylinder with iron heads
Ailed with balls packed in sawdust. The balls are all made oi
cast iron, except for the mountain howitzer. A canister shot for a
jgun contains 27 small balls arranged in 4 layers — the top of 6,
and the remainder of 7 each. That for a howitzer contains 48
balls in four layers of 12 each. They are used in the field, moun-
tain, siege and seacoast services.
Bar shot consist of two spheres connected by a bar of iron.
They are very inaccurate — so much so as at the present to be
abandoned.
Chain shot only differ from lar shot in the connection being by
a chain instead of a bar.
Carcasses are shells having, besides the usual eye, three others,
which are placed at equal distances apart, and tangent to the
great circle of the shell, which is perpendicular to the axis of the
first eye. They are filled with combustible composition, primed
at the four holes with quick-match and mealed powder, and are
24
used to 8st fire to au enemy's works, the additional holes being to
allow a more rapid escape of the flame.
Grenades. — A hand grenade is a small shell thrown from the
hand. Rampart grenades are larger, and are used to roll down
a breach in its defence, to throw over the ramparts, &c. Six-
pounder spherical case shot may be used as hand grenade^
Shot.
Calibre,
32
24
18
12
9
6
4
3
1
Diameter, -
6.25
5.68
5.17
4.52
4.10
3.58
3.12
2.84
1.95
Weight,
32.6
24.4
18.5
12.3
9.25
6.10
4.07
3.05
1.00
The specific gravity of shot and shell is about 7,000. Shells 7.1.
1-6 It D^ being the volume of a sphere, and .2607 the weight of
a cubic inch of cast iron, the weight of a cast iron sphere will be
1-6 'Tf W X .2607 = 1-6 X 3.1416 x .2607 D^^ = 0.134 D3.
To find the weight of a cast iron shot or shell :
Multiply the cube of the diameter of the shot in inches, or the
difference of the cubes of the exterior and interior diameters of
the shell, by 0.134 for the weight in pounds.
For lead balls, the multiplier is 0.2142.
To find the diameter of a cast iron shot of a given weight :
Divide the weight in pounds by 0.134, and the cube root of the
quotient will be the diameter in inches.
To find the quantity of powder which a shell will contain :
Multiply the cube of the interior diameter of the shell in inches
by 0.01744, for the weight of powder in pounds.
To find the number of balls in te pile:
Multiply the sum of the three parallel edges by one-third of the
number of balls in a triangular face.
In a square pile, one of the parallel edges contains but one ball ;
in a triangular pile, two of the edges have but one ball in each.
n(n-l-l)
The number of balls in a triangular face is 2 ; n bein^
the number in the bottom row.
25
The sum of the three parallel eds^es in a triangular pile is
l'w-[-2; in a square pile, 2 71 -|- 1; in an oblong pile, 3 N-\-
[2 w — 2 ; N being- the length of the top row, and n the width of
the bottom tier; or, 3 m — n -\- 1; m being the length and n
the width of the bottom tier.
If a pile consist of two piles joined at a right angle, calculate
the contents of one as a common oblong pile, and of the other as
a pile of which the three parallel edges are equal.
26
CHAP. III.
ARTILLERY CARRIAGES.
NOMENCLATURE.
The nomenclature and the tables of dimensions and weights
given in this chapter, apply to the latest patterns adopted. The
parts are enumerated generally in the order in which they are put
together.
Field Gun Carriages.
There are four gun carriages for field artillery, viz :
One for the 6-pounder gun and the 12-pounder howitzer.
One for the 24-pounder howitzer.
One for the 12-pounder gun and the 32-pounder howitzer.
One for the 12-pounder gun, Napoleon.
The parts of these carriages are all similar^ differing only in
their dimensions.
Wood.
1 stock, in two pieces ; 2 dowels ; 2 cheeks ; 1 axle body.
Iron.
2 trail handles.
2 bolts and 2 nuts for do.
1 lock chain bolt, 1 washer, and 1
nut.
1 eye plate for lock chain.
1 lock chain. No. 5, 3 rings, 1
toggle.
1 lunette, for the trail.
1 trail plate ; 2 rivets.
12 nails, for lunette and trail plate.
1 large pointing ring and plate.
2 bolts and 2 nuts, for do.
1 small pointing ring.
2 bolts and 2 nuts, for do.
2 wheel guard plates.
10 nails, for do.
2 prolonge hooks.
8 nails, for prolonge hooks.
1 stop, for rammer head.
4 nails, for do.
3 ear-plate, for worm.
2 nails, for do.
1 key, for v/orra.
1 key chain ; 1 eye-pin.
1 eye-plate for sponge and rammer
chains.
2 screws, for eye-plate.
2 chains and hasps, for sponges
and rammers.
2 turnbuckles (brass).
2 stud plates, for turnbuckles.
2 trunnion plates.
20 nails, for do., iu 6-pdr. and 24-
pdr. howitzer carriage.
S7
Field Gun Carriages— /ro^— Continued.
28 nails, in ]2-pclr. carriage.
2 cbaiu bolts ; 2 bevel washers and
2 nuts. *
2 key bolts ; 2 nuts.
6 cheek bolts; 4 washers; 6 nuts.
2 cap squares ; 2 eye pins.
2 cap square chains ; 2 eye pins.
2 cap square keys.
2 key cliains ; 2 eye pins.
2 D rings, for handspikes.
4 staples, for D rings.
1 linstock-socket.
6 nails, for do.
6 rondelles {cast iron).
3 assembling bolts.
3 washers and 3 nuts, for do.
1 washer hook, for lock chain.
2 washer hooks, for handspikes.
1 axletree ; the arms, the stop*
2 under straps.
1 axle strap.
1 bevel washer, for 6-pounder axle
strap.
3 axle strap bolts ; 3 nuts.
2 axle bands.
6 nails, for do.
1 box for elevating screw (brass).
2 bolts, for do. ; 2 washers ; 2 nuts.
1 elevating screw.
2 shoulder washers,
2 linch washers,
2 linch pins.
2 wheels.
for axletree.
Limber.
The same limber is used for all field carriages.
Wood.
1 axle body.
2 hounds.
1 fork.
1 splinter bar.
4 foot board brackets.
2 foot boards.
1 pole.
1 pole prop.
8 screws, for foot board brackets.
20 nails, for foot boards.
4 rivets and 4 burrs, for hounds.
4 plates, for stay pins ; 8 nails.
1 axletree.
1 pintle hook.
3 bolts, for do. ; 2 Avashers ; 3 nuts.
1 stay plate, for limber chest.
2 nails, for do.
1 pintle key.
1 key chain ; 1 eye pin.
1 tar bucket hook ; 2 nails.
2 bolts, for hounds ; 2 washers ; 2
nuts.
2 under straps.
4 bolts, for under straps; 4 nuts.
2 axle bands ; 6 nails.
2 end bands, for splinter bar.
4 rivets, for do.
2 bolts, for hounds and splinter
bar.
4 washers and 2 nuts, for do.
1 eye plate, for pole prop socket.
2 middle bands, for splinter bar.
4 trace hooks.
1 fork strap.
2 bolts, for splinter bar and fork.
2 nuts, for do.
1 pole prop socket ; 1 rivet.
1 pole prop ferrule ; ] rivet.
1 pole prop chain ; 1 toggle.
1 eye pin, for pole prop chain.
1 burr, for eye pin.
2 stay pins, for ammunition chest.
2 keys, for stay pins.
2 key chains ; 2 eye pins.
1 rivet and 1 burr, for end of pole.
1 pole bolt ; 2 washers ; 1 nut.
28
Limber — Iron — (Continued.)
1 pole strap and 3 rivets.
2 pole chains ; the hnks ; the ring.
1 muff, for pole yoke.
1 collar, for muff; in two parts.
2 branches, for pole yoke ; 2 rings.
2 bolts, for collar and branches.
1 washer, for muff; 1 key.
2 shoulder washers.
2 linch w^iBhers.
2 linch pins.
2 wheels, No. 1.
1 ammunition chest.
Wheels.
There are two Nos. of wheels for field carriages. No. 1, for
the 6-pounder gun carriages, the caisson, the forge, the battery
wagon, and for the limbers of all field carriages. No. 2, for the
24:-pounder howitzer and the 12-pounder gun carriages. These
wheels are of the same form and height, and they fit on the same
axletree arm : they differ only in the dimensions of their parts,
and consequently in strength and weight.
Wood.
1 nave.
14 spokes.
7 fellies.
7 dowels.
Iron.
2 broAv bands ; 2 end bands.
12 nails, for bands.
1 tire.
7 tire bolts ; 7 washers ; 7 nuts.
1 nave box (cast iron).
Ammunition Chest.
The same ammunition chest is adapted to the limber and to the
caisson.
For the interior arrangements of the chests, for different kinds
of ammunition, see chapter on Ammunition.
Wood.
2 sides.
2 ends.
1 principa
1 bottom.
partition.
1 frame for cover; 2 sides; 2 ends.
1 panel for cover.
1 cover lining.
29
Iron.
34 cut nails, for sides, ends and.
bottom.
4 screws, for the bottom.
60 copper nails, for cover lining.
4 corner plates, for ends and sides.
2 do. for ends & bottom.
1 do. for side & bottom.
96 screws, for comer plates.
1 assembling bolt; 1 nut.
1 tunibuckle (brass).
1 washer plate for do. ; 2 screws.
1 back stay ; 6 screws.
2 front stays ; 4 rivets ; 8 screws.
2 hinges ; 4 rivets ; 20 screws.
2 hinge plates ; 4 screws.
1 hasp ; 1 rivet ; 5 screws.
1 hasp plate ; 2 screws.
2 handles ; 8 rivets.
14 copper washers, for rivets.
56 copper tacks, for washers.
1 cover (sheet copper).
216 copper tacks, for cover.
Caisson. — Wood.
1 middle rail.
2 side rails.
1 cross bar.
1 bolster, for front foot board.
1 front foot board.
1 rear foot board.
1 axle body.
1 stock.
Iron.
2 nails, for front foot board.
1 bolt, for do. ; 2 Avashers ; 1 nut.
6 nails, for rear foot board.
1 middle assembling bar.
2 bolts, 2 washers and 2 nuts, for do.
1 carriage hook.
1 rear assembling bar.
2 bolts, 2 washers and 2 nuts, for do,
1 bridle, for rear of middle rail.
4 nails, for the bridle.
J spare wheel axle ; the body, 2 ribs,
1 washer, 3 rivets.
1 chain and toggle, for spare wheel
axle.
2 stays, for the same; 2 nuts.
1 stay bolt ; 1 nut.
1 foot bolt ; 1 nut.
1 lock chain bridle.
1 lock chain and toggle.
2 bolts, for lock chain bridle.
2 washers and 2 nuts, for do.
1 lock chain hook ; 2 nails.
1 axletree.
2 under straps.
4 bolts, for under straps ; 4 nuts.
2 axle bands ; 6 nails.
2 rivets for the stock ; 2 burrs.
1 lunette ; 12 nails.
2 lunette bolts ; 2 nuts.
1 key plate, for spare pole.
1 spare pole key.
1 key chain ; 1 eye pin.
2 wheel guard plates ; 10 nails.
1 stock stirrup.
2 bolts for do. ; 2 washers ; 2 nuts.
1 axle strap.
1 spare pole ring.
3 bolts, for axle strap; 3 nuts.
8 plates, for stay pins ; 16 nails.
4 stay pins,
stay pin keys.
key chains ; 4 eye pins,
ring bolt, for spare handspike,
washers and 1 nut, for ring bolt,
key plate, for handspike ; 2 nails.
1 key plate, for shovel ; 2 nails.
2 keys, for handspike and shovel,
key chains ; 2 eye pins,
staples, for tool handles,
shoulder washers.
linch washers.
linch pins.
2 wheels, No. 1.
2 ammunition chests.
30
Travelling Forge.
It consists of a hody, a belloivs house and coal box. For parts,
see Ord. Manual, p. 42-43.
To put the bellows in its j^lace. — Keraove the coal box from the
back of the bellows house ; take out the two stay plates at the
lower ends of the rabbets in the braces; put the projecting ends
of the upper bellows arm in the rabbets, and slide them up until
the ends of the lower arm come into their places ; put on the stay
plates, and fasten them down with the thumb nuts. Screw the
brass elbow pipe into its place, through the hole in the sheet iron
front of the bellows house ; put in the copper pipe, and screw up
the collar which connects it with the elbow pipe.
Limber Chest for Travelling Forge and Battery Wagon.
This chest differs from the ammunition chest in the following
points, viz :
It has no principal partition, and instead of the assembling bolt,
with the washer plate and turnbuckle, it has a hasp, staple and
2Jlate, fastened by 2 rivets.
The backstay is fastened by 1 rivet and 6 screws. The heads
of the rivets are not covered with copper washers.
Battery Wagon.
The battery wagon carries tools, spare parts of carriages, spare
harness, and other stores required for the service of a battery in
the field, and for repairs.
Prairie carriage for the 12-pounder mountain howitzer and
mountain rifle. — For particular parts, see Ord. Manual, 2d ed.
p. 47-48.
Prairie ammunition cart. — This is a two-wheeled cart with
shafts, carrying four ammunition chests, and one implement chest
like those used for the mountain howitzer ammunition. The
chests are held in place by stays and a bar fastened with a spring
catch behind, so that they may be easily detached. The wheels
I
31 '
are like those of the gun carriage, and have the same track. The
shafts have hooks at their front ends for the purpose of attaching
another horse if necessary, though one horse is sufficient for the
ordinary* draught.
Gun Carriage for the Mountain Howitzer and Moun-
tain ElFLE.
This gun carnage is adapted to transportation on a pack mule ;
but for occasional draught, when the roads permit, it is furnished
with a thill, which is used with the same saddle that carries the
pack. For parts, see Ord. Manual, 2d ed. p. 50-51.
Portable forge. — This is used when the capacity of a travelling
forge is not required. For parts, see Ord. Manual, p. 51.
SIEGE CARRIAGES.
Gun Carriage.
There are three gun carriages for siege artillery, viz :
One for the 12-pounder gun ;
One for the 18-pounder gun ;
One for the 24-pounder gun and the 8-incli howitzer.
These carriages are constructed in the same manner, differing
only in their dimensions.
When the 8-inch howitzer is mounted on the 24-pounder car-
riage, a quoin is used instead of the elevating screw ; the howitzer
being too short to rest on the screw.
GARRISON AND SEACOAST CARRIAGES.
The garrison and seacoast carriages are all made of wrought
iron. They are of four diiFerent kinds, viz :
1. The Barbette, front pintle carriage.
2. The Barbette, centre pintle carriage.
3. The casemate carriage.
4. The flank casemate carriage.
Each carriage is composed of a chassis and top carriage. The
inclination of the chassis rails is the same in all the carriages — 3°.
32
Preservation of Carriages.
Wooden carriages ai>e presented in atcII ventilated storeIiouse»
protected from tlie weather, or, in the field, are protected from the
sun bj a tarpaulin. They should have the- paint renewed when
it is worn off.
33
Principal dimensions and weights of Field Gun Carriages
Limbers.
DIMENSIONS.
JbistanCe between the inside of the trunnion plates,
Diameter of the trunnion lioles, . . . .
Depth of the centre of trunnion hole below the upper
face of the trunnion plate, . . . .
Distance of axis of trunnions in rear of axis of axletree,
the piece being in battery on horizontal ground.
Distance from axis of Irunuions to axis of axletree,
Height of axis of trunnions above the ground,
Vertical field | ^^«^« *^^ horizontal line. \ gS^'jt^,,^ \
^f ^•■^' ^ below the horizontal line. \ S^^witzer, -
Distance between the points of contact of trail and wheels
with the ground line, .....
Distance from front of wheels to end of trail, the piece
being in battery, ......
Distance of the muzzle of 7 Gun, in front of wheels,
the piece in battery from > TT -l ^ front of wheels,
the front of the wheels. ) "o^i^^cr, <^ ^^^^ ^^ wheels,
Length of gun carriage without wheels,
Length of limber without wheels,
Length of limber without wheels or pole,
Length of limber with wheels and pole,
Distance between the centres of theaxletrees of gun car
riage and limber, .....
Length of the carriage limbered up.
Distance from the muzzle of the piece, C Gun,
when limbered, to the front of pole. X Howitzer,
Whole length of the axletree.
Track of the wheels, . - . .
Height of wheel, .....
