Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-10-07
AEtonEshfng RevOiuffaa ia
New GaHaon with a MnHEe sf hkHe Baiiel

new Oaaaou with a HnaEe sf nEBe BaiEes
From the New York Herald
The rscsnt work Of cur siege artillery on Nor
MS island is without parallel ia the history Of
warfare. The fact that fsld artillery and heavy
ordnance have reached such perfection is almost
Incredible. IF any one three years since had
vsntursd 70 assert t1at guns would be constructs
cd capable of throwing = p~rojaetls Of three han
bred pounds weight 8 distance Of six miles, he
would have been considered a maniae, and
would probably have been consigned to = luna
tic asylum.
Before the first bombsrdment Of Fort Sum
tar, when BesuTersTd had bsen permitted to en-
circle that ratification, without molestaton
from its guns, with a series Of powerful bat
| %reiieg, mounted with the heaviest guns then
used by lie army, the Northern people we're in
doubt as 10 the ability of Major Anderson to
throw SHOT or shell from his position iat0 the city
of Charleston. at tais time a letter was I'D
dressed to one of the best authorities upon the
subject ia this country person who is now
( Engaged in tbs present operations against the
I great rebel stronghOld-and the following is an
extract from bis reply:
"WAsHIHGTOE, Jan. 25, ISG3.-Yours Of the
25th instant has been receiVed. I am unable 10
enter into the reasons on winch the opinion is
based, but believe that a bombardment of
Charleston from Fort Sumter by any ordnance
low there is out Of the question"
The armament Of Fort Sumter at that time
consisted Of ordinary smooth-bored thirty-two
and twentY-four FOUNDER siege guns, a few eight
and tsR-iDeh columbiads and moftaTs. The If
teen-ineh Rodman gun mad been constructed st
that period, but only for experiment. They had
not besn placed in position on soy Notifications
except in the experimental battery at Fortress
M5nrOa.
In tao first bombArdment Of Sumter a small
Tihed gan, OF English manufacture, was used
By the rebels with much effect. It was n posi-
lion en- Cummings point, nsAr the present 10
cafty OF Battery Gregg, and is said to have
done excellent work sgainst the gorge wall Of
Sumter, although of small csliber. During the
AL of 1860 the State of Virginia was furnished
with several hsld batteries of ~I0-pouBder Par
rott guns, for tie State defense. These guns
were fist used against as a. SsWelis point and
Aqua creek, in May and June, 1851, and at
that time gave sufficient proof of their immense
power and range by far eXeelling the long
32-pounder and 9-inch -Dahlgren guns III
use On board our vessels. At the last en-
gagemsnt with the Aqua creek batteries, in
Elich the United States steamer PaBnes par
t~ieipated, a small Hhsd gun was used on
board that vessel, which is probably the first
instance where Tihed ordnance was used by
the forces of the United States against an enemy.
The thirty-pOunder Parrot guu was probably
drst used at the first battle of Bull RIM. Daring
tie summer of 1861 a number of eighty-pounde
rifles were manufactured at the Washington
navy yard on the plan and under tho superin.
seudence Of Admiral Dkhlgren. The one hun
diedpounder Parrot gun was ffst used
at the siege of Yorktown and on
board the steamer Westfald in tho operations
Of Admiral FarTsgut on the Mississippi river
Heavy Tihed guns weTo mounted and used in
Fort Pickens during The two bombardmsnis oil
shs rebel positions at Forts McRas and BarTan.
cas- and Pensacola navy yard. Since then they
have come into general use both sh3st and
ashore. and have been increased in sizs from the
light field gun, throwing a ]Projectile Of ten
pounds in weight TO the enormous Swamp An.
gel' now in battery on Morris island, which
sends q bolt weighing three hundred pounds to a
distance of ten thousand FIVE hundred snd sixty
yards, CT six miles.
Thus it viii be seen that in the short sDace of
thirty-one months an entire revolution has taken
place in the character of ordnance used both IN
naval and military operation; and where, in
1861, high authority stated that a bOmbHrdment
OF Charleston from Fort Sumter was sn impos-
sibility, now is it not only possible, but We can
with ease, at a distance tar greater, not only de-
stToy Charleston, bat compel the enemy TO absn-
don any position he may take a mile beyond it
A triss was recently made Of a new piece Of
ordnance called the Ferris gun; the report states
that = range of nine miles WAS obtained. If this Is
the case IN enemy's ship viii be within range
before her hull IS in sight above tho horizon ;
for, on account Of the curvature of the earth,
he hull Of one ship does not come in sight of q
person on the deck of another mil within a
distance Of seven miles.
Such is the range being obtained that we may
expect in a little while t. be bombarded sue.
e~essiulY by guns entirely removed from sight
and out Of hearing; enabling US to obtain q
knowledge of the enemy's position only from
he direction in which the proieetiles come
Verify, we live in a wonderful age