US Army 30-Pounder Parrott Rifles in Scranton, Pennsylvania
One of two US Army 30-Pounder Parrott Rifles displayed flanking the Lackawanna County Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Photo by James Murray.
Two US Army 30-Pounder Parrott Rifles flank the Lackawanna County Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Many thanks to friend of the page James Murray for these photos!
The two 30-Pounders are:
US 30-Pounder Number 115 manufactured by West Point Foundry in 1862. As originally manufactured, it weighed 4,230 pounds.
US 30-Pounder Number 361 manufactured by West Point Foundry in 1864. As originally manufactured, it weighed 4,180 pounds.
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 faced by the heavier Parrott Rifles.
The Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Scranton. For more photos of this monument, see: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=251993
