9-Inch “Confederate Dahlgren” at Vicksburg
9-Inch “Confederate Dahlgren” at Vicksburg National Military Park
A 9-Inch shell gun cast at Bellona Foundry in 1862 is displayed behind the Mississippi Monument at Vicksburg. This shell gun generally follows the shape of US Navy 9-Inch Dahlgrens and may be called a "Confederate Dahlgren."
There are a couple of small differences between the standard US Navy Dahlgren: Ripley records 7-inch diameter trunnions verses 7.25-inch trunnions as standard for the US Navy version. The shell gun in Vicksburg is also missing the sight mounting blocks and hammer mounting blocks typical on the US Navy Dahlgren. Bellona Foundry did produce 9-Inch Dahlgrens in the 1850s. One survives in Rollinsford, New Hampshire. This is the only surviving Bellona-manufactured wartime example. Two Tredegar-manufactured wartime 9-Inch Dahlgrens have been recovered from CSS Georgia.
The rough finish of the Vicksburg “Confederate Dahlgren” is similar to the rough finish of wartime Columbiads by Bellona and Tredegar.
The left trunnion is marked 1862. The right trunnion is marked J.L.A., B.F. (Junius A. Archer, Bellona Foundry). The breech is marked 9,480 - the weight in pounds - which is about 100 pounds heavier than the heaviest surviving US Navy 9-Inch Dahlgren (the range of weights of survivors is from just over 9,000 pounds to just under 9,400). Ripley records “CS” marked on top of the tube, but I could not see the letters, perhaps due to additional layers of paint.
A nearby marker explains that a detachment of the First Tennessee Heavy Artillery crewed a 9-Inch Dahlgren in this position during the siege for two days before it was disabled by the fire of Union batteries.
The weight in pounds, 9,480, is seen stamped on the breech.
The 9-Inch “Confederate Dahlgren” is mounted behind the huge Mississippi Monument at Vicksburg and is not easily visible from the road.
A nearby marker explains that a detachment of the First Tennessee Heavy Artillery crewed a 9-Inch Dahlgren in this position during the siege for two days before it was disabled by the fire of Union batteries.
The Mississippi Monument when viewed from the road
