12-Pounder Rifled Boat Howitzers in Bladensburg, Maryland
Two US Navy 12-Pounder Rifled Boat Howitzers are displayed at Fort Lincoln Cemetery in Bladensburg, Maryland
Two US Navy 12-Pounder (3.4-Inch) Rifled Boat Howitzers are displayed at Fort Lincoln Cemetery in Bladensburg, Maryland. A nearby historical marker states that they are displayed in the earthworks of Fort Lincoln - an earthworks fortification built in 1861 as part of the network of defenses of Washington. The site is also near that of the War of 1812 Battle of Bladensburg. The two rifles are displayed on the remnant of Army type carriages rather than the naval landing carriages or boat carriages that they would have been mounted on in service.
The two rifles are:
US Navy 12-Pounder Rifled Boat Howitzer Number 211 which was manufactured at the Washington Navy Yard in 1863. It weighed 854 pounds as manufactured. It is recorded as serving on USS Granite City. I found a wasp nest in the bore of 211!
US Navy 12-Pounder Rifled Boat Howitzer Number 250 which was manufactured at the Washington Navy Yard in 1863. It weighed 878 pounds as manufactured. It is not recorded as seeing any sea service.
The Type: The 12-Pounder Rifled Boat Howitzer saw widespread service in the fleet during the American Civil War. Intended for mounting on light landing carriages, in the bows of boats, or on the decks of all types of ships, the 12-Pounder Rifle provided light, accurate, and (relatively) rapid firepower. As with all bronze rifles, the rifling could wear out relatively quickly. A number were rebored as 12-Pounder (4.62-inch) smoothbores.
USS Granite City was a blockade runner which was captured and taken into US Navy service. She was armed with one 12-Pounder Rifle (Number 211) and six 24-Pounder Boat Howitzers. These boat howitzers provided a lightweight armament suitable for a fast and lightly built ship. Granite City was captured by the Confederates alongside USS Wave at Calcasieu Pass, Louisiana on April 28th, 1864. The potential Confederate service of Number 211 is unknown. Interestingly, three of twelve known surviving 24-Pounder Boat Howitzers are also from Granite City. The Navy scrapped the vast majority of its bronze guns in the 1880s. I am intrigued how four from the same ship managed to survive to present - particularly four guns which were captured during the war. Two of the 24-Pounders are on the grounds of the Soldiers Home in Washington, D.C. If anyone has access to that site, I’d love to see photos of the four Boat Howitzers there. Another Granite City Boat Howitzer is displayed at Petersburg National Battlefield.