Dish of finished wheel.
%i
N
•■s
j;
fl^
t^^
CM
■ w
jj
■■A'-
p,
Weights.
^ Gun carriage, without wheels,
Limber, without wheels or ammunition chest.
Ammunition chest, without divisions,
n„« „,i,^^i S Grun carriage, -
One wheel. J timber, -
Gun carriage complete, without implements.
Limber complete, without implements,
t Gun carriage and limber, without implements,
9.6
3.7
1.
0.5
14.6
43.1
I'HP
13°
8°
5°
74.4
116.6
5.91
1.09
104.4
161.2
52.85
173.08
96.
269.08
279.1
272.1
78.84
60.
57.
L5
Lbs.
540
335
165
180
180
900
860
1760
In.
11.65
4.25
0.95
1.
16.2
44.8
130
8°
79.8
122.75
5.9
111.4
161.2
52.85
173.08
101.7
274.78
283.78
78.84
60.
57.
L5
Lbs.
736
335
165
196
180
1128
34
Field and Siege Wagons.
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHTS.
1
1
1
'3
o
1
o
^
«
s
In.
In.
In.
In.
Length, ......
12,5 5
130.
154.
143 6
Distance between the axletreeg of carriage and
limber, ......
92.
97.8
112.93
102.95
Whole length, when limbered up,
274.7
279.
303.13
287.85
Height, above the ground,
58.75
70.5
73.55
60.
Lb.s.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
r Carriage body, without wheels,
1 Limber, without wheels or chest, -
432
997
910
984
335
335
335
585
Weight, -l One wheel, - - - ■ -
180
180
180
404
Carriage and limber, complete, with-
out implements or spare parts, -
1982
2217
2130
3186
35
CHAP. IV.
ARTILLERY IMPLEMENTS & EQUIPMENTS.
NOMENCLATURE.
Rammer heads are made of ash, maple, or other tough woods.
For hoAvitzers they are countersunk to receive the fuzes in ram-
ming shells.
Sponge heads are made one inch less than the diameter of the
bore.
Sponges are made of coarse well twisted woolen yarn woven
into a warp of strong thread, after the manner of the Brussels
carpet. They are also made of sheep-skin, alum dressed, with
the wool on.
Sponge covers are made of Eussia duck or cam'^as, painted the
same color as the gun carriage. ' « •
Ladles are made of sheet copper, and are used for siege, gar-
rison and seacoast guns only.
Handspikes. — The trail handspike is made of TOckory or young
oak, and is used in the service of field carriages. The manceuvre-
ing handspike is used with garrison and seacoast carriages. The
■shod handspike is useful in the service of mortars of casemate
and barbette carriages. The truck handspike and roller hand-
spike are made of wrought iron, and used for casemate carriages.
Linstock. — Length of wood 31 .5 inches ; lower end pointed
with iron : used to hold the slow-match when lighted.
Portfre stock.— ^It has a portfire socket made of brass, with a
thumb screw, fastened to a stock of ash 22.5 inches long. It is
used to hold the portfire.
Pass box. — Interior dimensions 7 inches square by 14 inches
long.
Budge barrel. — 20 inches in height, 13 inches in diameter, with
a leather hood over top : used in forts for carrying ammunition.
Gunner's haversack, made of leather; 2 sides, 13 inches high,
13 inches wide.
S9
Port fire case, made of sole leather, to contain 12 port fifeef.
Tube pouch, made of leather ; the sides 4.25 inches high, 7.25
inches long. The priming wire and gunner's gimlet are carried
with the tube pouch in the loops.
Priming wire : iron wire 0.75 inch diameter, formed with a
ring 2 inches diameter at the head, and pointed ; length of stem,
for siege and garrison guns, 14 inches; length for field gunsr
8 inches.
Gunner's gimlet, like the priming wire, terminating in a gimlet
point.
Vent punch: the body (steel wire) 0.175 inch diameter, 4.3
inches long.
Thumbstall (buckskin) : cushion, stuffed with hair, 9.5 inchesr
long, 1 inch thick.
Port fire cutter: blades (steel) 2.37 inches long, with a notch
1 inch long and 0.4 inch deep in one of them, 1 inch from the-
joint — handles with bolv's 2 inches by 1 inch =— whole length 7 inches.
Tart^ent scale (sheet brass. No. 13) : flange 0.5 inch wide, cut
to fit the base ring of the piece ; upper edge cut into notches for
each i degree dypvation.
Table of Tangent Scales for Field Guns and Howitzers^
SUNS.
HOWITZ-ERS.
ELEVATION.
6-pdr.
12-pclr.
12-pdr.
24-pdr.
32-pdr.
1°15'
go
3°
40
Inches.
0.256
1.025
2.051
3.077
Inches.
0.333
1.334
2.670
4.006
Inches.
0.252
0.945
1.870
2.791
Inches.
0.289
].138
2.271
3.400
Inches,
0.331
1.3J0
2.618
3.920
Pendulum hausse, or tangent scale.
The scale is made of sheet brass, No. 13. At the lower end is
a brass bulb, filled with lead. The slider is of thin brass, and is
retained in any desired position on the scale by means of a brass
St
get screw with a milled head. The scale is passed through a slit
in a piece of steel, with whieh it is connected by a brass screw^
forming a pivot on which the scale can Tib rate laterally ; this slit
is made long enough to allow the scale to take a vertical position
in any ordinary cases of inequality of the ground on which the
wheels of the carriage may stand. The ends of this piece of steel
form two journals, by means of which the scale is supported on
the seat attached to the gun, and is at liberty to yibrate in the di-
rection of the axis of the piece.
The seat is of iron, and is fastened to the base of the breech by
3 screws^ in such a manner that the centres of the two journal
notches shall be at a distance from the axis equal to the radius of
the base ring.
A muzzle sight, of iron, is screwed into the swell of the muzzle
of guns, or into the middle of the muzzle ring of howitzers. The
height of this sight is equal to the dispart of the piece, bo that 8,
line from the top of the muzzle sight to the pivot of the tangen€
scale is parallel to the asis of the piece ; consequently, the verti-
cal plane of sight passing through the centre line of the scale and
the top of the muzzle sight, will be also parallel to the axis, in
any position of the piece ; the tangent scale will, therefore, always
indicate correctly the angle which the plane of sight makes with
the axis.
The seat for suspending the hausse on the gun is adapted in
each piece, according to the varying inclination of the base of the
breech to the axis. The hausse, the seat and the muzzle sight,
are marked for the kind of gun to which they belong. The
hausse, when not in tise, is carried in a leather pouch suspended
to a shoulder strap.
The graduations on the scale are the tangents of each quarter
of a degree, to a radius equal to the ilJi-jtance between the muzzle
sight and the centre of the journal nutclx'S, which are, in all cases,
one inch in rear of the base ring.
In some rifled cannon the sight is placed on tlie trunnion instead
of the muzzle. The breech sight is then placed on the side, so
that the line of the sights is in a vertical plane parallel to the axis
38
of the bore. In all rifled cannon the projectile deviates in the
direction in which it revolves, to the right. This deviation is to
be obviated in practice, by pointing to the left of the object.
Tangent Scales for Pendulum Hausses for Field Guns and
Howitzers.
i —
FOR GUN'S.
FOR HOWITZERS.
Gptlr.
12-pdr.
12-pdr.
!
24-pclr. 32-pdi'.
i
In.
In.
In.
In.
In.
Radius
of base ?
5.15
6.5
5.0
6.0
6.9
ring,
\
Dispart
-
1.025
1.33
0.9
1.125
1.3
Height of muzzle
sight.
Tang.
1°
1.042
1.349
0.931
1.128
1.310
2°
2.084
2.698
1.862
2.275
2.621
3°
8.124
4.046
2.792
3.412
3.933
40
4.164
5.392
3.722
4.548
5.248
5°
5.203
6.737
4.650
5.683
6.566
Gunner'' s level. — This is made of sheet brass ; the lower part
is cut in the form of a crescent, the points of which are made
of steel ; a small spirit level is fastened to one side of the plate,
parallel to the line joining the points of the crescent, and a slider
is fastened to the same side of the plate, perpendicular to the axis
of the level. The instrument is useful in marking the points of
sight on siege guns and mortars when the platform is not per-
fectly level.
Vent cover, for field pieces (leather) ; 6 inches long, 4 inches
wide, with a copper pin riveted to it. The length of the strap
varies with the size of the piece. In permanent batteries sheet
lead may be used for vent covers.
Fuze setter (brass) ; the handle, upper end slightly rounded,
the cup 2.1 inches diameter; depth, 0.3 inch. Whole length, 5
to 6 inches.
Fuze mallet (dogwood or oak), in one piece ; head, 5.5 inche*
39
long, 4 inches diameter; handle, 7.5 inches long, 1.25 inch di-
ameter.
Fuze saw (tenon saw) ; 10 inch blade.
Fuze rasp ; 12 inch wood rasp.
Fuze auger, for boring out the composition to any required
depth. Bit 0.2 inch diameter, sliding in a brass socket graduated
to lOths of an inch, and held by a thumb screw in the side ; haii-
dle, of hard wood.
Fuze gimlet ; common gimlet, 0.2 : used for boring across the
composition instead of sawing off the fuze.
Shell plug screiv (iron) ; stem 3 inches long, cut with a deep,
sharp thread ; eye 2 inches in diameter.
Fuze plug reamer. — A conical steel reamer, for reaming the
holes for paper fuzes in the wooden fuze plugs.
Fuze extractor. — The inner screw and its stem are made of
steel, and riveted into the handle, which is of iron. It is used
for extracting fuzes.
Gunner'' s pincers. — Made of iron, with steel jaws 1 inch wide;
whole length 10.5 inches.
Gunner^s callipers. ^-Mude of sheet brass, with steel points.
The graduations show the diameters of guns and of shot, linear
inches, degrees of the circle, etc.
Guyinefs quadrant (wood) ; a graduated quadrant of 6 inches
radius attached to a rule 23.5 inches long. It has a plumb line
and bob, which are carried, when not in use, in a hole in the end
of the rule, covered by a brass plate.
Maul, for driving pickets; head (elm or hickory) 6 inches di-
ameter, 8 inches long ; handle (ash) 1^ inch diameter, 24 inches
long, with an iron band on each end, 1 inch wide, i inch thick.
Pointing ivire, for mortars (iron wire No. 7) ; 20 inches long.
Quoin, for siege mortars (oak) : length, 19.5 inches ; height,
7.85 inches ; handle, 6 inches long.
Chock, for casemate carriage ; small wedge, with a handle on
one side.
Plummet, for mortars; line and bob.
Scraper, for do. (iron) ; handle 0.5 inch by 0.3 inch square, 27
inches long; one end formed like a spoon : the other, a scraper.
40
Spatula, for mortars (ash or hickorj') ; handle, 16.5 inches long"}
hlade, 6 inches ; square end, 3 inches long-.
Splints (white pine) ; 6 inches long ; 0.25 inch thick at the
large end ; 1 inch Avide.
Wiper, for the chambers of mortars ; tow cloth, 1 yard square.
Gunner's sleeve, for mortars (r-erge or flannel).
Basket, for mortar implements : of strong' wicker work, 18
inches in diameter, 12 inches deep.
Tarpaulins are made of two sizes : large, 15 by 12 feet ; small,
6 feet square.
Tompions, for 8-inch siege howitzers and mortars, and 10-inch
mortar.
Broom, for mortar batteries (hickory or birch).
Shell hocks (iron) ; 2 branches, 0.5 inch diameter, in shape of
an 5, joined by a rivet. Used for lifting large shells.
Totv hook (iron); handle, 0.4 inch diameter, 13 inches long;
hook, 1 inch ; the other end forms a hammer, 0.6 inch diameter, 2
inches long. Used for unpacking limber chest.
Funnel, for filling shells (copper or tin): diameter of funnel,
8.3 inches ; diameter of pipe, 0.7 inch ; length of pipe, 2 inches.
Potvder measures.- — They are made of sheet copper, from No.
16 to No. 20. The bottom is made with a flange .1 inch deep,
turned downwardsj and it is brazed or soldered to the sides.
Prolonge.-^S.5 inch hemp rope of 4 strands ; on one end a
toggle, and 3 round links in a thimble ; on the other end a hook
and a thimble.
Sponge bucket for field gun carriages, made of sheet iron. Di-
ameter 7.8 inches ; height 9 inches.
Tar bucket, made of sheet iron. Diameter 7.2 inches ; height
8 inches.
Water bucket, for travelling forge, made of oak. Diameter at
top 11 inches; bottom 10.25 inches; heiglit 11 inches.
Watering bucket for field service, haade of sole leather, bottom
of two thicknesses. Interior diameter of bucket at top 12 inches ;
at bottom 10 inches ; height 9 inches^
41
Interior dimensions of Cylindrical Powder Measures,
Contents.
Diameter
and height.
Contents.
Diameter
and height.
Lbs. oz.
In.
Lbs. OZ.
In.
0 1
1.337
2 0
4.240
0 2
1.685
2 8
4.571
0 4
2.122
3 0
4.857
0 8
2.673
4 0
5.346
1 0
3 368
4 8
5.560
1 4
3.628
6 0
6.120
] 8
3.85.5
8 0
6.7.36
Shovel. — Blade, sheet iron, pointed with steel.
PicJc axe. — Iron, pointed at both ends with steeL
Felling axe. — Blade, with steel edge, and hickory handle, 27
inches long.
Hand hill, or Bill hook. — Iron, with steel edges. Whole length
Z>^ac/e, 8.25 inches; hook 1 inch long; handle (hickory), 7.5 inches
long.
Drag rope. — 4 inch rope, 28 feet long, with a thimhle worked
in a loop at one end, and a thimble and hook at the other end —
6 handles, wood, 12 inches long, 1.5 inch diameter, fastened to
the rope at the distance of 4 feet apart, and at the same distance
from the ends of the rope.
Men's harness. — 4 inch rope, 18 feet long, with thimbles and a
hook. Instead of handles, loops made of leather are used, and
fastened to the rope in pairs.
Screw jack, for field service.' Height of stand 19 inches ; length
of screw 15 inches.
42
Weights of Implements and Equipments.
KIND.
•a
KIND
Lbs.
Lbs.
r42-pdr.
0.7
Fuze plug reamer,
0.3
32-prlr.
0.65
Fuze extractor,
3.53
Woolen spongcB, ^f^^^^^' [
0.5
04
Gunner's pincers,
Gunner's callipers.
0 85
0 5
12-pdr.
0.35
Gunner's quadrant
wood.
0 84
6-pdr.
0 25
Gunner's perpendicular.
0.6
Sponge covers, { t^: !
0 28
0.14
Maul,
Pointing wire.
"
10.
0.08
Trail handspikes,
7.25
Quoin, for siege mortars.
7.
Manoeuvreing handspike,
8.28
Chock, -
1.4
Shod handspike and long ma-
... {
Plummet,
1.
noeuvreing liandspike,
Scraper,
2.3
Truck handspike,
18.5
Spatula,
0.75
Roller handspike,
Splint,
0.03
Linstock,
ag
Gunner's sleeve,
0.25
Port-fire stock, -
0 65
Basket, -
4.
Pass box.
Budge barrel,
7.
15.5
Tarpaulins,
C Small, -
I Large, -
9.
54.
Gunner's haversack,
Port-fire case.
1.86
1.55
Mortar tompions,
C 8-inch, -
UO-inch, -
5.
7.
Tube pouch,
0.95
Broom (hickorv),
3.75
Priming horn,
0.86
Shell hooks, ' -
2.
Priming wire.
0.08
Tow hooks.
0 6
Gunner's gimlet,
0.08
Funnel,
0 32
Vent pouch,
0.08
(4 oz.
0.3
Thumbstall,
Port -fire cutter, -
0 003
0 77
Powder measures.
J 8 oz.
1 1 lb.
05
C.75
Tangent scale,
0.21
[3 lbs. -
1.6
Pendulum hausse and case,
0 65
Prolouge,
-
.18.
Cannon lock,
2.75
Sponge bucket.
10.
Lock cover,
0.9
'i'ar bucket,
.
7.
Vent cover,
0.45
Water bucket, wood, -
10.
Lanyard for friction primers, -
0.10
Watering bucket, leather.
8.
Fnze setter,
2.66
Shovel,
475
Fuze mallet,
2 75
Pickaxe,
6.5
Fuze saw.
0.75
Felling axe,
6.
