US Army 8-Inch Rodmans in Linesville, Pennsylvania
One of two US Army 8-Inch Rodmans is shown in Linesville, Pennsylvania
Two US Army 8-Inch Rodmans are displayed in Linesville, Pennsylvania flanking a monument. Many thanks to friend of the page James Murray for the photos! The two Rodmans are early production models with the ratchets at the breech. These were designed to use the ratchet and pawl system of earlier Columbiads. The later series of 8-Inch Rodmans would use the socket and post system adopted for the system after the ratchet and pawl system proved unworkable with the 15-Inch Rodman. The two Rodmans are:
US Army 8-Inch Rodman (Early) Number 65 manufactured in 1861 at Fort Pitt Foundry. Weight as manufactured was 8,511 pounds.
US Army 8-Inch Rodman (Early) Number 67 manufactured in 1861 at Fort Pitt Foundry. Weight as manufactured was 8,521 pounds.
The Type: The 8-Inch Rodman is a cast iron, smooth bore cannon typically used to arm seacoast fortifications. It was designed by Thomas J. Rodman, a US Army officer, and entered service in 1861. Rodman designed a system of casting his guns hollow and running water through the bore of the still molten gun to cool it from the inside out. This method, combined with a design which was thickest at the breech before tapering to the muzzle, provided a very strong and relatively light casting. The 8-Inch Rodmand could fire an approximately 64-pound solid shot or 50-pound explosive shell. Rodman’s design also eliminated the older style cascabel for a “mushroom knob” breech which allowed a rope to be slung around the breech to aid in lifting the piece when transferring to or from a carriage. The 8-Inch Rodman was the smallest of a series of similar guns cast for the US Army. 10-Inch and massive 15-Inch Rodmans also served in significant numbers.
