East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1863-09-23
Astonishing Revolution in Ordnance

The recent work of our siege artil-
lery on Morris Island is without par
allel in the history of warfare. The
fact that field artillery and heavy ord
nance have reached such perfection is
almost incredible. If any one three
years since had ventured to assert that
guns would be constructed capable of
throwing projectile of three hundred
pounds weight distance of six miles,
he would have been considered ma
MAC.
Before tho first bombardment of
Fort Sumpter, when Beauregard had
been permitted to encircle that fortii-
cation, without molestation from its
guns, with series of powerful bat
teries, mounted with the heaviest guns
then used by the army, the Northern
people were iii doubt as to the ability
OF Major Anderson to throw shot or
shell from his position into the city Of
Charleston. At this time letter was
addressed to one of the best authori-
ties upon the subject III this country
-, ~ s..!.l a - - L l1,-, enQaged in the
present operations against the great
rebel stronghold and the following is
an extract from his reply:
"WAsnINGToN, Jan. 2S, 1861.
Yours of the 18th instant has been
received. l am unable to enter into
the reasons on which the opinion is
based, lat believe that bombardment
Of Charleston from Fort Sumpter by
any ordnance now there is out of the
question" an
The armament of Fort Sumpter at
that time consisted of the ordinary
smooth-bored thirty-two and twenty
four FOUNDER siege guns, a few eight
and ten inch coumbiads, and mortars.
The fifteen inch Rodman gun had
been constructed ut that period, but
only for exle iment. They had not
been placed III position on any tortif-
cations except in the experimental
battery at Fortress Monroe.
In the first bombardment Of Sump-
ter a small rihed gun, of English
manufacture, was used by the rebels
with much effect. 1t was in position
on Cummings Point, near the present
locality of Battery Gregg, and is said
to have done excellent work against
the gorge wall of Sumptcr, although
of small calibre. During the tail of
1860 the State Of Virginia was furn-
ished with several field batteries of
ten-pounder Parrot guns for the State
defense. These guns were first used
against us at Sowall's Point and Aqua
Greek, in May and June, 1861, and at
that time gave sufficient proof OF their
immense power and range 10y far ex-
ceeding the long thirty-two FOUNDER
and nine-inch Dahlgren gun in use on
board our vessels. At the last engage
ment with the Aqua Creek batteries,
in which the United States steamer
Pawnee participated, a small rifled
gun was used ON board that vessel,
which is probably the first instance
where rihed ordnance was used by the
forces of the United States against an
enemy. The thirty-rounder Parrot
gun was probably first used at the
first battle of Bull Run. During the
summer of 1861 number of eighty
FOUNDER rifles were manufactured at
the Washington navy yard on the
plan and under the superintendent
of Admiral Dahlgren. The one hun
drod-pounder Parrot gun was first
used at the siege of Yorktown and on
board the steamer Westheld in the
operations of Admiral Farragut on the
Mississippi River. Heavy ritled guns
were mounted and used at Fort Pick
ems during the two bombardments Of
Forts McRae and Darrancas and Pen
sacola navy yard. Since then they
have come into general use both ahoat
and ashore, and been increased in
size from the light field gun, throwing
a projectilo OF ten pounds in weight,
to the enormous Swamp Angel" now
in battery on Morris Island, which
sends bolt weighing three hundred
pounds distance of ten thousand five
hundred and sixty yards, or six miles.
Thus it VIII be seen that i'll the
short space of thirty-one months an
entire revolution has taken place in
the character of ordnance used both
in naval and military operations; and
whore, in 1861, high authority stated
bombardment of Charleston from
Fort Sumpter was impossibl, now it
is not only possible, put We can with
easc at q distance far greater, not only