Fuze rasp,
0.75
Hand bill,
2.
Fuze anger.
03
Drag rope,
16.5
Fuze gimlet.
0 1
Men's harness, -
23.
Shell plug screw,
0 31
Screw jack,
25.
43
CHAP. V. * ♦
ARTILLERY HARNESS.
The construction of the field carriages requires a harness dif-
ferent, in some respects, from that- of common -nagons. The
limber having no sweep bar, the pole is supported directly by the
wheel horses, by means of a chain which connects the hames
with the pole yoke of the Hmber; and, in order to diminish the
weight at the end of the pole, the leading bars are dispensed with,
the traces of the leaders being attached to those of the wheel
horses.
The same harness is perfectly adapted, also, to the siege car-
riages; but as these are arranged for draught in the ordinary
manner, common wagon harness may be used with them if ne-
cessary.
Black leather is used for the harness when not otherwise speci-
fied. It should be of the best quality, and the strongest leather
is selected for the parts which are exposed to the greatest strain,
such as traces and breeching.
Head gear. — The head gear is made of strong black bridle
leather, not less than .1 inch thick. It consists of the halter, the
Iridic and the hit.
The hit is made of iron, japanned. The curh chain consists of
19 links.
Driver^s saddle. — The frame is made of beech, and covered
with canvas or raw hide.
Valise saddle. — The frame like the driver's saddle, only
smaller.
Valise — made of black bridle leather, lined with cotton ticking.
Whip. — The stock is of hickory or raw hide, about 30 inches
long.
Leg guard. — The body is made of stout kip leather, with a
plate of iron 0.1 inch thick fastened to it.
44
Nose hag. — The bottom is made of stiff leather, 6 inches di-
ameter and 4 inches deep, to which a bag of strong linen is sewed.
Draught harness. — If consists of the collar, the hames, the i;
traces, the crupper.
Breeching includes the breech strap, the hip strap, the breast
strap, the pole strap. The breast strap and pole strap are made
of three layers of thick harness leather.
Pole jfad is placed on the end of the pole to prevent the lead
horses from being injured.
Pack-Saddle and Harness for Mountain Artillery.
The mountain howitzer and its carriage are either carried on
pack-miiles, or the gun is mounted on the carriage and drawn by
mules harnessed to it.
The ammunition, forage and tool chests are carried on pack-
mules ; or, when the roads are good, may be carried in common
carts.
The equipment is the same whether the gun and carriage are
packed or drawn, except that the lashing-girth and lashing-rope
are not required for draught.
Composition. — The harness complete is composed of the head
gear, the pack saddle — which is common for packing the gun car-
riage or chests — the crupper, the breeching, the breast strap, and
the lashing girth and rojje.
Packing the Mountain Howitzer.
*
The howitzer is placed on the pack saddle, the muzzle to the
front, in the recesses cut in the bows and transoms : it is lashed
"with the lashing rope. The shafts are placed upside down on the
same pack saddle, the cross bar on the neck of the cascable : the
shafts are lashed with the bow straps.
The carriage is placed on the pack saddle, the axletree against
the front face of the front bow : it is fastened by the lashing rope.
The wheels are placed on the same pack with the carriage, one
on each side, the small end of the nave against the pack between
45
the bows, one of the spokes resting on the arm of the axletree ;
they are lashed with the bow straps.
The ammunition chests are suspended with chains, on hooks,
on each side of the pack, and lashed with lashing ropes.
To place the Howitzer on the Saddle.
Three men load the howitzer on the mule. Introduce the ram-
mer head into the bore ; place the loop of the handspike over the
cascable ; carry the piece to the saddle, approaching by the croup ;
raise it and place it in its bed. Three men load the carriage,
taking hold of it by the arms of the axletree and by the end of
the trail.
Four men load two ammunition chests and hook the 4 chains
at the same time. The load ought to be fastened securely, so as
to form as it were a part of the animal, and should be raised as
little as possible above the mule's back.
HORSE EQUIPMENTS FOR THE CAVALRY SERVICE.
A complete set of horse equipments for cavalry troops consists
of 1 bridle., 1 watering bridle., 1 halter., 1 saddle, I pair of saddle
bags, 1 saddle blanket, 1 surcingle, 1 pair of spurs, 1 curry comb,
1 horse brush, 1 j^if^kct i^in, and 1 lariat (1 link and 1 nose bag,
when specially required).
The saddle adopted in the C. S. service is known as Jenifer's
saddle.
General Directions for Shoeinct Horses.
The shoe should be forged to fit the form of the foot : it should
project on the outside at the end of the heel about its thickness,
beginning at the last hole ; should be flush with the hoof at the
toe and on the inside ; the heels generally short and thin. The
holes in the outer quarter should be farther from the edge, and in
,tlie inner quarter nearer the edge ; in the front shoe nearer the
toe, and in the hind shoe nearer the heel. Make the lower face
of the shoe perfectly flat, and try it on an iron table. The shoe
46
ehould bear equally all around on the wall of the foot, and not at
all on the sole.
A judicious preparation of the foot for the shoe is of the greatest
importance, strict attention being paid to fts peculiarities.
Shoes sliould not be allowed to remain on more than five weeks,
when they should be removed, the useless hoof paired off, and the
shoe replaced if it still be good. This should be regulated by the
length of the hoof rather than by. the wear of the shoe. Rough
shoeing differs from ordinary shoeing only in the form of the nails,
the heads being longer and more pointed.
Harness required for each Horse.
6
WHEELERS.
LEADERS.
1
4
aJ
2
o
i
•z
•a
'»
rH
s
§
•3
5t3
s
it:
'1
cc
^
, o
^
C
Lbs.
Hnlter,
1
1
3.0
Bridle,
1
1
3.0
Coupling-strap, ....
-
_
0.5
Driver's saddle, ....
1
].
1H.25
Valise-saddle, .....
_
_
7.78
Valine,
_
_
4.5
Collar and cnllar-Kfrnp, - - ' -
_
1
4.25
Haines and strap and 2 turning-straps,
_
1
9.25
I"""'— .U'S., : : :
-
1
9.75
11.75
Trace-loops and belly-band, -
-
1
1.
Loin-straps and trace-loops, ^ J^^'j^j-Jg^ \
:
1
0.75
0.875
Crupper, .....
-
1
0.75
Breeching and hip-gfrap.
_
1
-
3.G
Breast-strap, .....
_
1
_
4.75
Leg-guard, - . . . .
_
1
-
2.
Whip,
_
1
-
0:35
Nose-bag, .....
_
1
1
1.12
Pole-strap (on the carriage-pole),
_
1
-
2,
Pole-pad, " " - -
-
-
-
-
L5
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
( For each horse.
-
59 82
54,9
5l.fi()
4777
Weight. <
( Set for 2 horsew.
-
11
18-2
9f
.37
47
Preservation of Harness in Store.
- The store houses should be well ventilated, not too dry, but free
from dampness. The different articles should be arranged accord-
ing- to liind and class, separated or in bundles according to their
nature, so placed as to touch each other and the walls as little as
possible, having a free circulation of air about them — saddles on
trestles or bars — collars hung on pins — haynes, with their straps,
and traces with chains and hooks, hung up ; the traces hanging
vertically — side straps and hellybands piled on the floor or on
shelves — surcingles and breast strops stretched on racks — halters^
bridles, reins, etc., hung up in bundles of five or ten — hames
straps, collar^ straps, etc., hung up in bundles of ten or twenty —
hits, curb chains, trace hooks, in boxes.
All these articles should be examined and cleaned at least four
times a year.
The leather articles are brushed and greased with neat^s foot
oil, as often as their condition requires : if they have a reddish
hue, mix a little lamp black with the oil. First brush the leather
carefully, then pass over it a sponge wet with lukewarm water;
grease it slightly on the hair side, applying the oil with a soft
brush before the leather is quite dry. In general, new leather is
not greased until it has been in store three years, unless ft should
be found to require it. Iron parts which are not japanned or
tinned, or from which the coating is rubbed off, are greased with
tallow.
48
CHAP. VI.
SMALL ARMS, SWORDS, SABRES, &c.
History of Small Arms akd Projectiles.
Portable Jire arms were invented about the middle of the 14th
century. They consisted of a tube of iron fired from a support,
aud weighed about 75 pounds.
Arquehuse. — The difficulty of firing "hand cannon," arising
from their weight, was overcome by making them shorter, and
supporting them on a tripod by means of trunnions. They were
called arquebuses, and fired with a match by the hand.
Pistol. — The first pistol was a wheel lock arquebuse, invented
1545, in Pistoia, a city of Tuscany ; hence its name.
Musket. — The musket was first used by the Spaniards, under
Charles V. The balls weighed 2 ounces, and the piece had to be
supported on a forked stick. The calibre was afterwards reduced ;
and hence the present smooth bored musket.
Match lock. — To avoid disturbing the aim, a lock was devised,
which consisted of a lever holding at its extremity a lighted match.
The lever was pressed down with the finger until the end of the
match touched the priming.
Wheel lock, invented 1517, consisted of a grooved wheel of
steel, made to act on a piece of alloy of iron and antimony, placed
near the priming charge of powder.
Flint lock, derived from the wheel lock by substituting flint and
a steel battery for the wheel and the alloy, was generally intro-
duced in the French army in 1680.
Percussion lock was introduced in 1842, and now all arms are
made with this lock. The percussion cap was invented in the
United States in 1817.
Bayonet. — Before the invention of the bayonet fire arms were
combined with pikes in such a manner that one affbrded protec-
tion to the other. It was first made at Bayonne 1640 ; hence its
49
i-iame. It was formed of a steel blade attached to a handle of
wood, which was inserted into the bore of the barrel when used.
Afterwards the wooden handle was replaced by a hollow socket,
thus rendering- the musket a pike as well as a fire arm, changing
the formation of infantry from six ranks to three and two.
Rijle. — The rifle first made its appeamnce at Leipsic 1498.
The grooves were parallel to the axis of the bore, for the purpose
of diminishing friction. It was accidental!}' discovered that spiral
grooves gave greater accuracy to the projectile. About 1600 ife
was somewhat used as a military arm for firing spherical balls.
Accuracy of the rifle. — In 1742 Robins pointed out the supe-
riority of the elongated form of projectile, and demonstrated that
the irregular deviations of the projectile fired from a smooth bored
musket, were due to the revolution of the ball 'around an axis not
coincident with the axis of the bore ; thus producing by the re-
sistance of the air an unequal pressure on the sides of the ball.
This irregular revolution is due to the eccentricity of the centre
of gravity of the ball, and the position which the centre of gravity
occupies m reference to the axis of the bore, together with the
lodgments of the ball near the muzzle. When by the grooves of
the rifle the projectile is made to revolve on an axis coincident
with the axis of the bore, tlxere is no inequality in the resistance
of the air on the sides of the projectile, and hence no pressure to
cause a deviation from the normal trajectory.
Range of (he rifle. — The superior range of the rifle over the
smooth bored musket, is due entirely to the fact that in the rifle,
windage is entirely cut off by forcing the ball into the grooves,
and by the shape of the projectile the resistance of the air is di-
minished ; thus the explosive force is greater and the resistance
less.
Forcing. — " Forcing" is the operation by which the projectile
is made to take hold of the grooves of a rifled barrel, and follow
them in its passage through the bore. At first this was effected
by driving the projectile down with a mallet applied to the point
of the ramrod, and then by wrapping the projectile in a patch of
cloth, greased. Owing to this slow and difficult method of load-
3
50
iDg, the rifle was not introduced as a nTilitary arm trntil quite »
recent period, when this difliculty was overcome.
Delvigne.— In 1827 M. Delvigue, an officer of the French in-
fantry, introduced tlie following- method of "forcing:" At the
bottom of the breech was a small chamber to contain the powder*
The ball, when resting on the shoulders of the chamber, was
forced into the grooves by two or three blows with the ramrod/
This method was soon abandoned, as the ball was much dis-
figured.
Thouvenin. — Col. Thouvtnin replaced the chamber of Del-
vigne by a spindle of iron screwed into the centre of the breech
Bcrew. The base of the elongated bullet resting on the point of
the spindle, was forced into tlie grooves by two or three blows of
the ramrod. This was the celebrated carabine a tige, or stem
rijle, and is the first military arm in which an elongated projectile
was used.
Greener.— The first attempt to force a projectile by the action
of powder was made in 1836 by Mr. Greener of London. He
inserted a conical pewter wedge in the base of an oblong bullet;
which was driven, in by the force of powder so as to force the ex-
terior of the bullet into the grooves of the rifle.
Minie. — Some years after this, Col. Minie proposed a projectile
on the same principle. But instead of a solid wedge, he inserted
in the conical cavity at the base of the bullet, a cup of sheet iron*
Present method,. — Shortly after the introduction of the Minie
hullet, it was discovered, simultaneously, in this country and in
England, that by giving a suitable size and shape to the cavity in
the projectile, the expansive power of the gas alone, without the
wedge or cidot, was sufficient to force the projectile into the
grooves.
The C. S. bullet is a cylinder surmounted by a conoid, weighs
550 grains, and has three grooves around the bore to hold the
grease for lubricating, and to guide the l)ullct in its flight, pre-
serving its point foremost.
The English bullet (known as the Pritchett bullet) has a per-
fectly smooth exterior. A conical wedge of box wood is inserted
51 •
«
in the cavity of the bore, chiefly to preserve its form in being
transported.
Charge of powder. — The charge of the old smooth bored mus-
ket was from one-half to one-third the weight of the projectile.
The charge for elongated expanding bullets varies from one-tenth
to one-seventh the weight of the projectile.
Different kinds of Small Arms^
The small arms adopted for service are s
The rifle musket, model 1855.
The rifle musket, model 1842.
The rifle, model 1855.
The rifle, model 1842, reamed out to .577 inch.
No model has yet been adopted for a carbine for the cavalry
service; several dijfferent patterns are now in the hands of the
troops.
A repeating pistol is issued to the cavalry.
The uniform calibre of .577 inch is adopted in the C. S. ser-
vice for all rifles and rijh muskets.
Rifle muslcet.'—ThQ, rifle musket of model 1855 combines in one
piece the range and accuracy of the rifle, with the advantages of
the smooth bored musket, as regards lightness, quickness of load-
ing, and facility of handling, as a pike.
Length of barrel, - - - 40 inches.
Length of arm with bayonet, - - 74 "
Weight of barrel, - - - - 4.25 lbs.
Weight of arm complete, ^ • 9.90 "
Weight of projectile, - - - 550 grs.
Weight of powder, - - - 60 "
Initial velocity, - _ . 960 feet.
Rifle. — The rifle difi^ers from the rifle musket, in having a
shorter and stouter barrel, a sword bayonet and brass mountings.
Length of barrel, - - - 33 inches.
Length of arm with bayonet, - - 72 "
Weight of ban-el, - - - 4.80 lbs.
52
Weight of arm complete, - - 13. lbs.
Charge (projectile and powder) game as rifle musket.
Initial velocity, . - - 910 feet.
Enfield rife. — Many are in the C. S. service, obtained by pur-
chase and capture — so called because made after the model of the
English government rifle, manufactured at Enfield. It has three
grooves.
Calibre, - - - - .577 inches.
Length of barrel, - - - 39. *'
Length of arm Avith bayonet, - 73. •♦
Weight of arm complete, - - 9.19 lbs.
Weight of projectile, ) as rifle musket.
Weight of powder, > " "
Twist, - - one turn in 6 feet 6 inches.
Smooth bored musket. — The calibre of the smooth hored musket
(model 1822 and 1840) is considerably larger than the rifle mus-
ket; the former being .69 inch, and the latter .577 inch, and with
it, more powder is required to project a ball of less weight, than
with the rifle. Many of these models (1822 and 1840) are in our
service, some of them being still used with the flint lock.
Length of barrel, - - - 42. inches.
Length with bayonet (model 1822), - 73.6 "
(model 1840), - 75.8
Weight of arm complete (model 1840), 10.18 lbs.
Weight of round ball, - - 463 grains.
Weight of powder, . - - no "
English smooth bored musket. — Some smooth bored muskets of
English manufacture (old models) are in our service of very large
calibre, being .75 inch. Special ammunition is made for them.
Muskctoon. — The muskctoon is a short musket, having barrel
26 inches in length and calibre .09 inch. This is an old model,
and w; s formerly issued to the cavalry and artillery in the U. S.
servic . Some are now used by the C. S. cavalry.
