US Army 8-Inch Siege Mortars at the Tioga County Memorial
Four US Army 8-Inch Siege Mortars, Pattern 1861, are displayed surrounding the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Memorial in Owego in Tioga County, New York. The four mortars are:
8-Inch Siege Mortar, Pattern 1861, cast by Cyrus Alger, registry Number 28, weight 1,026 pounds
8-Inch Siege Mortar, Pattern 1861, cast by Cyrus Alger, registry Number 34, weight 1,036 pounds
8-Inch Siege Mortar, Pattern 1861, cast by Cyrus Alger, registry Number 41, weight 1,033 pounds
8-Inch Siege Mortar, Pattern 1861, cast by Seyfert McManus & Co., registry number 45, weight 1,036 pounds
US Army 8-Inch Siege Mortars in Oregon, Ohio
Two US Army 8-Inch Siege Mortars, Pattern 1861, are displayed at Willow Cemetery in Oregon, Ohio. Many thanks to friend-of-the-page Phil Spaugy for sharing the photos!
The two mortars were both cast at Fort Pitt Foundry in 1864. They bear the consecutive registry numbers 46 and 47. They are both marked as weighing 1,020 pounds, and they also both appear to be on original carriages. They flank a monument dedicated in 1882.
10-Inch Siege Mortar, Pattern 1840, at Vicksburg
US Army 10-Inch Siege Mortar, Pattern 1840, displayed on "Cannon Row" at Vicksburg National Military Park - this mortar was cast in 1859 at West Point Foundry. As manufactured it weighed 1,812 pounds.
US Army 10-Inch Seacoast Mortars, Pattern 1840, in Binghamton, New York
Four US Army 10-Inch Mortars, Pattern 1840, which were cast at the West Point Foundry in 1861 are displayed around a beautiful monument to the “Heroic Sons” of Broome County, New York in the city of Binghamton. Many thanks to friend-of-the-page Rob James for these photos!
US Army 10-Inch Seacoast Mortar, Pattern 1861 in St. Augustine, Florida
US Army 10-Inch Seacoast Mortar, Pattern 1861, displayed in St. Augustine, Florida. Manufactured by Cyrus Alger & Co. in 1862, this is one of only eight of the type made - of which two survive. It strongly resembles its 13-Inch “big brother” but weighs only 7,640 pounds verses around 17,000 pounds for the 13-inch. It is considerably larger than the 10-Inch Siege Mortar, Pattern 1861 which weighed slightly less than 2,000 pounds.
8-Inch Siege Mortar, Pattern 1861, at the Mariners’ Museum
US Army 8-Inch Siege Mortar manufactured by Cyrus Alger and Company in 1862. Registry Number 7. Thomas Jackson Rodman, Inspector. 995 pounds as manufactured. Displayed at the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia
Dictator: The 13-Inch Mortar of Petersburg
In 1864 a 13-Inch Seacoast Mortar, Pattern 1861, was used by the United States Army in the siege of Petersburg. The mortar was mounted on a railcar - named the Petersburg Express - and used against Confederate fortifications. The fame of this heavy mortar may be greater than it's impact upon the siege. Whether the "Dictator" is among the approximately thirty 13-Inch Mortars which survive to the present is a matter of conjecture.
The Cannons of the North Carolina State Capitol
A number of statues and monuments dot the grounds of the historic North Carolina State Capitol (built 1833-1840) in Raleigh, North Carolina. This post looks at the cannons which flank those statues.
The monuments cannons covered in this post are:
The Statue of George Washington and the Edenton Cannons
The US Army 8-Inch Siege Mortars and the Statue of North Carolina Presidents
The 4-Inch Fawcett and Preston Rifle
The 32-Pounders of 57 Hundredweight now at Fort Fisher
The Cannons of Fort Macon
Fort Macon on Bogue Banks in North Carolina is a beautifully preserved and restored Third System fort which has been operated as a state park since 1924. Over the last decades the Friends of Fort Macon have raised money to rearm the fort and in so doing has made a very significant contribution to the historical interpretation of the fort. For those who are interested in American Seacoast Artillery, Fort Macon is a fascinating site to visit.
The Cannons of Denver’s City Park
Three Civil War era cannons have been displayed near the Pavilion at City Park in Denver, Colorado since 1897. They are an 11-Inch Dahlgren, a 6.4-Inch Parrott Rifle, and a 13-Inch Mortar. They surround a statue of Robert Burns.
The Mortars of Charleston
Six Civil War mortars are on display in the Charleston area: Four at White Point Garden, one at Fort Moultrie, and one at Fort Sumter.