The 60-Pounder Breech Loader of USS Kearsarge
A US Navy 60-Pounder Breech Loader which served aboard USS Kearsarge from about 1880 to 1886 is displayed at Trophy Park at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia. This gun was originally manufactured as a muzzle loading 60-Pounder (5.3-Inch) Parrott Rifle, Registry Number 61, at West Point Foundry in 1865.
US Navy 60-Pounder Parrott Rifle at Trophy Park
A US Navy 60-Pounder (5.3-Inch) Parrott Rifle is displayed alongside other Parrotts and Dahlgrens of the Civil War era at Trophy Park at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia. This 60-Pounder is Number 56. It was manufactured at West Point Foundry in 1865. As manufactured it weighed 5,430 pounds.
The Guns of USS Kearsarge in 1894
When the USS Kearsarge grounded and sank on February 2nd, 1894 she was carrying two 8-Inch Muzzle Loading Rifles, four 9-Inch Dahlgrens, and one 5.3-Inch Breech Loading Rifle. This post looks at historic photos of USS Kearsarge, photos of preserved cannons similar to those lost aboard the ship, and photos that may show the current disposition of the cannons at Kearsarge’s wreck site.
“Report on Rifled Guns” - 1865 Report on Parrott Rifles by the US Navy Bureau of Ordnance
After 5 US Navy Parrott Rifles failed causing some 45 casualties during the First Battle of Fort Fisher in December of 1865, the Bureau of Ordnance was tasked with determining the cause of the failures and whether Parrott Rifles continued to be suitable for use by the United States Navy. The report is transcribed in this post.
The US Navy Cannons of Townsend Park in Oyster Bay, New York
Three American Civil War era United States Navy cannons sit surrounding a bandstand in Townsend Park in Oyster Bay, York. The three cannons are a rare 50-Pounder Dahlgren Rifle, a 5.3-Inch Parrott Rifle converted to a breechloader, and a 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle which saw service aboard USS R.R. Cuyler during the American Civil War. These photos were provided by another individual and are used with permission.
5.3-Inch Parrott Breechloaders in Laconia, New Hampshire
Two US Navy 5.3-Inch Parrott Rifles originally manufactured as muzzle-loaders in 1864-1865 but converted to breechloaders in the 1870s are preserved and displayed on original carriages in Laconia, New Hampshire.
The Cannons of Trophy Park
Norfolk Navy Yard Trophy Park in Portsmouth, Virginia displays a number of Dahlgrens and Parrott Rifles from the mid 19th Century US Navy. Some are displayed as they were manufactured. Others received modifications and conversions in the 1870s. Many thanks to Flickr user Jimmy for the permission to use these photos.