Belgian rijle. — The Belgian rifle is a carbine a tige, having a
stem in the chamber of the breech, with a calibre of .70 inch. It
has four grooves, and is properly used with a solid projectile of
756 grains in weight.
53
Brunswick rife. — This rifle has two grooves, "Which diminish in
depth to a certain distance in the barrel, when they are eased off
smooth with the bore — calibre about .70 inch. Some of the Bel-
gian and Brunswick rifles are in the C. S. service, both by pur-
chase and capture.
Carbine. — The term carbine is applied to an arm used by
mounted troops, intermediate in weight and length between the
rifle and pistol. The name is derived from a company of cavalry
called carabins, to whom they were first issued. There are
several diff'erent varieties in our service.
Breech loading carbines. — Nearly all the carbines in our service
are breech loading. All may be divided in two classes, those
which have movable chambers and those which have fixed cham-
bers. The following kinds are in our service :
HalVs carbine. — This is an old carbine with movable chamber,
calibre .52 inch, length of barrel 21 inches. It was formerly used
with a flint lock in the U. S. service. Some with percussion locks
are in the C. S. service.
Burnside's carbine has a calibre of .54 Inch, and a movable
chamber. The cartridge is enclosed in a conical brass case.
Sharps s carbine has a fixed chamber. That in our service has
a calibre of .52 inch.
Maynard's carbine has a fixed chamber. There are two cali-
bres in our service. Large size, calibre .52 inch. Small size,
calibre .36 inch. Maynard^s primer, attached to this carbine,
contains 60 primers in a row, on a tape or ribbon of paper. A
primer is moved under the hammer by the act of cocking. The
charge is enclosed in a cylinder of sheet brass.
MerrilVs carbine has a fixed chamber, and calibre .54 inch.
CoWs revolving carbine has a cylinder with six chambers, and
a rifled barrel, of calibre .56 inch.
ColCs pistol is used in our service, and is constructed on the
revolving principle, with a cylinder containing six chambers, and
a rifled barrel.
There are two kinds in use ; CoWs army pistol has a barrel
inches in length, of .44 inch calibre. The navy pistol has a bar-
rel inches in length, of .33 inch calibre.
54
Grape-shot pistol. — This pistol is manufacturecl by M.Le Mat
of Paris. It lias a cylinder which revolves, containing nine cham-
bers, a rifled barrel and a smooth-bored barrel. The latter re-
ceives a charge of eleven buckshot, and is fired by a slight change
in the hammer. Some are in our service.
Nomenclature.
The parts of a musket or rifle, arc the band, breech screw, tang
screw, cone bayonet, lock, two side screws, mountings, ramrod,
stock and tip.
Lock. — The parts of the lock, are lock plate, hammer, tumbler,
bridle, bridle screw, sear, sear spring, sear-spring screw, main
spring, swivel, tumbler-and-swivel pin.
Mountings. — The mountings consist of upper and lower bands,
middle band, middle-band swivel, band springs, side-screw wash-
ers, guard, guard plate, guard bow, trigger, trigger screw, butt
plate, two screws for butt plate.
Implements. — The implements for use in the field, are screw
driver, with cone wrench, wip>er, ball screw and spring vice.
55
Principal Dimensions, Weights, etc. of Small Arms.
KIFLE MUSKETS.
RIFLES.
1355.
1842.
1855.
1842.
DIMEXSION'S.
Inches.
Inches.
Inches.
Inches.
'Diameter of bore,
0.577
0 69
0.577
0.577
VariAtion allowed, more,
0.0025
0.015
0.fl025
0.0025
■RiTjprr J Diameter at muzzle,
iJAKKitL. < Di,,„^^,t^j, at breech between
0.78
0.85
0.90
0.90
flats.
L14
1.25
1.14
1.15
Length without breech-screw,
40.
42.
33.
33.
Bayo.vkt— Length of blade,
18.
18.
21.7
21.7
HamUOD— Length,
.39.60
41.70
33.00
33.00
Stock, with butt-plate and tip— Length,
52.85
A„„ ( Length without bayonet, -
COMPLFTF < With bayonet fixed,
COMPLETE. ^ ^^.j,,^ butt-piece, -
55. F'5
57.80
40.3
48.8
73.85
75.80
71.6
71.3
'Number,
3.
3.
3.
3.
Twist, uniform, 1 turn in -
fift.
6 ft.
6 ft.
6 ft.
Grooves. < Width,
o.:io
0.36
0.30
0,30
Depth at, muzzle, -
.005
.005
.005
.005
(Depth at breech, -
.015
.■015
.013
.013
WKIGHTS.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Barrel, without breeeh-screw, -
4.28
4.19
4.8
4.8
Lock, with side-serews.
.81
.95
.81
.55
Bayonet, ....
.72
0.64
2.15
2.15
Butt-plate, ....
.'.375
An\r ( Withotit bavonet,
complete \ ^^'^^^ bayonet,
COMPLETE. I ^y.^^ butt-piece, -
9.18
9.51
9.'93
9.68
9.30
10.15
12.08
11.83
What is commonly known as the Mississippi rifle in the C. S.
Bcrviee, was made after the model of 1842, with a calibre of .54-
Ammunition for Small Arms.
Bullets for the military service are made by pressure. One
press is capable of making 3,000 bullets in an hour. Some are
also cast in moulds, and afterwards swaged in a die to the proper
size and shape.
Cartridges. — The cartridge is composed, of the bullet and the
cylinder which contains the powder. The cylinder is now at-
tached to the bullet without a wrapper or twine, by being com-
pressed in an incision, by machinery, in its base.
56
Pistol cartridges. — The powder cyliuder of Colt's cartriJge is
made of combustible paper (prepared after the manner of gun
cotton); it is attached to the base of the ball by gam, and is in-
serted in tliC piece entire.
Percussion caps. — The cap for small arms is made of copper ;
it is very slightly conical, with a rim at the open end for conve-
nience in handling. The caps are formed by a machine which
cuts a star or Hank from the sheet and transfers it to a die in
which the cap is shaped by means of a punch. For use in
Boughtou's machine, the copper is first cut into strips, from
which the blanks are cut and the caps formed ; Wright's machine
cuts the blanks from the whole sheet and forms the cap. The
first machine makes 2,196 caps, the second, 2,314 caps, from
a sheet of the size above mentioned. Each machine can make
about 5,000 caps an hour.
The powder with which the caps are charged, consists of fulmi-
nate of mercury, mixed with half its weight of saltpetre. Each
cap contains half a grain of percussion powder, which is pro^
tected from moisture by a drop of varnish.
Preservation of Arms in Service.
The officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers should be
instructed and practiced in the nomenclature of the arms, the
manner of dismounting and mounting them, and the precautions
and care required for their preservation.
Each soldier should have a screw driver and a wiper, and each
squad of ten a band spring and tumbler punch, and a spring vice.
No other implements should be used in taking arms apart or in
setting them up.
In the inspection of arms, officers should attend to the qualities
essential to service, rather than to a bright polish on the exterior
of the arms. The arms should be inspected in the quarters at
least once a month, with the barrel and lodi separated from the
stock.
57
Taking arms to Pieces,
To take apart the rifle musket, model 1855 :
1. Unfix the baj^onet.
2. Put the torapion in the muzzle of the barrel.
8. Draw the ramrod.
4. Turn the tang screw.
5. Take off the lock : to do this, first put the hammer at half-
cock, then unscrew partially the side screws, and, with a slight
tap on the head of each screw with a wooden instrument, loosen
the lock from its bed in the stock; then turn out the side screws,
and remove the lock with the left hand.
6. Kemove the side screws, taking care not to disturb the
washers. i
7. Take off the upper band.
8. Take off the middle band.
9. Take off the lower baud.
10. Take out the barrel.
in doing this, turn the musket horizontally, with the barrel
downward, holdiug the barrel loosely with the left hand below the
rear sight, the right hand grasping the stock by the handle ; and
if it does not leave the stock, tap the tompion in the muzzle gently
against the ground or floor, which will loosen the breech end from
the stock. This is preferable to lifting the barrel out by the muz-
zle, because if the tang of the breech-screw should bind in the
wood, the head of the stock would be liable to be split by raising
the muzzle first.
The foregoing parts of the rifle musket are all that should usu-
ally be taken off or dismounted.
The soldier should never dismount the hand- springs, guard,
side screw, washers, butt-plate, rear sight, cone, and cone-seat
screw, except when an officer considers it necessary. The breech
screw should be taken out only by an armorer, and never in ordi-
nary cleaning. The lock should not be taken apart, nor the
bayonet-clasp taken off, except when absolutely necessary in the
3#
58
opinion of an ofEccr. If proper and regular care he taken of the
arm, this will he very seldom necessary.
The parts which are ppecially assigned to be dismounted by an
experienced armorer will be stated in their regular order, following
No. 10, viz :
11. Unscrew the cone, keeping the wrench well down on the
Bquare of the cone, to prevent the corners from being injured.
12. Take out the cone-seat screw.
13. Take out the upper, middle, and lower band-springs, using
a wire punch of proper size.
14. Take out the side screws.*
15. Take out the guard, using care to prevent injuring the
wood at each end of the guard-plate.
16. Take out the side screw washers with a drift punch.
17. Take out the butt-plate screws with the largest blade of
the screw-driver, and remove the butt plate.
18. Remove the rear sight by turning out the leaf spring screw,
which will release the sight from the barrel.
19. Turn out the breech screw by means of a " breech screw
wrench" suited to the tenon of the breech screw. No other
wrench should ever be used for this purpose, and the barrel
should be held in clamps fitting neatly the breech.
Order in which (he Lock is taken apart.
1. Cock the piece, and put the spring vice on the main spring;
give the thumb screw a turn sufiicient to liberate the spring from
the swivel and main spring notch. Remove the spring.
2. The sear-spring screw. Before turning this screw entirely
out, strike the elbow of the spring with the screw-driver, so as to
disengage the pivot from its mortise ; then remove the screw and
spring.
3. The sear-screw and sear.
4. The bridle-screw and bridle.
*Tho guard, butt-plate, and side-Hcrew heads have concave slits, for which the
Bcrew-driver is adapted : this lessens the danger of the stock being marred by acci-
dent or carelessness in letting the screw-driver slip out while in the act of turning
the screw. Great care should be observed to prevent injury in this particular.
B0
5. Tlie tumbler- screw.
^. The tumbler. This is driven out with a punch inserted in
the screw-hole, which at the same time liberates the hammer.
7. Detach the main-spring swivel from the tumbler with a drift-
punch.
Assembling Arms.
The lock and the musket arc put together in the inverse order
of taking them apart.
The Lock.
1. The main-spring swivel. 2. The tumbler and hammer. H.
The tumblcr-screvr. 4. Bridle and screw. 5. Sear and screw.
6. Sear-spring and screw. 7. Ma»i spring.
Before replacing the screws, oil them slightly with good sperm
oil, putting a drop on the point of the screw ; also, on the arbor
and pivot of the tumbler ; between the movable branches of tfie
springs and the lock-plate ; on the hook and notches of the tum-
bler. After the lock is put together, avoid turning the screws in
so hard as to make the limbs bind : to insure this, try the motion
of each limb before and after its spring is mounted, and see that
it moves without friction.
The Musket.
1. The barrel. Drop the barrel into its place in the stock, and
squeeze it down with the hand ; give the butt of the stock a gentle
tap against the floor, to settle the breech end of the barrel against
the head of the stock. *
2. Put on the lower baud with the letter U upward, being care-
ful not to mar the stock or barrel in sliding it into its place ; apply
the thumb to the band-spriug, to see that it plays freely.
3. Put on the middle band ; and,
4. The upper band, in the sanie manner.
5. The lock. Half-cock the hammer; take the lock in the
right hand, with the main spring and sear toward you, holding
•the stock with the left hand by the swell, with the butt betwee^
/
00
the knees. Enter the lock fairly into tlie lock-bed, taking care" to
keep the arm of the sear clear of the trigger ; press the plate well
down into the wood, and then turn the musket over, holding the
lock and stock together with the left hand.
6. With the right hand, turn in the side screws, after having
touched their screw-threads with oil. Observe that the point of
the rear screw is Jlal, and should not project beyond the plate, to
hiterfere with the hammer. The front screw has a rotind point.
7. Turn in the tang-screw, after having oiled the screw-tliread^
Be careful to see that each of these screws are turned firmly
home, hut not forced. Observe that the lock plays freely, without
friction, and that no limb is bound by the wood.
8. lieturn the ramrod.
9. Eefix the bayonet, afterliaving oiled the clasp and socket to
prevent chafing.
10. Eeplace the tompion. Oil the stock well with sp'erm or
linseed oil; let it stand a few hours, and then rub it with a woolen
rag until the wood is perfectly dry. Repeat this from time to
time, and it will produce a polish which moisture will not affect.
Linseed oil is the best for this purpose, and it should be use(3
while the arm is dismounted.
Cleaning and Care of Arms.
To Clean the Barrel.
1. Stop the hole in the cone with a peg of soft wood; pour a
gill of water (warm, if it can be had) into the muzzle ; let it stand
a short time, to soften the deposit of the powder ; put a plug of
soft wood into the nmzzle, and shake the Water up and down the
barrel well ; pour this out and repeat the washing until the water
comes out clear ; take out the peg from the cone, and stand the
barrel, muzzle downward, to drain for a few moments.
2. Screw the wiper on to the end of the ramrod, and put a
piece of dry cloth or tow round it, sufiicient to prevent it from
chafing the grooves of the barrel ; wipe the barrel quite dry, chang-
\Qg or drying the cloth two or three times.
Of
3. Put no oil into the vent, as it will clog the passage, and cause
the first cap to miss fire ; but, with a slightly oiled rag on the
wiper, rub the bore of the barrel and the face of the breech-screw,
and immediately insert the tompion into the muzzle.
4. To clean the exterior of the barrel, lay it flat on a bench or
board, to avoid bending it. The practice of supporting the barrel
at each end and rubbing it with a strap or bulf stick, or with the
ramrod or any other instrument, to burnish it, is pernicious, and
should be strictlj^ forbidden.
5. After firing, the barrel shoQld always be washed as S||n as
practicable; when the water comes off clear, wipe the barrel dry,
and pass into it a rag moistened with oil.
As rust and dirt are produced by exploding caps or primers,
although no charge be fired, the parts of the barrel and cone ex-
posed should be carefully wiped and oiled after such practice.
Fine flour of emery cloth is the best article to clean the exte-
rior of the barrel.
To Clean the Lock.
Wipe every part with a moist rag, and then a dry one ; if any
part of the interior shows rust, put a drop of oil on the point or
end of a piece of soft wood dipped into flour of emery ; rub out
the rust clean and wipe the surface dry ; then rub every part with
a slightly oiled rag.
When a lock has, from any cause, become gummed with oil
and dirt, it may be cleaned by being boiled in soap-suds or in
pearlash or soda water, to loosen the thick oil; but heat should
never be applied to any part of it in any other way.
To Clean the Mountings.
For the mountings, and all of the iron and steel parts, use fine
flour of emery, moistened with oil, or flour of emery cloth.
For brass, use rotten-stone moistened with vinegar or water,
and keep free from oil or grease. Use a hard brush, or a piece
of soft pine, cedar, or crocus cloth.
Kemove dirt from the screw-holes by screwing a piece of soft
wood into them.
6d
Wipe clean with a linen rag, and leave the parts slightly oiled.
In cleaning the arni§, great care should be observed to preserve
the qualities essential to service, rather than to obtain a bright
polish.
Burnishing the barrel (or other parts) should be strictly avoided,
as it tends to crook the barrel, and also to destroy the uniformity
of the exterior finish of the arm.
It is not essential for the musket to be dismounted every time
that it is cleaned ; for, after firing it in jSne weather, or when
there has been no chance for the wet to get between the barrel
and tuc stock, it can be perfectly cleaned in the following man-
ner—
Put a piece of rag or soft leather on the top of the cone, and
let the hammer down upon it; pour a gill of water into the muz-
zle, carefully, so that it does not run down the outside ; put a plug
of wood into the muzzle, and shake the gun u\) and down, chang-
ing the water repeatedly, until it comes out clear. When clear,
withdraw the leather, and stand the musket on the muzzle for a
few moments : then wipe out the barrel (as given in the second
rule for cleaning), and also wipe the exterior of the lock and the
outside of the barrel around the cone and cone-seat, first with a
damp rag, and then with a dry one, and lastly with a rag that has
been slightly oiled. In this way, all the dirt due to the firing may
be removed without taking out a screw.
