Daily national Republican., 1863-09-05
Second,EdidoR
roun o,uIocrk. =. 4.
PARROTT aUNs-cREDiT TO waOI
1T Is DUE.

PARROTT 0UNs-CREDIT TO WHOM
1T Is DUE.
These gunas which have recently done ssuchi
remarkably effective work at Charleston, are
called after Tho name Of Robert I. Psrrott, tho
superintendent Of the foundry at Cold Spring,
In the State Of New York. Mr.. Psrrott or Cap.
tain Parrott as he Is usually called, Is native Of
New Hampshirs, and was educated ct tho Uni
ted States Military Academy, West Point, where
he graduated In 1924. He was commissioned
as Lieutenant Of Artillery and placed on Ord
nance duty; and while SO serving was promoted
and regularly commissioned as an officer Of
the Ordnance Department; which commission
he held at the time of his resignation In order
TO take tho superintendency Of tho West Point
Foundry, which had been offered TO him BY the
proprietors Of that establishment. That posi-
tion he has held since 1896 and now holds.
Tho Ordnance known by his name consists Of
both neld, Siege and sea coast cannon, ell rincd,
and carrying elongated expanding projectlles
weighing from ten to three hundred pounds,
according 10 the calibre Of the guns. Tho last
is tho highest caiibre which has yet been put
In service, but there seems no doubt that the
same principle may bo extended, should there
be any necessity for II, to projectiles OF much
greater weight. The Introduction Of these
guns Into tho military service Of tho United
States was effected by the Ordnance Depart
mcnt after satisfactory tests verifying the re-
suits which previous scientific examination and
study of them had promised. At the begin
ming Of the rebellion in April, 1861, and four
days after General Ripley had been placed in
charge of the Ordnance Bureau Of the War DE.
partmcpt, he ordered the manufacture Of these
gins, and has continued ever since to furnish
the land service with them, Of slLcalibrcs, as
rapidly as they could he produced. This Is onc
Instance, al least, Ia which, instead of "com.
batting all new ideas in the fabrication Vi lrc.
arms, artillery aud prujertiles," he has en-.
ccuragcd and aided new idea, and mob onlya
new one, but good one, differing altogether,
in that respect, from the many new but very
absurd ideas which have been offered and per-
tlnaciously urged upon him. Such new ideas"
he has combattcd, aud much to the advantage
oI the military service, although somewhat dct-
rInen;al to his popularity with the originators
of those ideas, and TO their schcInes Of gain
lrou. the public treasury. \ different course
would, doubtless, have been an easier one, and
cost him less trouble than these combat, have
involved, ds IL would have insured him no
small amount Of letter writer's popularity, and
even, if he had ch,,son, of pecunary advantage;
but il would haze forfeited his official and pro.
fcssional character as well as his own sGlf-rc-
srect.
The Parrot guns, thus introduced into the
land service, have since been adopted to con.
siderable extent for use, in our vessels oil war,
as a naval gun. They arc, undoubtedly, . step
forward in the improv sment Of ordnance, and
In connection with our heavy 43O- FOUNDER Rod
man gun, and the 900 FOUNDER on the same
principle, to use a charge Of one hundred
pounds Of powder, Indicate further steps In
the same direction, and other "new ideas"
which the old fogylsm Of the Ordnance Do
partment Of tho army and lis Chief relies on,
and not without good dcdusc,to meet ali attacks
Of lis own, as we'll as Of its country's enemies,
whether they come with paper pellets Of the
brain, or with their strongest forts and thiokest
iron -clads.