The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-09-25
PROGRESS IN ORDNANCE.
WHAT TWO YEARS HAVE DONE.
From the New York Her aid.

From the New York Her AID p. ,...-.,.
Before the first bombardment of Fort
Sumter, when Beauregard had been per-
mitted to encircle that fortifcation, with
.oue molestation from its guns, with Sc
ries of powerful batteries, mounted with
the heaviest guns then used by the army,
the Northern people were in doubt as to
the ability of Major Anderson to throw
shot or she'll from his position into the
city of Charleston. At this time letter
was addressed to one of the best authori-
tiles upon the subject in this country-a
person who is now engaged in the present
operations against the great rebel strong
hold-and the following is an extract from
his reply: 1as om s.e 30 5ra o.a..
-t. .r.., WASHINGTON, Jan. %, 1868.
Yours of the 25th inst. has been received. I
am unable to enter into the reasons on which
the opinion is based, but believe that bonn
bardment of Charleston from Fort Sumter by
any ordnance now there is out of the question
The armament of Fort Sumter at that
time consisted of the ordinary smooth
bored thirty-two and twenty-four- FOUNDER
siege guns, a few eight and ten-inch CO.
lumbiads and mortars. The fifteen inch
Rodman gun lad been constructed at that
period, but only for experiment. They
had not been placed in position on any
Notifications except in the experimental
battery at Fortress Monroe.
In the first bombardment of Sumter q
small ritiel 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 Sumter, although
of small calibre. During the fall of 1860
the State Of Virginia was furnished with
several field batteries of ten-pounder
Parrott guns for State defence. These
guns We're hrsttused against us at Sewalls
Point and Aquia Greek, in May and June.
1861, and at that time gave. sufficient
proof of their immense power and range,
by far excelling the long thirty-two pound
er and nine-inchr Dahlgren gun in. use on
board our vessels. At the last engage
ment with the Aqua Greek 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 rifled ordnance.
'" 40 .'ASN ~ tAiS iOASSS VI luc OUlIcu
States against an enemy The thirty
FOUNDER Parrott gun was probably first
used at the 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 10O-pounder Parrott gun
was first used at the siege of Yorktown,
and on board the steamer Westtield in the
operations of Admiral Farragut on the
Mississippi River Heavy rifled guns were
mounted and used in Fort Pickens dur
ing the two bOmbarlments of the
rebel Lositions at Forts McRae and Baran-
cas-, and Pensacola Navy Yard. Since
then they have come into general use, both
afloat and ashore, and have been increased
in size from the light field gun, throwing
projectile of ten pounds in weight, to the
enormous Swamp Angel" now in bat
terry on Morris Island, which sends bolt
weighing three hundred pounds to dis
tance of ten thousand five hundred and
sixty yards, or six miles. .'' ~: ., ... ys.,