New-York daily tribune., 1861-06-23
LOCAL MILITARY MATTERS.
SENATOR JAMEss RlrLeD CANNON.

two hundred ladies and gentlemen embarked on boaIi
the steamer Keyport from tie Custom House wharf a
noon and went down TO the beacon o the Rouer Shoe
where the exhibition of firing was principally made
On the boat, beside many prominent merchants there
were: Capt. Howard, commanding revcnue-cu'ter
Service at New.York; Capt. Douglas OFT niger, Lieu
tenants Du Barry Mich las, and Mesazros and
Engineers Rogers and Mckay Of the revenue-cutier
Corwin Lieut.. Ives of the revenue service Collector
C.. Of e n. h." Sons Of 4
consisting of Mssrs. Richard Warner, John W. Cand'
ler Crocker, Bacon, Edridge, and Frank f. Howe
the State Agent Judge Brady, Judge c. p. Kirkland,
| Gen. Pringle of Albany, Capt. Renshsw. U. =. N;
Lieutenants Amy, Black, and Creighton; Capt. Joe
| Comstock. Mr.. George ". Blunt, Lieut.. Whitehead,
U.s.N.; w. u. Leonard, esq; the Hon. Caleb Lyon
! of Lyonsdale.
IL the day had been made 10 order for Gen. James,
IL could not have been more auspcousfor Tie OCCASION
Everything COM pired to make the trip pleasant and
memorable one and the guests proclaimed themselves
well satisfied with the arrangements throughout Ihe
general result of the shooting was to show that an
ordinary raed brsss 6-pound howtzer would throw
Jame Cd shot IA miles with elevation of 10 degrees,
and the large 42.pound gun, weighing about 900
pounds, would send its S-pound shell over miles,
The explosion Of tbs SHELLS striking the water was
nyarisbls and instantaneous. AS no target was fired
at, We could hardly certify to the accuracy of the fae-
ton BOT as no hydrogaphical survey was made could
we do more than estimate the flight of the proectes
On the home-trp meeting was called, and Mr. Geo.
". Blunt chosen Chairman. Speeches, expressive OF
the satisfaction of the excursonsts with the perform
anoe of the guns were made by Mr.. Anthony OF
Rhode Island the Hon. Caleb Lyon Collector Barney,
and Judge Kirkland. The spirit of no compromise
with the Southern traitors under any circumstances
short Of absolute repentance and Submission on their
part, was expressed by every speaker. On invitation,
Mr. r. NJ Dickerson, the patent lawyer, explained the
principles on which the James gun is constructed.
He sad that in the CIimean War there was no such
hing as practical riGed cannon. One WA invented
| IN England by nan named Lancaster, but it was
| roor thing and wgs abandoned In the Sandman War
Napoleon undertook to use red cannon and succeeded
In making one which was practical, II not very good
and By It's use gained the battle Of Solferno. General
james has been for years xperinenng with rifles and
| rifed vuns He WA virtually the inventor OF the
Mimic ball His rifsd cannon projectiie was invented
and patented In 1856. The proectle was shown TO
CAPT lDahlgen and pronounced BY him perfectly use
ls.s Gen james was 30 discouraged that the inven-
ton was dropped but subsequently, resuscitsted The
6r,t trial with the proiectie succesu that the
matter WAS laid before the Government, and In the
hands of a military commission did srch great ork as
10 be recommended for general adoption by Govern
nsnt contract accordingly entered INTO at once
The provisions of the law snch however that aS the
contract wss no, advertised the Atorney-Oenern OF
the u s. declared the contract void. Bul at the ih-
Ssnce of some officers tie Government has ordered
come guns for Pickens and other forts, and various
Sste- have ordered guns ard for troops
| The SAWYER gun which has recently attracted 40
| much attention at Fort Monroe. wsE rejected
| two years ago but has now been found
! 10 be good Invention. This shows
how little attention Government has really paid 70
riAed cannon since did not recognize really meri-
tor Gus invention until the day oi iIs peri a'ed Mr.
Dicl srson explained tho object OF tae James inyehoh
70 te t of saving for the e,pulon OF the sho' al Tue
expansive power If the powder In shooting oroh1Ty
round balls the bore Of the gun not being quite hlied'
mo, onIv ia porton of the force Of the exploded pow
der lot but the ball bounds from top to bottom as
,rav,,s tow ard the muzzle and bstters the gun In
yery serious manner. Hence, in guns when nave
been long in use peculiar groove OF e-fef VIII oe
oh..,v.d in the BOTTOM OF The bore The James pro-
;,;,s surrounded with covering of canvas over the
load and tin packing is caused TO All The grooves OF
red cannon 10 clofey TO conine the ali ana gases
and r;l, all III. exhaustive force Of the powder. The
,.c,;,l ,esul, |. thai from Jan,s rf,d gun, with
charge of powder equal to that used IN I'm ofdnsry
on M the saI. caliber "a sho, Of twice tie weight IL
protected twice d. far In ordinary gun, the usual
eba,s, for Glib. ball is Jos. OF powder. slng,
the nroof charge is II lbs. Of powder bei. 6-lb'
hall aud this when exploded swolls brass q h II
| w.re come g,eat snake swaowiuga a huge pill fa2-ib
charge Of powder is put in the ordinary brass gun
will .pol eaecluay. But III brass gun nhed ior
the James projecto 2-pound charge oil P'"d'r may
lie rut behind shot weighing fourteen pounds without
the slightest injury to the piece Ii has been OMEN
objected to this gun bat the tin lead and CANVAS pacf
us scatters from the shot short distance from tue
gun, and would seriously inure soldiers hiing II. 30
fsr from this being tue, 1t has uiVenay bSeh iounu
that ,hs packing fails in The direct hne o shot, ano do
sodets would not be there injury oonid Dc ihnc'eu
| on them
A,a recent experiment in Rhode Island made al the
;ntauce Of the Governor Of Indiana, CANVAS scree"s
were MA, ed ten feet from the line o shooting al ei'he
side aud not particle Of the pa, king perforated ''o
A. On. evidence Of the value Of the gon Mr. peHeiSoh
stated that money in any amount had been offered .!
the Southern traitors to Gen. james II he would etlet
t,rni,h them with guns or with such drawings ana
machinery a. would enable them 10 MAKE lhein ~ lhe
so.,h. Those Oilers had been Indignantly spnrned.
The address was received with frequent applause
and ri, the close series Of resolutions complimentary
Ii 10 Ger. James were drawn up by CoDm'ec ah'
4 unanimously adopted.
MILITARY MOVEMENTS.
THE LINCOLN CAVALRY kEGisihNT'
n Col. McReynod's, commanding thiS uceeptea reg
II uart has removed his headquarters from Palace Gar