Photographs of Surviving Confederate Columbiads
A 10-Inch Confederate Columbiad at Castle Pinckney in Charleston Harbor. This may be one of the two suriving Columbiads which have been excavated at the site. Library of Congress Photo.
Beginning with the Pattern 1844, the US Army developed and deployed Columbiads, large shell or shot firing cannons, in its seacoast fortifications. At the beginning of the American Civil War, the Confederacy captured a number of 8-Inch and a small number of 10-Inch Columbiads which had been at forts and arsenals in the southern states. These were among the most powerful cannons available to the Confederate states, and more were needed.
Confederate Columbiads (Photos Below)
Between them, Tredegar Foundry and Bellona Foundry, both located near Richmond, Virginia, produced roughly sixty-nine 8-Inch Columbiads and one hundred forty-two 10-Inch Columbiads for the Confederacy. Tredegar also produced two experimental 12-Inch Columbiads near the end of the war.
The earliest Columbiads were similar in shape to the “New Columbiads” first cast for the US Army in 1857. By the end of 1861, Both Tredegar and Bellona were casting Columbiads which resembled the Rodman Gun adopted by the US Army in 1861. However, all Confederate Columbiads were cast solid and bored out except the two 12-Inch produced by Tredegar.
Columbiads, particularly the 10-Inch, were in high demand by commanders of coastal fortifications. Though a single hit from a 10-Inch Columbiad was unlikely to disable a monitor, repeated hits could do so. As these Columbiads tended to placed in works guarding the Confederacy’s most critical waterways, many of them, particularly those at Charleston, saw considerable action during the war.
Also see: Heavy Artillery of the Confederacy in the American Civil War
Columbiads Recovered from the Schooner Philadelphia
In 1877 a schooner named Philadelphia set sail from Charleston, South Carolina. Her cargo was a load of scrap iron headed north - including around twenty-six cannons sold as scrap. Philadelphia would sink in a storm near Georgetown, South Carolina. In the 2010s, Long Bay Salvage, the owners of the salvage rights of the wreck, salvaged, conserved and sold six heavy guns, five of which were 10-Inch Confederate Columbiads. Three of these may currently be seen by the public. Two are in private hands.
Known Surviving 8-Inch Confederate Columbaids
8-Inch Tredegar Number 1140, Cast in 1861, Displayed at Fort Pulaski
8-Inch Tredegar Number 1932, Cast in 1863, Displayed in New Orleans
8-Inch Tredegar Number 1947, Cast in 1863, Displayed in Waterman, Illinois
8-Inch Bellona Number 27, Cast in 1861, Displayed in St. Augustine
8-Inch Bellona Number 29, Cast in 1861, Displayed in St. Augustine
8-Inch Bellona Number 45, Cast in 1862, Displayed at Rock Island Arsenal (Not pictured in this post)
8-Inch Bellona Number 49, Cast in 1862, Displayed at Rock Island Arsenal (Not pictured in this post)
8-Inch Bellona Number 66, Cast in 1862, Displayed at Drewry’s Bluff
Known Surviving 10-Inch Confederate Columbiads
10-Inch (Bored as a 6.4-Inch Rifle), Tredegar Number 1285, Cast in 1861, Mobile
10-Inch Tredegar Number 1656, Cast in 1862, Displayed at Fort Moultrie
10-Inch Tredegar Number 1664, Cast in 1862, Displayed at Fort Moultrie
10-Inch Tredegar Number 1676, Cast in 1862, Partially Excavated at Castle Pinckney (not pictured in this post, can be seen in Fall 2024 Issue of The Artilleryman)
10-Inch Tredegar Number 1678, Cast in 1862, at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston
10-Inch Tredegar Number 1687, Cast in 1862, Partially Excavated at Castle Pinckney (not pictured in this post, can be seen in Fall 2024 Issue of The Artilleryman)
10-Inch Tredegar Number 1735, Cast in 1863, Displayed at Fort Donelson
10-Inch Tredegar Number 1873, Cast in 1863, Recovered from schooner Philadelphia, displayed as of Summer 2025 at The Horse Solider, Gettsyburg
10-Inch Tredegar Unknown Number, Cast in 1863, Recovered from schooner Philadelphia, displayed at Fort Macon
10-Inch Tredegar Number 2005, Cast in 1864, Gate Guard at Fort Moultrie
10-Inch Tredegar Number 2065, Cast in 1864, Battery White, Georgetown, South Carolina
10-Inch Tredegar Unknown Number, Cast in 1864, Battery White, Georgetown, South Carolina
10-Inch Probable Tredegar, Unknown Number, Unknown Year, White Point Garden, Charleston
10-Inch Bellona Number 4, Cast in 1862, Vicksburg National Military Park
10-Inch Bellona Unknown Number, Cast in 1862, Fort Moultrie
10-Inch Bellona Number 13, Cast in 1863, Vicksburg National Military Park
10-Inch Bellona Number 20, Cast in 1863, Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston
10-Inch Bellona Number 22, Cast in 1863, Philadelphia, South Carolina Military Museum, Columbia
10-Inch Bellona Unknown Number, Cast in 1863, Upright at Vicksburg (Not Pictured)
10-Inch Bellona Number 46, Cast in 1864, Fort Nogales just north of Vicksburg (Not Pictured)
10-Inch Bellona Number 67, Cast in 1864, United States Military Academy at West Point (Not Pictured)
10-Inch Probable Bellona, Unknown Number and Year, White Point Garden in Charleston
Additionally, two other Tredegar manufactured 10-Inch Columbiads which were recovered from Philadelphia are in private hands. (Not pictured)
Also, a fragment of a 10-Inch Columbiad survives at Fort Jackson near Savannah.