If, however, the hammer be observed to work stiflP, or to grate
upon the tumbler, the lock must immediately be taken oflf and the
parts cleaned and touched with oil.
To change the cone, when it is broken or worn out. — After re-
moving the old cone, enter the new one carefully with the fingers,
before using the wrench, in order to avoid bruising the thread in
the barrel.
It is very important to use no other implements than those be-
fore mentioned. B}'' using nails to drive out the wires, their holes
are enlarged. The main spring should never be heated for the
purpose of either raising or lowering its temper ; this destroys the
elasticity of the spring, and the lock no longer gives fire.
&0
The notches of the tumbler, the main spring, swivel, and in
general, all the joints of the lock should be frequently oiled, after
first wiping off the hard grease and the dust.
Browned arms are cleaned by rubbing them hard with an oiled
rag until the oil is well incorporated with the browning, or by
rubbing them with beeswax on a rag or cork.
Eifled arms should not have the ramrod sprun^^ in the bore
with unnecessary force. It batters the head of the rod, and wears
injuriously the grooves. The soldier should let the rod slide down
gently, supported by the thumb and finger ; and the insp|pting
officer can satisfy himself of the condition of the bottom of the
bore by gently tapping with the rod. The face of the breech can
be polished, after washing, by means of a cork fixed on the wiper
or ball-screw; the polished surface can be seen if the muzzle is
turned to the light.
Besides all the precautions in dismounting, remounting and
cleaning, which have been pointed out in the foregoing pages, ha-
bitual care in handling the arms is necessary to keep them in good
and serviceable condition.
In ordering arms on parade, let the butt be brought gently to
the ground, especially when the exercises take place on pavements
or hard roads. This will save the mechanism of the lock from
shocks, which are very injurious to it, and which tend to loosen
and mar the screws and split the wood-work.
In stacking arms, care should be taken not to injure the bayo-
nets by forcibly straining the edges against each other. The
stack can be as well secured without such force being used.
No cutting, marking, or scraping in any w^ay the wood or iron
should be allowed ; and no part of the gun should be touched with
a file. Take every possible care to prevent water from getting in
between the lock, or barrel and stock. If any should get there,
dismount the gun as soon as possible, clean and oil the parts as
directed, and see that they are perfectl}- dry before reassembling
them.
64
Strength and Durability of Musk£t Barrels.
To test the strength of musket barrels, model 3855, they have
Li'cii fired with an increasing number of cartridges, until the
fo.ce of the explosion of tlie first two caftridges was unable to
dr.ve out the other charges, and the gas escaped through the vent,
leaving the barrel uninjured.
1 he strength of the barrel, therefore, furnishes every requisite
security against the accidents of service and the want of care on
the jfh't of the soldier.
Experience has shown that a musket barrel may be fired 25,000
times without becoming unserviceable.
Bai rels which are condemned in service are almost always the
result of accident, very rarely from enlargement of the bore oi*
from tl.e diminution of the exterior dimensions.
The ioUowing trials of the strength and durabilit}' of the French
musket barrel are taken from the Aide- Mc moire. They refer to
the smoeth bore musket : It is to be observed that the charge of
the French musket was formerly 162 grains Troy, priming in-
cluded (or 146 grains, exclusive of priming), and is, therefore,
considerably greater than our present service charge.
In expeiiments made in 1806, barrels reduced 0.13 inch at the
breecli bore a double and triple charge with one ball, or two car-
tridges placed one over the other.
Other trials were made in 1829, at the manufactory of Mutzig,
on arms sent there for repairs, which had been a greater or less
time in the liands of the troops. They furnished the following*
results —
1st. AVhen a musket barrel is charged with a single cartridge,
placed in any part of it, or with 2 ot even with 3 cartridges, in-
serted regularh', without any interval between them, there is no
danger of bursting ; with 4 cartridges inserted regularly ovef each
other, or with 2 i)r even 3 cartridges placed oVef each other with
slugged balls (or balls driven in, as in a rifle), there is danger only
in case of some defect of fabrication, or some deterioration in the
65
barrel ; with more than 4 cartridges inserted regularly one over
another, or with 2, 3 and 4 cartridges with intervals between them,
it is not safe to fire.
Late experiments with the rifle musket show that any number
of cartridges can be placed one upon the other, and the piece be
fired without injury. In consequence of the expansive nature of
the projectile, which cuts off the passage of the flame, but two
charges will be inflamed, and their force will be expended through
the vent.
2d. No danger of bursting is occasioned by leaving a ball screw
in the barrel. There may be danger from a plug of wood driven
tight into the muzzle, when the barrel has been loaded with 2 car-
tridges ; or from a cork rammed into the barrel to a certain dis-
tance from the charge, with another cartridge over it.
Snow, clay and sand, which may be accidentally introduced into
the barrel, are not dangerous, if they lie close to the charge ; but
they are so when there is a space between them and the charge ;
in this case sand is the most dangerous, then clay and snow.
Balls or pieces of iron inserted over the charge were not at-
tended with danger when nlaced close to the charge, even when
their weight amounted to iT lb. ; but there is danger from a piece
of iron, 0.5 inch square, weighing i lb., if placed 20 inches or
more from the breech.
3d. A barrel with a defect which might have escaped the in-
spector at the armory, bore the explosion of 3 cartridges, regu-
larly inserted. After mutilation, which may have caused a reduc-
tion of metal in some parts, it may still be used without danger.
Finally, the diminutions of exterior diameter which may be
produced in ordinary service are never sufiicient to be dangerous.
In these trials, barrels originally 0.272 inch thick at the breech^
did not burst when loaded with 2 cartridges, until the thickness
was reduced to 0.169 inch, and with 1 cartridge to 0.091 inch.
66
Spare Appendages required for the repair of 1,000 Rijle Muskets
during one year in the field.
Wipers, - . _ . . 75
Screw drivers, - - - - 25
Ball screws, - - - - - 25
Spring vices, - - - - - 25
Tompions, ----- 100
Band spring and tumbler punch, - - - 25 jn
Spare Parts for 1000 Rifles {Model 1855) one year in the field.
Nop.
Nos.
Barrels, ....
2
Guardbows,
20
Vent-ycrewfi,
30
nuts, -
40
llear-sights,
20
" " swivels and rivets,
50
IJreech-scrcws,
10
Triggers, ....
10
Tang " ...
30
screws, -
10
Cones, ....
50
Guard-plate screws.
50
l^ocks, ....
2
Butt-plates,
2
Lock-plates, ....
5
" screws,
20
Hammers, ....
25
Box-plates with catches,
5
Tumblers, ....
20
" screws.
10
" screws, -
100
" springs,
10
Bridles, ....
20
jL " screws,
Eanffods, ....
10
" screws,
50
50
Sears, ....
20
stops,
10
" screws,
50
stocks, ....
30
Scar-springs,
50
Screw-drivers,
50
" screws,
50
Wipers, ....
50
Main springs,
50
Ball-screws,
10
" swivels,
40
Spring-vicex, - ' -
30
" " rivets.
40
Tumbler and wire punches,
10
Side screws.
100
Bullet-moulds,
5
Upper bands with swivels,
10
Swages for balls, -
5
" band swivels and rivets, -
50
Sword-bnyoncts, -
30
" baud springs,
30
Tompions,
20
Lower bands,
10
Sword-bayonet lock-pins.
25-
" band springs.
20
" ' " springs,
55
Side screw washers.
30 :
" " spring
Guard-plates,
10 1
: screws.
50
SWORDS AND SABRES.
Sabres are curved, and swords straight.
NOMKNCLATUKE.
Cavalry sabre consists of a curved blade 36 inches long, hilt
guard and scabbard of sheet steel.
67
Mounted artillery sabre. — This differs from the cavalry sabre
in haviug a hlade only 32 inches long, though of greater curvature.
It also has a hilt, guard and scabbard.
Foot artillery sivord has a straight two-edged blade 19 inches
long, narrower nearer the hilt than in the middle, a hilt and leather
scabbard.
Infantry sword has a blade straight (cut and thrust) 32 inches
in length, a hilt, guard and leather scabbard. This sword is for
the non-commissioned officers of foot troops. The sword for
officers not mounted is of the same pattern, with ornamented
mountings.
Principal Dimensions and Weights of Swords and Sabres.
Cavalry
Artillery
Artillery
Infantry
Sabre.
Sabre.
Sword.
Sword.
Inches.
Inches.
Inches.
Inches.
Whole length of the sword or sabre in
its scabbard, ....
43.35
38.G
26.
38.75
Leugth of the blade proper,
3H.
32.
19.
32.
Length of the scabbard,
37.25
33.
20.
32.5
Width of the blade in the middle,^
11
1.06
1.8
0.72
Versed sine of the curvature of the blade
in the middle.
1.5
2.32
Versed sine of the curvature of the blade
in proof, ....
7.5
6.5
-
6 5
WEIGHTS.
Lbs. oz.
Lb.s. oz.
Lbs. oz.
Lbs. oz.
AVeight of the sword or sabre, complete,
4 8
4 U
3 3
2 5
Weight of the finished blade, -
1 5
1 9
Weight of the scabbard.
2 2
-
10
Cleaning Sioords and Sabres.
The iron and brass parts of swords and sabres are cleaned in
the same manner as those of muskets. When the oil on the blade
of a sword is dried up, it will leave a spot which may be removed
bj' covering it with oil and rubbing it smartly, after a short time,
with a linen rag. When a leather scabbard has become wet, draw
the blade and dry the scabbard slowly without heating it ; wipe
the blade dry and pass an oiled rag over it and the scabbard, be-
fore returning the blade. Oil the blades of arms in store, and
also the scabbards, especially on the seams.
68
Accoutrements.
M Infantry Accoutrements.
Cartridge box, cartridge-box j^^^a^e (brass), cartridge-box belt^
cartridge-box belt-plate, cap pouch, cone pick, bayonet scabbard, l|
waist belt, waist-belt plate, gun-sling, sword-shoulder belt and
plate, for non-commissioned officers.
Rifle Accoutrements.
The same as for infantry accoutrements, except the waist belt
for the sword baj'onet and the sword-bayonet scabbard.
Cavalry Accoutrements.
Cartridge box for carbine, pistol cartridge box, cartridge-box
plate, cap pouch, cone pick, sabre belt, sabre-belt plate, sword knot-,
carbine sling, holsters.
Mounted Artillery Accoutrements.
Sabre belt, sabre-belt plate, sword knot.
Foot Artillery Accoutrements.
Sword belt, belt-plate.
Weight of Accoutrements.
100 infantry cartridge-boxes and plates for .69-in. ball,
300 infantry cartridg-e-boxes and plates for .58-in. ball,
100 infantry cartridg^e box belts and plates,
100 cap-pouches and cone-picks, - . . -
100 bayonet scabbards and frofrs, . - . .
100 waist belts and plates, 1.9 inch wide, - - -
100 gun slings, .---..
100 non-commissioned officer's waist belts and plates,
100 non-commissioned officer's sword belts and plates
(shoulder),
100 rifle cartridge-boxes and plates for .54-in. ball,
100 rifle waist belts and plates, for bayonet-scabbard,
100 rifle sword-bayonet scabbards, - . ,
100 rifle pouches, .-..--
100 rifle Hasks, ......
100 rifle flask and pouch belts, . . . .
100 cavalry sabre belts and plates, . . .
100 carbine slings and swivels, . . . -
100 light artillery sabre belts and plates,
100 foot artillery sword belts and plates, - •<
176
lbs
167
63
13
31
50
15
49
60
118
59
49
43
81
27
120
110
95
81
69
Musket and Rifle Practice.
Dangerous space. — In practice the object to be struck has a
certain height, and the ball will strike it not only when it is at
point plank, but also when it shall be at such points in rear or in
front of the point blank, that the vertical distance of the trajec-
tory from such points shall be equal to, or lees than the height of
the object. The distance between the points, where if a man
were standing, he would be struck in the head, and where he
would be struck in the feet, is called the dangerous space. For
cavalry the dangerous space is greater than for infantry, for the
same trajectory. The more flattened the trajectory, the greater
the dangerous space.
The French rifle musket, at a distance of 273 yards, has a dan-
gerous space of 87.5 yards ; at 546 yards, of 42.5 yards ; at 872
yards, of 20.5 yards.
For the Enfield rifle musket at 600 yards, the dangerous space
is 60 yards ; at 800, of 40 yards.
Comparative Efficacy of the Sjiiooth Bored Musket, with Round
Bali', and the Rifle, with the Hollow Ball.
Experiments were made in 1851, at Vincennes, to test the rela-
tive efficacy of the musket and rifle at various distances. The
conclusions were as follows :
1st. In the fire by company, the rifle with the hollow ball has
710 superiority over the smooth bored musket with round ball, at
164 yards.
2d. At 218 yards, the rifle has one and a half times the efficacy.
3d. At 437 yards, the rifle has six times the efficacy.
4th. Beyond 437 yards, the musket has neither accuracy nor
penetration, but the rifle has still very considerable efficacy.
^0
Table showing the relative Penelration of Round and Cylindro- \
conic Balls.
437 yards.
Target^
f! feet C inciica.
NU3IBER Of PLAKKS.
1
4
2
2
2
1
3
4
5
6.
7
8
Musket — round ball.
120 fired.
Struck,
Penetrated,
T?ge rifle, rylindro-
conic ball.
120 fired;
Struck,
Penetrated, - '
03
63
C3
55
5")
52
51
43
43
32
27
14
10
13
i
The planks \^ere poplar, 1.02 inch thick, placed 18 inches in
rear of each other. Charge of powder for round ball, 123.5 grains ;
cjlindro-conic, 69.5 grains.
Mean deviations, — -Tiie following are the mean deviations of
the rifle musket, fired from a shoulder and rest :
Distance.
Yards.
100
COO
1000
Vertical!
Inches.
1.9
22.2
55.9
Horizontal.
Inches.
1.5
14.6
22.5
Effect of bullets. — The penetration of the rifle musket bullet,
in a target made of pine boards, one inch thick, are as follows :
At 200 yards, - - 11 inches.
- 600 " " - 6.33 "
" 1000 " - - 3.25 "
From experiments made in Denmark, the following relations
were found between the penetration of a bullet in pine, and its
effects on the body of a living horse, viz :
Ist. When the force of tlie bullet is sufficient to penetrate 0.31
inch into pine, it is only sufficient to produce a slight contusion of
the skin.
2d. AVhen the force of penetration is equal to 0.63 inch, the
wound begins to be dangerous, but does not always disable.
?1
3ci. When the force of penetration is equal to 1.2 inch, the
tvound is very dangerous.
It will thus he seen that the present bullet is capable of pro-
ducing very dangerous wounds, at a much greater distance than
1,000 yards.
Accidents that occur with the Holloio Ball.
Projectiles^ with a cavity in the base, are liable to be torn by
the action of the gas, if it be too violent, or if the projectile be
defective from its fabrication, as often occurs with moulded bul-
lets. The tearing of hollow bullets is thus classified.
Lunettes.— In this case the cylindrical part of the bullet re-
mains behind in the piece, the conical part being torn off by the
action of the gas, and driven out witliout range or accuracy. In
case of accidents of this kind, the arm is temporarily unfit for
use, and has to be unbreeched to extract the lunette. Sometimes
by forcing a second ball down point foremost, and ramming it
hard against the lunette, they may both be fired out.
Anneavx : composed of a circular part of the hollow portion of
the projectile, comprising one or more of the grooves ; these acci-
dents arise entirely from a defective fabrication.
Affouillements. — In this case the gas penetrates through the
fissures or openings of the bullet, from defective moulding, and
pierces without separating the front part of the bullet^ thus driving
it out with little force or accuracy.
72
CHAP. VII.
AMMUNITION.
Gunpowder.
Gunpowder should be of an even grain, angular and irregular
in form ; it should be so hard as not to be easily crushed by pres-
sure with the finger ; it should, when new, leave no trace of dust
when poured on the back of the hand, and should leave no beads
or foulness when flashed, in quantities of 10 grains, on a copper
plate. It is distinguished as musket, mortar, cannon and jnam-
moth powder. They are all made in the same manner, of the
same proportion of materials, and differ only in the size of the
grain.
Materials. — The materials required are saltpetre, charcoal and
sulphur. They should be of the greatest possible purity.
