Washington sentinel., 1854-01-12
Masbingtnn Sentinel,
MILITARY Trophies.

A writer in New York journal, giving
description Of the fort on Governors Island in
New York harbor, mentions the subjoined in
teresting facts.
Among the cannon in the ordnance yard
are several trophies of our victories in Mexico.
One Of these, a brass cannon, was taken ut the
siege Of Monterey, where il exploded while in
the hands of the besieged, killing four Mexi-
cans. BY the side of this is another, which
bears upon its breech the royal arms Of Spain,
and hefollowing inscription:
aFerdinandus vi, Hispania ct Indiaram Rex"
Which proves it to be about one hundred years
old. Il has been in the possession of the
z 11h6 Taxans, the Mexicans, and now,
by q strange freak Of fortune, it is in our pos
session, having been taken from the Mexicans
at Matamoras. In addition to these, these are
four hundred thirty-two pound brass or copper
shells, which were fired into Fort Brown BY the
Mexicans while our army was besieging Mata-
moras. A large number of muskets and other
small arms, which were taken during the same
campaign, were sold back to their former own
ers, thus helping to defray the expenses of the
war. In this we appear to have initiated the
English who, while at war with Napoleon,
actually sold him part of the ammunition
which was used by his army. There is slight
difference, however. What Napoleon pur-
chased was made by his enemy, what the Mex
leans purchased was made by themselves.
But perhaps the most valuable curiosities in
the whole collection, are three one hundred
pound (American) Paixhans These are the
first that were ever made, and If there could be
any controversy in relation to the honor OF hay
ing invented them, they can be shown as
proof that to an American only belongs that
honor. Col. Bomford, who was engaged IN the
war of 1872, conceived the idea that bomb
shell could be thrown horizontally, and, deter
mined on testing its practicability, made the
experiment from Governors Island. After
few experiments he succeeded in forming
cannon with q chamber somewhat similar to
that of mortar, with which he could throw the
shells with the precision of a cannon ball. A
French officer, however, having obtained lnfor-
nation Of the invention before it was thoroughly
completed went to France, and there asked
man named Paixhan to develop the metal re-
quired in the founding of the piece, which he
did, giving it his name, which it has retained
ever since. Col Bomford called it the Column
bian, in honor of his country, which name the
three pieces referred to and all the Others IN the
yard bear upon their breeches. The Colum-
bian is far superior to the mortar, from the fact
that it sends the shell straight to the mark,
while the latter discharges it at an angular ele-
walton into the air, from which it drops upon
the object. If fired at ship the shell from the
Columbian pierces the hull and explodes in the
interior of the vessel, causing terrible havoc,
and probably setting fire to or blowing her up.
Besides the three we have mentioned, there
arc thirteen tcn-inch Colnmbians, each of which
weighs over fifteen thousand pounds; and one
whose bore is twelve inches, the weight Of
which is twenty-five thousand pounds. We
were also shown a pet cannon, which, from its
great prowess in the field, is called the bruiser.
Upon the breech of the bruiser are the names
of four or five battles in which it was engaged.
There are several other pieces like it, bearing
the same evidence of active service, but the
bruiser appeared to be considered superior to
them all in the great work Of human destruc-
ton. We must not conclude our notice OF the
ordnance department without mentioning three
or four brass pieces which were used ut the bat
ties Of Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monte
rev. and Buena Vista. 1t was out of these that
Captain Bragg gave the Mexicans "a little
more grape" and poor Ringgold was killed
while serving at a battery which was formed by
them.