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 68-Pounder 95 Hundredweight Gun in Warrnambool, Victoria
A 68-Pounder 95 Hundredweight Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun is displayed outside the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia. Many thanks to friend-of-the-page Ivan Dove for taking these photos and sharing them with me.
The 6.25-Inch Rifle of CSS Florida at the Washington Navy Yard
A British manufactured 6.25-Inch Rifle captured aboard CSS Florida is displayed at the Washington Navy Yard. According to John C. Reilly's "The Iron Guns of Williard Park", the breech is engraved with the words "32-Pdr Rifled from Anglo-Rebel Pirate Florida." The left trunnion is stamped "Low Moor, 10666".
The 68-Pounder 95 Hundredweight Gun at Carrickfergus Castle
A Low Moor Ironworks 68-Pounder 95 Hundredweight Smoothboore Muzzleloading Gun displayed at Carrickfergus Castle in Northern Ireland. The carriage is stamped 1860 - a possible date of manufacture for the cannon. The photos in this post are courtesy of page subscriber David Pollock. Many thanks to him for sharing them with us all!
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.