Proportions of materials. — All powder for the military service
must be composed of the following proportions, by weight, viz :
76 parts of nitre, 14 of charcoal and 10 of sulphm*;
Or 75 '' " 15 " 10
Size of grain. — The size of the grain is tested by standard
sieves made of sheet brass pierced with round holes. Two sieves
are used for each kind of powder : Nos. 1 and 2 for musket, 2
and 3 for mortar, 4 and 5 for cannon, and 6 and 7 for mammoth
powder.
Diameter of holes for musket powder, No. 1, 0.03 iu. ; No. 2, 0.06 in.
" mortar " No. 2, 0.06 in. ; No. 3, 0.10 iu.
cannon " No. 4, 0.25 in. ; No. 5, 0.35 in.
" " mammoth " No. 6, 0.60 in. ; No. 7, 0.90 in.
Musket powder. — None should pass through sieve No. 1 — all
through No. 2.
Mortar powder. — None should pass through sieye No. 2 — all
through No. 3.
Cannon powder. — None should pass through sieve No. 4 — all
through No. 5.
7:3
The smaller flic gTains of powtlcr, to a certain limit, the more
nearly instantaneous is its conversion into gas. The object of
using large grained powder is to avoid its instantaneous conver-
sion into gas, which would burst the gun. As a general rule, in
firing cannon, the heavier the projectile the larger the grain of
powder used, and conversely. The inertia of rest of the projec-
tile is proportional to its mass, and a smetll interval of time is re-
quired to impart to it, with safety to the gun, the velocity with
which it issues from the muzzle.
Powder Measures.
Made of sheet copper ; those for use in the park should be made
without handles, for the convenience of putting them up in a nest;
their form is cylindrical, the interior diameter and height being
equal.
To find the diameter and height of a cylinder to contain a givtn
quantity of gunpowder : Multiply the weight in pounds by
38.2 for cannon powder } c t j -i.
39.4 for musket L lifle powder \ "^ '°'=''"™ ^^^^''^
and take the cube root of the product.
Dimensions of Powder Measures.
WEIGHT OF
POWDER.
DIAMETKR AND
HEIGHT.
WEIGHT OF
POWDER.
DIAMETER AN'D
HEIGHT.
Lb8.
OZ.
Inches.
Lbs.
OK.
Inches.
0
1
1.337
o
0
4.240
0
2
1685
2
8
4.571
0
4
2.122
3
0
4.857
0
8
2.673
4
0
5.346
1
0
3.368
4
s
5.560
1
4
3.628
6
0
6.120
1
8
3.855
8
0
6.736
74
Ammunition for Small Arms now used in the C. S. Service.-
i
3
ARMS,
c3
0
t
0 ^
A
t
2
"^.a
tn
fi
to
■3
e1
I,
"3
O
^
q'
0
iie]g:ian rifle,
.70
738
.675
80
Mississippi rifle,
.54
470
.525
.70
Eifle musket, - ^ -
.€9
738
-
80
Rifle " -
.58
500
.562
75
German rifle, ^ . w
.69
738
_
80
Eufield rifle, .- -'
.57
540
.562
70
Smooth bore musket (ball), -
.69
400
.650
100
. '♦ " " (buck and ball),
.69
-
-
110
English smooth bore musket,
.75
480
-
no
Hall's carbine.
.54
228
-
60
Merrill's carbine,
.56
430
_
50
Sharp's carbine, . - -
.52
480
-
60
Burnside's carbine,
.56
385
-
75
Colt's revolving carbine.
.56
420
~
60
U H li
.44
250
-
35
Maynard's carbine,
.51
345
-
55
" '•
.37
156
25
Colt's army pistol.
.44
250
30
" navy "
.33
145
-
17
Horseman's pistol,
.54
228
30
How to make Cartridges.
"When the cylinder of paper is not attached to the ball by the
pressure of machinery closing the annulus around the base of the
ball, as is usually done in the C. S. service, cartridges should be
made with thin wrappers. The first, or inner paper envelope, is
made by rolling with the hand the paper around a cylindrical
mould, generally of wood, with a conical cavity at one end, to fit
the cone of the ball. Besides this paper, a little rectangle of
paste-board is also rolled, and the paper projecting beyond, pressed
into the hollow of the mould, thus making a cylinder in which to
receive the powder. The ball is then placed against the mould,
the point of the cone in the hollow of the mouldy and a third wrap-
75
per of thin, strong paper, in shape of a trapezoid, rolled and pasted
around ball and powder. The cartridge is terminated by a com-
pressed fold at the end with the powder, and tied with twine be-
low the ball. The outer wrapper is then lubricated around the
ball, with a mixture of two parts of bleached wax and one of
tallow.
Buckshot cartridges have 4 tiers of 3 buckshot each, inserted
like the first, with a half hitch between them, and finishing with
a double hitch.
Ammunition for Field Pieces.
The charges of powder are contained in cartridge hags.
The projectile is attached to a block of wood called a sabot.
For the guns and the 12-pounder howitzer^ the cartridge and
the projectile are attached to the same sabot, making together a
round of fixed ammunition.
For 32 and 2^-pounder howitzers, the projectile is separate from
the charge, and the cartridge is attached to a block of wood, called
a cartridge block.
Charges of Powder.
KIND.
FOR GUNS.
FOR HOWITZERS,
12-pdr.
6.pdr. j
32-pdr.
24-pdr.
12-pdr.
For shot, . . . -
For shell, . . . -
For spherical case,
For canister, - . . .
For shell (large charge),
Lbs.
2.5
2.0
25
2.0
25
Lbs.
1.25
1.25
1.25
1.0
Lbs.
3.25
3.25
2.5
Lbs.
2.5
2.5
2.0
Lbs.
1.0
1.25
1.0
Cartridge Blocks.
Cartridge blocks are cylinders of wood to which the cartridges
of howitzers are attached, to give them a better finish, and to in-
crease the length of the smaller charges, so that they may fill the
chamber of the piece, and may be less apt to turn in the bore.
They are made of poplar, linden, or other soft wood.
76
Sabots.
Sabots are made of pojylar, linden or other light, close grained
wood. ^ The}' should be clear of knots and splits, and well seasoned.
They are made with a cavity to fit tlie ball, and a groove around
which to tie the cartridge, thus serving as the means of connecting
the charge with the projectile.
Fuze Plugs.
The fuzes for field shells and spherical case are inserted, at the
.moment of loading the gun, into wooden fuze X'^'^gs, previously
driven into the shells.
These plugs are made of beech, perfectly seasoned and dried,
so that they may not shrink after they are driven.
Charging Shells.
Power
required
to fill the shell,
to burst the shell, -
to blow out the fuze
plug,
for service charpre,
32-pdr.
24-1
.dr.
12pdr.
Lbs. oz.
Lbs.
oz.
Lbs. oz.
1 5
0 11
1
0-
8
0 8
0 5
0 2
1
0
0
12
0 1
0 7
Riiie 01' musket
powder is iised
iu preference to
caunou powder.
Spherical Case Shot.
CHARGE.
8-in.
42
32
24
18
12
6
Number of musket balls,
Bursting charge of powder, oz.
Weight of shot loaded, - lbs.
48fi
15
59.5
306
9
39.
225
8
30.13
175
6
22.75
120
5
16.3
78
4.5
11.
38
2.5
2 5
Cylinders and caps. — For the greater security of field ammuni-
tion, the cartridges are covered with paper cylinders and caps.
The cap is drawn off at the moment of loading the piece, and in
using solid shot it may be placed over the shot to diminish windage.
77
Dimensions and Weight of Fixed Ammunition.
FOR
SUNS.
FOR HOWITZERS.
DIMENSIONS.
12
6
32
24
12
In.
In.
In.
In.
In.
Height of charge of powder, f ^ ^hnrtrp
including cartridge blocks J ^^"^^^ charge, -
5.
4.
7.4
5.9
{ 3.25
for ^32 and 24-pdr. howit- j g^^^^ ^^^^^^^ .
4.
3.25
7.4
5.4
Height of Rtrapped shot or shell,
5.02
4.13
7.14
6.58
6.42
Height of canister with sabot.
8.
6.75
10.5
9.55
8.75
rshot,
Height of round of fixed am- ) Shell,
10.4
8.43
-
-
-
10.
munition. \ Spherical case, -
{ Canister,
9.5
7.8
_
-
10.
12.4
10.3
-
-
12.3
WEIGHTS.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Cartridge, including car- C Large charge,
tridge block. \ Small charge.
2.56
1.3
3.88
2.7
2.06
1.05
3.1
2.34
1.05
Shot, strapped, . - - . .
12.75
6.28
Shell, strapped and charged.
_
_
24.6
18.8
9.35
Spherical case, strapped and charged.
1143
5.75
31.
23.
11.3
Canister with sabot, ....
148
7 32
28.5
21.25
10.8
rshot,
Round of aramuni- ! Shell, with small charge, -
15 4
7.6
_
_
27.7
21.15
10.5
tion, complete, i Spherical case,
[Canister.
13.5
6.82
34.1
25.. 34
12,5
16.91
8.4
.316
23.6
11.85
78
Contents of each Packing Box for Field Afnmunition.
FOR GUNS
KIND OF AMMUNITION.
HOWITZERS.
KIND OF AMMUNITION.
(J
13
^
^
o<
'C
P.
a
o.
p.
C»
rr
2
s
CO
n
CI
Shot.
Shells.
Shot fixed, -
Q
14
Shells fixed,
_
_
12
Priming tubes,
o
5
Shells strapped, -
4
6
Portfires,
1
1
^ , . , C .xmall charge.
Cartridges, J j^^.^^ ^j^^^^^.;
4
6
Slow match, j'ards,
1.5
1.5
1
1
Priming tubes,
3
3
5
Spherical Case.
Portfires,
1
1
I
Slow match, yards.
1.5
1.5
1.5
Shot fixed, -
8
14
r black, 2 sec. -
2
2
6
Priming tubes.
5
5
Fuzes, \ ''''^' ^ «««• -
' 1 green, 4 sec. -
4
6
12
Portfires,
1
1
2
2
6
Slow match, yards,
1.5
1.5
(. yellow, 5 sec. -
2
2
black, 2 sec.
;5
7
Fuzes, <^ green, 4 sec. -
8
■3
14
7
Spherical Case.
yellow, 5 sec.
3
Shot fixed,
_
_
12
Canister.
Shot strapped,
Cartridges, small charge,
4
4
6
6
Canisters fixed,
Priming tubes.
Portfires,
Slow match, yards.
8
5
1
1.5
14
5
1
1.5
Priming tubes.
Portfires,
Slow match, yards,
r black, 2 sec. -
T^ 1 red, 3 sec. -
3
1
1.5
2
4
3
1
1.5
o
C
5
1
1.5
6
12
F"^««' i greU 4 sec. -
2
2
6
[yellow, 5 sec. -
2
2
Canister.
Canisters fixed, -
_
_
12
Canisters with sabots,
4
6
Curt ridges, small charge.
4
6
Priming tubes.
3
3
5
I'ortfires,
1
1
1
Slow match, yards.
1.5
1.5
1.5
Ammunition for Siege and Garrison Service.
Cartridges.
The ordinary service charge of powder for heavy guns is one-
fourth the weight of the shot ; hut the charge varies according to
circumstances, from one-third the weight of the shot (for a breach-
ing battery), to one-sixth of that weight, for tiring double shot or
79
hot shot, and still less, for ricochet firing. The charges for mor-
tars and howitzers vary according to the required range.
Cartridge bags for sie^e and garrison service are usually made
of woollen stuff. These are cirt in two pieces, in the form of a
rectangle with semicircular ends, which are sewed together to
form the bag. See Ord. Manual, for the manner of making them.
Charges for Shells for Columhiads and heavy Guns.
COLUMBIADS.
GUNS.
CHARGE OF POWDER
10-in. 1 8m.
42
32
=4
18
12
To fill the shell,
To burst the shell, -
To blow out the fuze
plug.
For oriliuary service,
Lbs. oz.
3 4
1 6
0 10
3 0
Lbs. oz.
1 12
1 0
0 8*
1 8
Lbs. oz.
1 8
0 12
■
1 0 <i
1 L 4
Lbs. oz.
1 5
0 11
0 2
1 0
Lbs. oz.
] 0
0 8
0 2
0 12
Lbs. oz.
0 11
0 7
0 u
0 10
Lbs, oz.
0 8
0 5
0 1
0 7
The fuzes for these shells are made with paper cases, and are
inserted at the time of loading the piece.
The fuze plugs are made of wood, or of brass, driven or screwed
into the fuze hole ; they are covered with a cap of peculiar con-
struction which contains the priming of the fuze. The size of the
plug is indicated by that of the fuze hole in the shell.
The bursting charge is poured into the shell through the hole in
the fuze plug.
Wads,
Wads for proving cannon are made out of junk.
Wads for firing hot shot, and other like purposes, may be made
of hay, wrapped with rope yarn ; they are fabricated in the same
manner as junk wads.
Ring wads (or gromniets^ as they are called in the naval ser-
vice) have been found very serviceable in increasing the accuracy
of fire, and they are to be preferred where the object of a wad is
merely to retain the ball in its place. They consist of a ring of
rope yarn, about 0.7 in. thick, with two pieces of strong twine
-tied across it, at light angles with each other. The size of the
80
riug is the full diameter of the bore, in order that it may fit tight-
Thesc wads may be attached with twine to tlie straps, or to the-
balls ; or, they may be inserted, like other wads, after the ball.
Military Fireworks.
Preparation for the service of ammunition are slow-match^ quick-
match, port-fires, i^riming tmhes, friction ^im-ers and fy,zes.
Slow-Match.
Slow-match is made of liemp, flax, or cotton rope, about 0.6 in,
diameter, made with 3 strands^, slightly twisted. Cotton rope^
well twisted, forms a good match without any preparation.
To prepare hemp or flax rope : boil it 10 minutes in water hold-
ing in solution l-20th of its weight of sugar of lead, or let it re-
main in the cold solution imtil it is thoroughly saturated — run it
through the hands, or take the water from it, and twist it hard.
Match thus prepared, burns 4 inches in an ho«r. Cotton match
bui'ns 4i inches in an hour.
Quick-Mateh.
Quick-match is made of cotton yarn — such as is used for candle-
wick, by steeping it in gummed brandy or whiskey, and theiv
soaking it for three or four hours in a paste made of mealed pow-
der and gummed spirits. When dry it should be hai?d and stiff-
One yard burns in the open air in 13 s<^conds.
Port Fires.
A port fire is a paper case containing a compositi^m ®f 6 parts-
of nitre, 3 of sulphur and 1 of mealed powder, the flame of which
is capable of quickly igniting primers, quiek-match, &c. It is 2^
inches long, and burns with an intense flame for ten minutes.
PriiThing Tubes.
Priming tubes are small metallic tubes filled with a paste of
mealed powder and spirits of wine, to which is^ attached a smalS
strand of quick-match. When the tube is made of a quill, they
are called quill tubes^ They are used for priming cii^naizk.
SI
Pricticn Primers.
A friclion priiner for cannon consists of a tube charged with
gunpowder, to the top of which at right angles is attached a smaller
tube containing friction powder, which is exploded by means of a
Serrated tvire drawn olit with a lanyard.
Friclion powder is composed of two parts of chlorate of potash
ttnd one of svlphuret of antimony, moistened with alcohol, and
mixed together in a wet state.
Lanyard.— ^hQ lanyard for pulling off the primers is a piece of
i&trong cord ; to one end is attached a small iron hook, and to the
other a icood,en toggle^
FuzeSi
Fuzes are the means iised to ignite the charge of a hollow pro-
jectile at any desired moment of its flight ; they are classified into
time, concussion and percussion fuzes.
Time fuze.— This fuze is composed of a caee Of paper, Wood ot
inetal, enclosing a column of burning composition, which is set on
fire by the discharge of the piece, and which, after burning a cer-
tain time, communicates with the bursting charge. Its successful
Operation depends on the certainty of ignition, uniformity of hum-
ing, and the certainty of communicating the flame to the bursting
charge. The ingredients of the fuzes are the same as for gun-
powder, but the proportions are varied to suit the required rate of
burning. Pure mealed powder gives the quickest composition.
There are two kinds of time fuzes used for field service — the paper
fuze and the Bormann fuze.
