10-Inch Brooke Smoothbore S87 at the National Civil War Naval Museum
A 10-Inch Double Banded Brooke Smoothbore, S87, is displayed at the National Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus, Georgia. This gun was cast in 1864 at Selma, Alabama. In November of 1864 it was shipped for delivery to Commodore Ingraham commanding the Charleston Squadron of the Confederate Navy. However, neither this gun nor the 11-Inch Brooke displayed next to it reached Charleston due to transportation disruptions at the end of the war.
7-Inch Double Banded Brooke Rifle S111 at the National Civil War Naval Museum
7-Inch Double Banded Brooke Rifle, S111, is displayed overlooking the Chattahoochee River at the National Civil War Naval Museum. S111 is regularly used for firing demonstrations, and it is likely the heaviest original Civil War artillery piece which is still regularly fired. S111 was cast at the Selma Naval Gun Foundry on November 23rd, 1864.
The 6.4-Inch Brooke of CSS Tennessee at Naval Station Norfolk
A 6.4-Inch Brooke Rifle which was captured aboard CSS Tennessee is displayed at Naval Station Norfolk alongside an identical 6.4-Inch Brooke from CSS Albemarle.
The Tennessee Brooke was manufactured at Tredegar in June 1863 and was sent to Richmond Naval Ordnance Words for banding and rifling in August of 1863. Its registry number is 49 and its Tredegar Foundry Number is 1853 (Olmstead et al. pg. 219).
6.4-Inch Brooke Rifle, S85, at Linwood Cemetery, Columbus, Georgia
6.4-Inch Brooke Rifle S-85 is mounted at Linwood Cemetery in Columbus, Georgia overlooking a section of Civil War graves. This Brooke was manufactured at the Selma Naval Gun Foundry in Selma, Alabama in 1864-1865. In March of 1865 it was sent to Columbus, Georgia to become part of the armament of the ironclad ram CSS Jackson which had been launched in December 1864. However, CSS Jackson would be captured by United States Army Cavalry under Major General James Wilson in April 1865 following the Battle of Columbus, one of the last battles of the American Civil War.
The 6.4-Inch Brooke Rifle of Jackson, Alabama
A 6.4-Inch Brooke Rifle cast at Selma in 1864 is displayed at Jackson, Alabama. It was cast on August 9th, 1864 and delivered to Mobile on December 21st, 1864 (see Daniel & Gunter, pg. 83). According to the historical marker placed next to the cannon, S96 was mounted at Oven Bluff on the Tombigbee River.
11-Inch Brooke Smoothbore at the National Civil War Naval Museum
The largest and heaviest surviving cannon produced by the Confederacy is an 11-Inch Double Banded Smoothbore S97 displayed at the National Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus, Georgia. S97 was cast at Selma, Alabama in 1864. As manufactured it weighed 23,593 pounds. It was cast on August 10th, 1864. It was intended to be sent to Charleston.
The 7-Inch Brooke Rifle of Fort Morgan
7-Inch Double Banded Brooke Rifle "S89" is displayed at Fort Morgan, Alabama. Cast at Selma, Alabama in July of 1864, it was delivered to Mobile in January of 1865. A nearby interpretive sign explains that it was mounted in a fortification north of Mobile. It is stamped with its "as manufactured" weight of 14,800 pounds.
The 6.4-Inch Brooke of CSS Albemarle at Norfolk
A 6.4-Inch Brooke Rifle carried aboard CSS Albemarle is displayed at Naval Station Norfolk flanking a flagpole with another 6.4-Inch Brooke which was carried aboard CSS Tennessee. This Brooke likely was carried by CSS Albemarle during the Battle of Plymouth and Battle of Albemarle Sound in 1864.
8-Inch Brooke Smoothbore, S-26, at Gainesville, Alabama
An 8-Inch Double Banded Brooke Smoothbore, S26, manufactured at the Selma Naval Gun Foundry in 1863-1864 may be found beside the Old Cemetery in Gainesville, Alabama. S26 was cast as a 6.4-Inch Brooke Rifle. According to Messers Olmstead, Stark, and Tucker, S26 was one of three blocks (raw castings) intended to be produced as 6.4-inch rifles which encountered difficulties during machining but were successfully salvaged as 8-inch smoothbores. S26 is the only survivor of the three Selma produced 8-Inch Brooke Smoothbores.
