The “Widow Blakely” at Vicksburg
The “Widow Blakely” is displayed at Vicksburg National Military Park. Originally the piece was a British 42-Pounder smoothbore gun manufactured in 1862 by the Low Moor Iron Company in Bradford, Yorkshire. It was reamed out to 7.5 inches, rifled, and banded by Blakely.
Many thanks to friend-of-the-page Jeff Brantly for sharing these photos!
According to the National Park Service, it is one of the few guns displayed at Vicksburg known with certainty to have been present at the siege. It appears to have been called the “Widow Blakely” because it was the only Blakely rifle present in Vicksburg’s defenses.
The 7-Inch Blakely Rifle of CSS Florida
A 7-Inch Blakely Rifle carried aboard the Confederate Navy Cruiser CSS Florida and a 7.5-Inch Blakely Rifle which was mounted in a fortification are displayed as trophies at the Washington Navy Yard.