Paper /azc— This consists of a paper case, which is charged
with the fuze composition being driven firmly in. Sometimes it
is inserted, by two or three light blows with a wooden mallet, at
the time of loading the gun, into a wooden p)lug previously driven
into the fuze hole. If the fuze is inserted in the laboratory, over
the top is fastened a disk of varnished paper to protect it, on.
which is inscribed the number of seconds that the fuze will burn.
The paper is removed at the time of loading.
4*
S9
ruZE COMPOSITION.
Mr. A LED rOWDKR.
SULPHL-R.
TIME OF I5UUN-
l.NO 1 INCH.
1 . . . .
2 ... -
J . . . .
4 . - . .
1
8
8
0.
3.
3.5
4 0
2 seconds.
3 "
4
5
In the mortar fuze the composition is driven into the wooden
plug bored out nearly to the bottom, -without the use of paper.
The exterior of the plug is divided into inches and tenths. By
cutting it off, the time of burning is regulated. The seacoast
fuze has a braes plug and a metal cap, to prevent the ingress of
water.
JBormann fuze. — This fuze is an invention of Capt. Bormann
of the Belgian service, and is the only one used in the field at
present in the C. S. service, for firing shell and spherical case
from smooth bored guns.
The case is made of an alloy of tin and lead. Its shape is that
of a thick circular disk, with a screw thread cut upon its edge, by
which it is fastened into the fuze hole of the projectile. The
upper surface is marked with an arc graduated into seconds and
quarter seconds, under which is a circular groove filled with
mealed powder. The only outlet to the groove containing the
powder, is under the zero of the graduation ; and this outlet is
filled with rifle powder, which communicates with the bursting
charge. The upper coating of metal is cut with a knife or gouge
at the time of loading. If the fuzes become loose by the effects
of transportation, they should be well tightened with a fuze
wrench, and the edge around the fuze well glazed with a mixture
of equal parts of litharge and white lead.
In the paper fuze the pressure is applied at the direction of the
axis ; and hence the mixture is not uniformly dense, while in the
Bormann fuze the pressure is at right angles to the axis of the
mixture, which renders it homogeneous, and thus produces great
uniformity in burning.
Concussion fuze. — This operates by the shock of the discharge,
or by that experienced in striking an object. One of the most
S3
celebrated is that invented by Capt. Spiingard of the Belgian
service. It has a tube of plaster of paris, surrounded by the
composition. As the composition burns, the tube is left unsup-
ported, and is broken by the shock of impact, when the flame of
the composition immediately communicates with the bursting
charge. None are adopted in the C. S. service.
Percussion fuze. — This explodes by the striking of some parti-
cular point of the projectile against an object, and is universally
used with rifle cannon projectiles. The fuze adopted, has a move-
able cone piece, bearing a musket cap, covered by a brass safety
cap, which screws into the fuze hole. Wlien the projectile is set
in motion, the cone piece, b}" its inertia, presses against the
shoulders of the fuze hole ; when its motion is arrested, the mo-
mentum of the cone piece causes the percussion cap to impinge
against the safety cap, which produces explosion. Mealed powder
is sometimes introduced in the cavity of the cone ])\ece to cause
the explosion of the shell to take place after the explosion of the
cap. The cone piece is held in its position by a piece of "svire
passing through the safety cap, and renders the shell safe in trans-
portation. This wire is withdrawn at the instant of loading.
Rockets,
War rockets. — A rocket is a projectile which is set in motion by
a power residing within itself, by the pressure of the escaping gas,
in the direction opposite from that in which it escapes. It per-
forms the part both of a piece and a projectile. The cases for
war rockets are made of sheet iron, and lined with paper or wood
veneer, to prevent the composition from touching the metal and
rusting it. They are filled with a composition of nitre, sulphur
and charcoal. At the top end either a solid shot or shell is placed.
When the composition burns out, fire is communicated to the fuze,
which explodes the charge in the shell. Two kinds of rockets
have been used — Congreve^s and Hale's.
Congrcve's rocket has, like the ordinary skyrocket, a directing
stick ; but instead of being tied to the outside of the case, it is
inserted in the rocket, and placed directly in the axis of the case,
8#
the flame escaping throagh holes aronnd it. Sir William Cofi'-'
greve was the first who made use of metallic cases, but was not
the inventor of the rocket. These rockets hate been made of
iramense^' 8iz«, the largest weighing as ranch as three hundred
pounds, but have never been adopted to any great extent;.
Hale's rocket differs from any other, in having no guide sticks
Direction is given to it by imparting the r[ffr. motion to it. This-
is effected by placing in the reai* a number of escape holes oblique'
to the axis; the inequality of pressure caused in the escape of the
gas produces a rotary motion.
War rockets are usually fired from tiTbes or troughs mounted
on portable stands.
Signal rockets. — The pjincrpal pares &{ a si^al rocket are the
case^ the composition, the pot, the decorations, the stick.
The easi is made of several layers of stout paper pasted to-
gether.
The composition varies : 12 nkre, 2 sulphur, 3 charcoal is used ^
and for brilliancy, steel filings are added.
The pot is formed of a paper cylinder Slipped ever and pasted'
to the top of the case ; it is surmounted with a paper cone filled
with tow. The object of the pot is to contain the decorations,
which are scattered through tl>e air by tlie explosion which takes
place when the rocket reaches the summit of its trajectory.
The decorations of rockets a?e stars, serpents, marrons, gold
'fain, Sfc.
Serpents are made of smaH paper cases like a rockefi.
Marrons are small paper shells fi^lled with grained powdei*.
The stick. — The stick m a tapering piece of pine about nine
times the length of the ease, aad is ti^ed to the side of the ease to*
guide the rocket in its flight.
Incendiary Fii e-works.
Fire stone is a composition that burns slowly but intensely ; i^
is placed in a shell along with the bursting charge, for the purpose
of setting fire to ships, buildings, &'e. It is composed of 10 parts
nitre, 4 sulphur, 1 antimony, 3 resin.
Carcass,— A. carcass fs a hollow cast kan projectile filled witrl
i)urning corapositioii, the Hame of ^yhich Issnes throtigh four fuze'
holeg, to set lire to combustible objects. The composition is the
same as for port fires, mised with a small quantity of finely
chopped tow, and as much white turpentine and spirits of turpen-
tine as will g-ive it proper consistency.
A common shell mr^y be loaded as a carcass, by placing the'
bursting charge in the bottom of the cavity, and covering it with
earca?s composition, well driven in, and in»;eyting four or five
strands of quick -match.
Hot shot. — The pfeeeutions to be obperved in loading hot shot,^
are, that the cartridge be perfectly tight, so that the powder shall
?iot scatter along the bore, and that a wad of pure clay, or hay
soaked in water, be interco?ed between the cartridge and th^ shot -
ire
Balls.
Fire halls are projectiles of an oval shape formed of eacks of
canvas, filled with combustible composition. They are used ta
)ight up the enemy's works and are loaded with shells, to prevent
^hcm from being approached.
The sacks are made of strong a>id close canvas (sail clothj'f
which may be cut straight and gathered at the ends ; or more'
neatly, cut in three gores or curved pieces, to form a ball. The;f
are made of two or three thicknesses of stuff, according to it^
strength, and the pieces are sewed together with strong thread.
Light Ball So
Light halts are made in th<e same manner as fire balls, except
that there is no shell in them, as they are used for lighting up ou]!'
own work-s.
Tc^rred Links {Tonrfeaux),
Are used for lighting up a rampart, or I'or ineendjary purposes^
They consist of coils of soft rope placed on top of each other an(i
loosely tied together; the exterior diameter h 0 inches, the interior
B inches. They may be made of pieces of slow match about 15
feet long ? immerse theni for 10 minutes in a composition of 20
pitch and 1 tallow, and shape them under water ; when dry, plunge
them in a composition of equal parts, of pitch and rosin, and roll
them in tow or saw dust. lu making them, the hands of the work-
men should be covered with linseed oil.
A link takes from 1 lb. to li lb. of composition and i lb. of tow.
Two of them are put into a rampart grate, separated by shavings.
They burn one hour in calm weather, half an hour in a high wind,
and are not extinguished by rain. The grates are placed about
250 feet apart.
Pitched Fascines.
Fagots of vine twigs, or other very combustible wood, about 20
inches long and 4 inches in diameter, tied in three places with
iron wire, may be treated in the same manner as links, and used
for the same purpose ; their inflammability is increased by dipping
the ends in melted fire stone.
Storage and Preservation of Ammunition and Fire
Works.
Leaden halls are generally kept in cellars, on account of their
weight ; the boxes should be kept as dry as possible, and so piled
as to admit the circulation of air about them.
Cartridges for small arms are kept in magazines ; the barrels
or boxes being piled 3 or 4 tiers high at most. If barrels or boxes
are not at hand, lay the bundles flat on a tarpaulin and pile them
10 high.
Fixed ammunition, for cannon. — If not in boxes, it should be
placed in piles formed of two parallel rows of cartridges, with the
sabots together; in 4 tiers for 12-pounder, and 5 for 6 -pounder ;
chock the lower tier with strips of wood fastened with small nails ;
put a layer of tow 2 inches thick between tlui shot; let the piles
rest on planks, if there is no floor, and cover them with tarpaulins;
have the place swept, and the cartridge bags brushed off. Leave
a passage of 18 inches between the double rows, and keep them
2 feet from the walls.
ay
Fixed ammunition should not be put into powder magazines, if
it can be avoided ; it shouM be kept in a dry place, above the
ground floor if practicable ; the store rooms should be always aired
in fine weather ; the piles should be taken down and made up
again every six months at most, the bags examined and repaired,
and the damaged cartridges broken up. A ticket on each pile
should show the number and kind of cartridges, the additions to
the pile, and the issues.
Canisters.— V\]Qd Up like fixed ammunition, in 4 tiers for 24's
and J8's; and 5, for 12'8 and 6's. Empty canisters in 10 or 12
tiers ; the bottoms and covers separately.
Cartridge bags filed. — Like fixed ammunition or packed in
boxes or barrels.
Paper cartridge hags. — In bundles, packed in boxes or on
shelves, in a dry place, with the precautions before indicated
against worms and moths.
Loaded shells should never be put into magazines, except from
absolute necessity ; powder is not well preserved in them. They
should be piled on the ground floor of a secure building — on
planks, if the floor is not boarded ; in 6 tiers at most ; the fuzes
of the lower tier in the vacant spaces between the shells ; those
of the other tiers turned downward, like the fuze holes of empty
shells ; the pile should be covered with a tarpaulin.
Slow-match.-— In a dry place, such as a garret.
Quick-match. — If not in boxes, it may be hung up in bundles,
on ropes or pins, and covered with paper.
Priming tubes, j^ort-Jires, fuzes, signal rockets. — In safe and
dry situations, packed in boxes.
Fire balls.— In a cool place, separated from each other by
shavings or straw, if they are piled up.
Tarred links. — Strung on a rope and huug up ; for transporta-
tion they are packed in barrels, with straw between the tiers.
Fascines and torches. — Packed like the preceding.
Fire stone and incendiary comjpositions should not be kept in
large quantities.
m
Percussion prvn^rs, ill -cool, dry places, apatt froin giinjioti'dei'
and ammunition. Some cannon primers have exploded under'
circumstances T^hicli led to the opinion that their comhusiion wag
ppontaneoua. I'he}' should be car<5ftill|^ ]^t6t*iete6. ftCJm rats, ets.f
hy bejnfj enclosed m glasg o? tin-
89
CHAP. YIII.
EQUIPMENT OF BATTERIES FOR FIELD
SERVICE.
Equipment of Field Batteries.
Interior Arrangement of Ajnmunition Chests for Field Guns and
Howitzers.
The principal divisions of a chest are designated as the right
half and the left half to a person facing the front of the chest.
The smaller divisions in each half, perpendicular to the sides,
are desig-nated as first, second, third, &c., from the principal par-
tition, each way; the divisions parallel to the sides are designated
as the front, middle and rear divisions.
The kind of ammunition contained in the small divisions is
marked on the inside of the cover, over each division.
90
Ammunition carried in each Chest.
KIND.
No.
Weight.
PLACE.
FOK G-POUNDEU GUN.
Lbs.
Shot, fixed, -
25
190.
An the left half.
*^In the 1st four divisions of right halt
Spherical cage, fixed,
20
140.
Canisters, fixed,
5
42.
In 5th division, right half.
Spare cartridges, iHb.
2
2.6
On the spherical case. .
Friction primers.
75
.97
In a tin box, in the tray. •
Slow match, yard,
Portfires,
o
.38
.57
> On the ammunition in right half.
Total number of rounds, -
50
376. .52
FOR 12-rOUNDER GUN.
Shot, fixed, -
20
308.
In left half, and iu 4th division of right
half.
Spherical case, fixed,
8
117.6
In 1st and 2d divisions, right halt
Canisters, fixed.
4
67.64
In 3d division, right half.
Spare cartridges, SV lbs.
2
5.12
On the spherical case.
Friction primers.
48
.62
In a tin box, in the tray.
Slow match, yard,
Portfires,
1.5
.28
.57
^ On the ammunition in right half.
Total number of rounds, -
32
•1119.83
FOR 12 POUNDER GUN
(NAPOLEON).
Shot, fixed, -
12
184.8
In 1st, 2d and 3d divi.siona, left half
Spherical case,
12
176.4
In 1st, 2d and 3d divisions, right half.
Shells,
4
4d.m
In 4th division, rip lit half.
Canisters,
4
67.64
In 4th division, left half.
Spare cartridges, 2.5 lbs. -
2
5.12
Ou the shells.
Friction primers,
48
.62
In a tin box, in the tray.
'Slow match, yard,
Portfires,
1.5
3
.28
.57
> Ou the ammunition in right half.
Total number of rounds, -
32
484.11
KOR 12-PDR. HOWITZER.
Shells, fixed.
15
157.5
In 2d, 3d and 4th divisions, right half.
Spherical case, fixed.
20
273.
In left half.
Canisters, fixed.
4
47.4
In 1st division, right half.
Friction primers.
58
.75
In a tin box ou the canisters.
Slow match, yards.
Portfires,' -
2
2
.38
.57
> On the canisters.
Total number of rounds, -
39
479 6
91
Ammunition carried in each Chest — Continued.
KIND.
No.
a
Weight.
PLACE.
FOR 24-rDR. HOWITZER.
Sholls, strapped,
Spherical case, strapped, -
Canisters,
r Small charge.
Cartridges, -i
[Large charge,
Friction primers,
Slow match, yard,
Poi-t fires.
Total number of rounds, -
12
8
3
23
2
34
1
2
23
Lbs.
225.60
214.92
63.75
53.82
5.40
.44
.19
.57
564. fi9
In left half
In front and middle divisions of right
, half.
In rear divisions of right half.
12 in middle division, left half; 9 in
middle division, right half; 2 on the
canisters.
On canisters.
In a tin box on the canisters.
> On the canisters.
FOR 32-PDR. HOWITZER.
Shells, strapped.
Spherical ca.se, strapped, -
Canister,
Friction primers,
Slow match, yard,
Portfires,
Total number of rounds, -
8
6
1
15
1
22
.5
1
15
196.80
216.00
28.50
46.50
3.88
.28
.09
.28
492.33
Front and rear divisions of left half.
Rear divisions and right front division
of right half
Left front division, right half.
> 1st division in each half.
In a tin box in the middle division.
I In the middle division.
FOR MOUNTAIN HOWITZER.
Shells, fixed.
Spherical case, fixed,
Canisters, fixed,
Friction primers,
Slow match, yard.
Portfires,
Total number of rounds, -
1
6
1
12
i
8
9.9
75.6
1L8
.15
.09
.28
In left end.
In middle.
In right end.
In water proof paper.
97 82
For Prairie Howitzer. — The same as for the mountain howitzer.
92
Implements and Equip7ncnls for Field Carriages.
KIND.
No.
Weight.
PLACE.
KOK A GUN OR HOWITZKR
■■
CARRIAGE.
Lbs.
1
SponRe.>< and rammers,
2
Sponge covors,
2
0.24
V3.6
Worm and 8taff,
k
> On the gun carriage.
Handspikes,
1>
14.5
Sponge bucket,
1
10.
Prolonge,
1
12.5
Yent cover,
1
0.2
On the gun.
Tar bucket,
Water bucket Oeather), -
1
o
7.
16.
\ On the limber.
Gunner's haversacks,
o
3.72
Tube pouch, - -»
Vent punch,
1
1.80
0.08
In the implement trays, or in other
Gunner's pincers, -
Tow hook.