7-Inch Brooke Rifle, S-5, of CSS Tennessee in Selma, Alabama
One of CSS Tennessee’s 7-Inch Double Banded Brooke Rifles, S-5, is displayed at beside the City Hall of Selma, Alabama. This cannon was manufactured by the Selma Naval Gun Foundry in 1863. It was captured during the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5th, 1864.
The 6.4-Inch Brooke at Historic Tredegar
A Double Banded 6.4-Inch Brooke Rifle is displayed outside of Historic Tredegar Ironworks in Richmond, Virginia where it was originally manufactured in 1862.
The Brooke in Richmond is marked with the Tredegar foundry number 1633 and as weighing 9,400 pounds as manufactured. Number 1633 was cast at Tredegar on or about July 26th, 1862.
4.62-Inch Gorgas Rifle at Stony Creek, Virginia
A 4.62-Inch Siege Rifle cast by Bellona Foundry (near Richmond) in 1862 may be found in Stony Creek, Virginia. Weight of 5,360 pounds is stamped on the breech. The right trunnion reads "BF / JLA" (Bellona Foundry / Junius L. Archer).
Olmstead et al. identifies this cannon as a "Gorgas Rifle", a type manufactured by both Tredegar and Bellona. This example is the only known survivor of the type. As noted in "The Big Guns", this rifle is nearly identical to the 4.62-Inch "Gibbon and Andrews" rifle found at Fort Branch except for the latter rifle being banded and therefore eight hundred pounds heavier.
A Brooke Smoothbore at Dutch Gap on the James River
Four photos of the same heavy Brooke Smoothbore seem to have been taken at the same time. The cannon was emplaced overlooking the James River at the Dutch Gap.
Fort Johnson in 1865
Fort Johnson, which dated to colonial times, had fired the "signal" mortar round at the beginning of the Bombardment of Fort Sumter, and which had been a major component of the defenses of Charleston harbor - especially after the reduction of Fort Sumter, was photographed in 1865. These photos, available in high resolution on the Library of Congress website, show the four heavy cannons facing the shipping channel, along with carriages, implements, projectiles, and more.
The 4.62-Inch Gibbon and Andrews Rifle of Fort Branch
The only (known) surviving 4.62-Inch Gibbon and Andrews Rifle is part of the remarkable collection of original artillery at Fort Branch near Hamilton, North Carolina. This Confederate siege rifle was recovered from the Roanoke River at Fort Branch in 1977 having been submerged since the fort was destroyed and abandoned in April of 1865. It was recovered still mounted on the remains of its siege and garrison carriage which is also on display in the Fort’s museum.
The Cannons at Fort Fisher
The Second Battle of Fort Fisher was fought from January 13th - 15th, 1865. This post gives an overview of the major types of heavy cannons present in the fort and aboard the fleet. The cannons pictured include Columbiads, Brooke Rifles, Dahlgren Cannons, and Parrott Rifles.
Heavy Artillery of the Confederacy in the American Civil War
This post is an overview of the major types and systems of heavy naval and seacoast artillery operated by the Confederate Army and Confederate Navy during the American Civil War. The principle types used were: Pre-War US Army cannons and Columbiads, Pre-War US Navy cannons and Dahlgren guns, Confederate Columbiads, Brooke Rifles and Smoothbores, banded and rifled cannons, and British rifles.
The 10-Inch Brooke Smoothbore of CSS Columbia
A 10-Inch Brooke Smoothbore is one of nine Brooke cannon displayed as trophies at the Washington Naval Yard.
The Brooke Rifles of CSS Tennessee
Four Brooke Rifles carried aboard CSS Tennessee at the Battle of Mobile Bay are displayed as trophies at the Washington Navy Yard. One other is displayed at Selma, Alabama. Another may be found at Naval Station Norfolk.
The Single Banded Brooke Rifles of CSS Atlanta
Four Brooke Rifles captured from CSS Atlanta are displayed as trophies at the US Navy's Washington Navy Yard.