US Army 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle in Lafayette, Indiana
US Army 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle Number 180 in Lafayette, Indiana
Note: These photos were very generously submitted by a friend of the page and are used with his permission.
A US Army 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle, Number 180, is displayed in front of the Tippecanoe County Courthouse in Lafayette, Indiana. The Parrott is displayed on the southeast corner of the courthouse lawn mounted on an iron pedestal mounted on top of a stone base with the dates 1861-1865. An 8-Inch siege howitzer is displayed on the northwest corner of the courthouse. Both cannons were donated to the John A Logan, Post Number 3, of the Grand Army of the Republic on July 15th, 1897.
30-Pounder Parrott Number 180 was manufactured at the West Point Foundry in 1863. As manufactured it weighed 4,206 pounds - as seen on the muzzle.
The 30-Pounder Parrott is a 4.2-Inch cast-iron rifled cannon with a wrought-iron reinforcing band around the breech. At around 126 inches long, it is about two feet longer than the otherwise identical type used by the US Navy. The 30-Pounder Parrott was typically used by the US Army for siege and garrison duties. As its name implies, it could fire projectiles of up to about 30 pounds. It was capable of (for the time) very long range, accurate fire. It did not suffer the same reliability problems which plagued the heavier Parrott Rifles.
US Army 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle Number 180 in Lafayette, Indiana
US Army 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle Number 180 in Lafayette, Indiana
US Army 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle Number 180 in Lafayette, Indiana
US Army 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle Number 180 in Lafayette, Indiana
Two US Army 30-Pounder Parrott Rifles (Numbers 246 and 262) on Siege and Garrison Carriages at Vicksburg National Military Park.