The Photos:
8-Inch Tredegar Number 1140, Cast in 1861, Displayed at Fort Pulaski. https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/early-8-inch-confederate-columbiad-at-fort-pulaski
8-Inch Tredegar Number 1932, Cast in 1863, Displayed in New Orleans. Photograph by William Bruce - from the Historical Marker Database: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=38901
8-Inch Tredegar Number 1947, Cast in 1863, Displayed in Waterman, Illinois https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/8-inch-confederate-columbiad-in-waterman-illinois
8-Inch Bellona Number 27, Cast in 1861, Displayed in St. Augustine https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/8-inch-confederate-columbiads-in-st-augustine-florida
8-Inch Bellona Number 29, Cast in 1861, Displayed in St. Augustine https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/8-inch-confederate-columbiads-in-st-augustine-florida
8-Inch Bellona Number 66, Cast in 1862, Displayed at Drewry’s Bluff https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/the-8-inch-confederate-columbiad-at-drewrys-bluff
10-Inch (Bored as a 6.4-Inch Rifle), Tredegar Number 1285, Cast in 1861, Mobile https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/the-64-inch-columbiad-rifle-of-fort-powell-in-mobile
10-Inch Tredegar Number 1656, Cast in 1862, Displayed at Fort Moultrie https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/10-inch-confederate-columbiads-at-fort-moultrie
10-Inch Tredegar Number 1664, Cast in 1862, Displayed at Fort Moultrie https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/10-inch-confederate-columbiads-at-fort-moultrie
10-Inch Tredegar Number 1678, Cast in 1862, at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/the-columbiads-of-magnolia-cemetery
10-Inch Tredegar Number 1735, Cast in 1863, Displayed at Fort Donelson. Photo by Mark Hartshorne
10-Inch Tredegar Number 1873, Cast in 1863, Recovered from schooner Philadelphia, displayed as of Summer 2025 at The Horse Solider, Gettysburg. Photo by Tom Nank. https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/10-inch-confederate-columbiad-in-gettysburg-pennsylvania
10-Inch Tredegar Unknown Number, Cast in 1863, Recovered from schooner Philadelphia, displayed at Fort Macon https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/the-10-inch-confederate-columbiad-at-fort-macon
10-Inch Tredegar Number 2005, Cast in 1864, Gate Guard at Fort Moultrie (Left) https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/10-inch-confederate-columbiads-at-fort-moultrie
10-Inch Tredegar Number 2065, Cast in 1864, Battery White, Georgetown, South Carolina https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/admiral-dahlgren-uss-harvest-moon-and-the-columbiads-of-winyah-bay
10-Inch Tredegar Unknown Number, Cast in 1864, Battery White, Georgetown, South Carolina https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/admiral-dahlgren-uss-harvest-moon-and-the-columbiads-of-winyah-bay
10-Inch Probable Tredegar, Unknown Number, Unknown Year, White Point Garden, Charleston https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/10-inch-confederate-columbiads-at-white-point-garden
10-Inch Bellona Number 4, Cast in 1862, Vicksburg National Military Park https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/10-inch-confederate-columbiad-bellona-number-4-at-vicksburg
10-Inch Bellona Unknown Number, Cast in 1862, Fort Moultrie (Right) https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/10-inch-confederate-columbiads-at-fort-moultrie
10-Inch Bellona Number 13, Cast in 1863, Vicksburg National Military Park https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/10-inch-columbiad-at-south-fort-in-vicksburg
10-Inch Bellona Number 20, Cast in 1863, Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/the-columbiads-of-magnolia-cemetery
10-Inch Bellona Number 22, Cast in 1863, recovered from Philadelphia, South Carolina Military Museum, Columbia https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/10-inch-confederate-columbiad-at-the-south-carolina-military-museum
10-Inch Probable Bellona, Unknown Number and Year, White Point Garden in Charleston https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/10-inch-confederate-columbiads-at-white-point-garden
Fragment of a 10-Inch Confederate Columbiad at Fort Jackson near Savannah. The interpreter’s guidebook at the fort states that this actually a fragment of a Columbiad block drilled as a 6.4-Inch Rifle - like the Mobile example.
If you have photos of any of the other known Confederate Columbiads, I would love to have them. The ones missing from this page are:
Two 8-Inch Columbiads at Rock Island Arsenal in the National Cemetery near Rodman’s Grave
A 10-Inch Columbiad at West Point (There are also three or four similar looking 10-Inch Rodmans)
Two 10-Inch Columbiads at Vicksburg - one at Fort Nogales and one at the National Cemetery
Two 10-Inch Columbiads in private collections
Two (or three) Columbiads at Castle Pinckney in Charleston Harbor
10-Inch Columbiad, Bellona 46, at Vicksburg (Google Maps Street View)