1
1
0.8.")
0.00
vacant spaces in the ammunition
chest.
Hausse,
1
0.6.5
Thumb stalls.
2
0 01
)
Priming wire,
1
0.08
> In the tube pouch.
Lanyard for friction primers.
2
0.20
S
Gunner's gimlet,
Fuze cutter.
1
1
0.08
0.2
> In the tube pouch.
Tarpaulin, large,
1
37.75
Strapped on the ammunition chest.
KOK A CAISSON.
Felling axe.
1
6.
Shovel, long handle.
1
4.75
( In the places provided for them on the
Pickaxe,
1
6.5
Spare handspike.
1
7.25
caisson body.
Spare pole,
1
2.1. ;*o
Spare wheel,
1
180.
Tow hooks,
2
1.2
One in the limber chest, and one in a
caisson chest.
Tar bucket.
Watering bucket (leather).
1
7.
16.
> On the limber.
Tarpaulin, large.
1
37.75
Strapped on the limber chest.
^
9P,
Implements and Equipments for Prairie Carriages.
KIND.
Sponges and rammers,
Sponge covers,
Handspike,
Vent cover.
Haversack,
Tube pouch,
Priming ■vvire.
Thumb stalls.
Gunner's gimlet,
Lanyard for friction primen
Fuze cutter,
Gunner's pincers.
Tarpaulin, 6x10 feet.
Water bucket,
Prolnnge,
Tar bucket,
No.
Weight.
Lbs.
o
3.
2
2.3
1
5.
1
.18
1
1.86
o
1.80
1
0.08
2
.01
1
0 08
2
0.2
1
0.2
1
0.85
1
12.25
]
8.
1
_
1
7.
PLACE.
> On the carriage.
On the gun.
^ In ammunition chests.
In the tube pouch.
In tool chest A.
On the animunition chest.
On the limber.
On the gun carriage.
On the limber.
Implements and Equipments for the Mountain Howitzer Carriage.
KIND.
No.
Weight.
PLACE.
Lbs.
Handspike,
Sponge and rammer.
5 0
30
>0n the carriage.
Sponge cover.
.11
On the sponge.
Vent cover.
0.18
On the gun.
Haversack,
1.86
?On the pack with the
3 chests.
ammunition
Tube pouch.
1.80
Priming wire.
0.08
^
Gunner's gimlet,
0.08
> In the tube pouch.
Lanj^ard for friction primers,
0.2
s
Fuze cutter.
0.2
In ammunition chest.
Gunner's pincers, -
0.85
In tool chest A.
Tarpaulin, 5x5 feet,
5.25
On the pack with the
chest.
ammunition
94
Equipment of Travelling Forges and Battery Wagons*
One forge and one battery wagon accompany each field battery.
They are furnished with the tools and materials required for shoe-
ing horses and for ordinary repairs and preservation of carriages
and harness.
Other forges and battery wagons, equipped for the general ser-
vice of the army, accompany the field park which contains the
general supplies of ordnance stores.
The forge for the field battery is designated by the letter A.
The forge for the field park " *' " B.
The lattery wagon for the field battery " " " C.
The battery wagon for the field j)arlc " " *' D.
Equipment of a Forge for a Field Battery.
Limber Chest.
The chest is marked Forge A. The stores and tools are car-
ried in 6 boxes and 1 oil can.
The boxes are marked, respectively, A, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
I
95
Contents of the Limber Chest of Forge A.
Smith's Tools and Stores.
No.
1 Weight.
Smith's Tools and Stores.
No
Weight,
Lbs.
1
Lbs.
Box A 1, contnininp: :
_
8.25
Box A 5, containing:
^
14.5
Horseshoes Nos. 2 and 3, -
yo
100.
Fire shovel,
1
3,05
i Poker,
1
l.SiO
Box A 2, containing :
_
9.75
j Split broom,
1
1.25
Horseshoe nails Nos. 2
Hand hammer.
1
3.50
and 3,
-
50.00
Riveting hammer,
1
1.05
Washers and nuts No. 2, -
30
5.35
Nailing hammer, -
1
1.80
Washers and nnts No. 3, -
10
3.20
Sledge hammer, -
1
10.50
Washers and nuts No. 4, -
4
2.15
1 Chisels for hot iron.
o
3.00
Nails No. 1 C,
-
1.00
Chisels for cold iron.
2
3.00
Nails No. 2 C,
.^
1.00
Smith's tongs,
3
15.00
Tire bolts,
20
5.00
Fore punch,
1
1.00
Keys for ammunit'n chests,
5
1.80
Creaser,
1
1.00
Linch washers,
8
7.30
Fuller,
1
2.40
Linch pins.
12
8.37
Nail claw.
1
5.00
Chains Nos. 1 and 2, ft.
2
1.54
Round punch.
1
2.10
Coldshut 5-llnks, No. 3, -
50
2.50
Tap wrench.
1
3^.75
Coldshut 5-links, No. 5, -
12
2.00
Die stock,
1
6.25
Total contained in Box
Nave bands, developed, -
4
11.75
A 2,
-
91.11
Tire bands, developed, -
Total contained in Box
o
2.75
Box A 3, containing:
_
8.25
A5, -
_
80.05
Horseshoes Nos. 2 and 3, -
90
100.00
Shoeing box. Containing :
-
4.7
Box A 4, containing :
-
8.0
Shoeing hammer,
0.82
Hand cold chisels,
2
2.00
Pincers, pair,
2.00
Hardie,
1
0.75 1
Rasps (12 inches).
2.13
Files assorted, Tvith han-
1
Shoeing knife,
0.33
dles,
12
10.00
Toe-knife,
0.30
Buttress,
1
1.50 I
Pritchel,
0.85
Hand punches, round and
Nail punch.
0.80
square,
2
2.00 i
Clinching iron.
1.00
Screw wrench.
1
2.42
Oil stone,
1.50
Hand screw driver.
1
C.32 !
Leather aprons, -
2
3.00
Hand vise, - - -
1
1.00
Total contained in shoe-
Smith's callipers, pair,
1
0.40
ing box.
■ _
12.75
Taps, ?Nos. 1, 2, 3,
Dies, pairs, ) and 4,
4
150
4
1.83
Iron square, in clamps on
Wood screws, ? „..^„„
1 in. No. 14, \ e^^^^'
1
2.10
the inside of cover.
1
2.00
Padlock, on chest.
1
0.50
Quart can of sperm oil. -
1
2.70
Tow, used in packing, -
-
5.00
Total contained in Box
Tar-bucket, on its hook.
1
7.00
A 4,
_
28.52 1
1
1
Total,
-
480 38
nc.
Boxes Nos. 1, 2 and 3 are placed in the bottom oi" the chesl:
No. 1 against the left band; No. 2 in the middle.
No. 4 is placed on top of Nos. 1 and 2, against the left end and
the back of tlie chest; the division for the oil can on the left hand.
No. 5 is placed on top of Nos. 1, 2 and 3, against the front of
the chest.
The shoeing box is placed on No. 3, against the right end and
the back of the cliest.
The tools and stores in all the boxes, and in the forges and bat-
tery wagons, are securely packed with tow.
Contents of Forge Body A.
TOOLS AND STORES.
No.
Weight.
PLACE.
Lbs.
Square iron, i in. and fio-
_
100.00
Flat iron, li in.xf in., 1 in.xl in., and 1^
In the iron room. Tho
iu.xl in. ....
."0.00
1 bars not more than 3
Round iron, Hn. -
-
50.00
1 feet long; the square
Cast 8teel, f in. square, -
_
5.00
iron iu 2 bundles.
English blister steel.
_
5.00
Box A 6, containing :
_
8 25
Horse-slioes, ....
100
108.25
In the iron room.
Water bucket, wood.
1
10.00
On its hook.
Anvil, .....
1
100.00
On the fire place.
Vise,
1
29.00
Fixed on the stock of
the carriage.
Water bucket, leather, -
]
8.00
On the vise.
liituniinous coal, - - - -
Coal shovel, ....
1
250.00
4.75
> In the coal box.
Padlock,
1
0.50
Ou coal box.
Tow, .....
2.00
Total, exclusive of vise,
0!i:i50
To put the box in the iron room or take it out, loosen the thumb
nuts and raise the rear of the bellows an inch.
EQUIPMENT OF A BATTERY WAGON FOR A FIELD BATTERY.
The battery wagon for a field battery is designated by the let-
ter C.
Limber Chest.
The chest is marked on the front side Battery wagon C.
The tools and stores are carried in 4 hoxes and 1 oil can.
The boxes are marked, respectively, C, Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4.
d-y
Contents of Limber Chest for Battery Wagon C.
TOOLS AND STORES
Xo.
Weight.
TOOLS AND STORES.
No.
Weight.
Carriage Makers' Tools.
Lbs.
LbH.
Box C 3, containing: -
_
12 5
?rvrt°i°:;t»'
\ "
4.00
Felling axe, \ with ban-
Afize, 5 dLs,
5 1
1 1
6.00
(14-in.) 5 ''^ *''^-
\ 1
1£0
Krame saw.
1
4..=0
Quart can of spt rm oil, •
1
2.70
Box C 1, containing:
-
8 25
Jack. I'laiie,
■ 1
4.15
Sadhrs' Tools and Stores.
Smoothing plane, •
1
1.80
Brace, with 24 bits,
1
4 35
Mallet,
]
1.75
Spoke shave.
1
0 30
Cl.amp,
1
5.00
Gauge,
. 1
0 30
.
Plane irons,
2
1.05
23.25
Saw set,
1
0 25
Rule (2 feet),
1
0.14
Box C 4, containing : •
_
11.00
Gimlets,
12
0.1J5
Hammer, -
1
0.65
Compasses, pair
1
0.18
Shoe knife,
1
0 09
Chalk line,
1
0.10
Half round knife, -
1
0.-.'8
Brad awls.
2
0.17
Shears, pair,
1
0 47
Sciiher,
1
0.15
Sandstone,
1
1.54
Saw files (4.V-in.), -
12
0 87
Rule (2 feet).
1
0.14
"Wood tiles (lO-in ),
2
1.12
Needles, -
100
0.(8
Wood rasp (10 in ).
1
0 40
Awls and handles.
12
0.75
Trying scjuare (S-in.),
1
0.60
Punches, -
2
0 22
Hand screw driver,
1
0 32
I'incers, pair,
1
0.75
Pliers, pair.
1
0.22
17 20
Claw tool, -
1
0 12
•Creaser,
1
0.15
Box C 2, containing:
_
17.5
Thimbles, -
4
0.06
Oil stone.
1
1.50
.*>trap awl, -
1
0 01
Broad axe,
1
6 00
Beeswax, lbs.
2
2 00
Hand axe,
1
5.00
Black wax, lbs.
3
3 00
Claw hatchet.
1
2(.0
Bristles, oz.
8
0 50
Claw hammer.
1
1.60 1
Shoe thread, lbs.
5
5 00
Pincers (small), pair
1
11)6
Patent thread, lbs.
2
2.00
Table vise,
1
3.80
Buckles (assorted, .75-in.
Framing chisels (1-in. and
to 1.5-in.), doz.
3
1.00
2-in.),
o
3.00
Tacks, M.
3
0.75
Firmer chisels (5-in. and
Gunners' callipers.
1
0..50
U-in.),
2
1.00
Shoe knives,
2
0 18
Framing gouges (1-in. anc
Scissors, pairs,
2
0 20
1.4-in.),
2
2.60
Angers and handles (i-in.
20 66
1-in. and 5- in.)
3
2 35
Padlock, on the chest.
1
0 50
Screw wrench,
1
2 42
Tar bucket, on its hook, -
1
7 00
Tow, for packing.
-
7.00
32.23
Total,
-
162.59
Boxes Nos. 1 and 2 occupy the bottom of the chest; No. 1
against the left end.
Nos. 3 and 4 are placed on top of Nos. 1 and 2; No. 3 against
the rear of the chest.
98
Wagon Body C.
The large stores are piled loosely in the body and in the till ;
the small stores and tools are packed in Jive boxes.
The boxes are marked, respectively, C, Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8, and can-
dle box C.
There are seven cans — hvo marked C, Neat's-foot Oil; one
marked C, Linseed Oil; 07ie marked C, Turpentine; two
marked C, Olive Paint ; one marked C, Black Paint.
1
Contents of Wagon Body C.
tools and stores.
Box C 5, containing in 5
cans:
Linseed oil, gal.
Spirits turpentine, gal.
Olive paint, lbs.
Black paint, lbs.
Total in box C 5,
Box C 7, containing in 2
cans and 2 kegs :
Neat's foot oil, gals.
Grease, lbs.
Box C 8, containing :
Nails (4, 6, 8 and 10 pen-
ny), lbs.
Felling axes in axe rack, -
No.
Weight.
Lbs.
_
17.5
1
9.17
1
8.77
50
56.
5
6.5
80.44
28.
4
32.80
.50
60.
92.80
-
6.
20
20.
2
12.
TOOLS AND STORES.
Claw hatchet.
Hand bills,
m axe
rack,
Box C 6, containing
Paint brushes.
Sperm or wax candles, lbs.
Rammer heads.
Sponge heads,
Sponges, -
Priming wires.
Gunners' gimlets.
Lanyards for friction pri
mers,
Cannon spikes.
Dark lanterns.
Common lanterns,
Total in box C 6,
No. Weight.
Lbs.
2.
4!
17.5
3.00
7.85
2.90
3.20
3.00
0.24
0.24
0.40
0.30
3.00
4.60
28.73
99
Contents of Wagon Body C. — Continued.
TOOLS AND STORES.
No.
Weight.
REMARKS.
Caisson stock,
1
Lbs.
35.
Under the till, against the side and
rear of the wagon.
Splinter bar.
1
15.
Kammers and sponges, -
3
13.5
On the caisson stock, against rear
end.
On the bottom ; piled lengthwise
Spokes, ....
40
72.
against the front end.
Fellies, ....
24
160.
On the spokes, crosswise.
Grindstone, 14-in. x 4-in.
1
50.
1 On the fellies, against the left side
5 of the wagon.
Arbor and crank for do.
1
6.5
Screw jacks.
3
75.
On the fellies, against the front and
the till.
Wheel traces.
10
47.5
Leading traces, -
Collars, ....
10
6
57.5
27 5
In a pile occupying 30 inches at the
Girths, ....
Whips, ....
Bridles, ....
Halters, ....
Halter chains,
16
16
Q
11.
8.
18
rear end of the wagon, between
the left side and the caisson stock,
and up to the top of the till ; the
6
12
21!
15.5
collars piled on each other, from
the bottom.
Hame straps.
25
4.5
Spare nose bags, -
Sash cord, pieces,
12
6
13.5
10.
I On the harness.
Slow match, yards,
2
0.25
On box No. 7, to the left of No. 8.
Elevating screw,
Pole yoke.
1
1
15.75
12.25
> On the pile of harness.
Harness leather, side.
1
25.
1 Under the till, in front of the pile of
Bridle leather, sides.
2
22.
5 harness, against the caisson stock.
Prolonge,
1
12.5
On box No. 7, in front of No. 8.
Scythes,
4
9.
In the till, against the front end.
Scythe stones.
4
6.
In the curve of the scythes.
Spades,
6
30.
In the till ; the bits against rear end.
Pick axes and handles, -
2
13.
Between the spade handles.
Corn sacks.
24
20.
On the scythes.
Tarpavilins, 5 feet square,
2
18.
On the corn sacks.against front end.
Reaping hooks, -
4
3.85
Fastened to the ridge pole with a
wooden clamp and a leather strap.
Scythe snaths, -
4
12.
Fastened to the ridge pole with two
leather straps and buckles.
Spare stock for battery wagon,
1
90.
In the spare stock stirrup.
Padlock,
1
0.5
Watering bucket.
1
8.
Tied to the forage rack.
Forage, ....
-
-
In the forage rack.
Boxes, ....
4
69.
Tow, ....
-
24.5
Total,
-
1292.57
Exclusive of forage.
100
For Equipment of the Forge for the Field-Park, and the Bat-
tery Wagon for the Field-Park, see Ord. Manual, 2d edition,
pp. 346-354.
Forge for the Mountain Howitzer.
Two chests, designated the forge chest and the smiths' tool chest,
contain the forge and the necessary tools for shoeing horses aud
making repairs.
The chests are carried on the sides of the pack-saddles, fast
…[truncated]