US Navy 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle of USS Stettin
US Navy 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle, Registry Number 119, at the National Civil War Naval Museum alongside four 9-Inch Dahlgrens.
A US Navy 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle, Registry Number 119, is on displayed at the National Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus, Georgia. It was manufactured by the West Point Foundry in 1862, and its original weight was 3,544 pounds.
It is displayed alongside four 9-Inch Dahlgrens. All five cannons show signs of being ex-bollards. They have scars in the chase from (or the remains of) bars for use as bollards. Their cascabels also show deterioration in advance of the rest of the cannon from their time incased in concrete.
According to the research of Messers Olmstead, Stark, and Tucker, Number 119 was carried aboard USS Stettin. SS Stettin was an iron hulled screw steamer captured off of Charleston by USS Bienville on May 24th, 1862. She was taken into US Navy service and commissioned on November 12th, 1862. She was armed with one 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle and four 24-Pounder Boat Howitzers.
This relatively light armament is typical of captured a blockade runner taken into service and tasked with chasing down ships of its own kind. The inclusion of a 30-Pounder gave the ship one cannon with significant range. At 5 degrees elevation with a 3.25 pound propellant charge, the 30-Pounder has a range of 2,200 yards. The 24-Pounder Boat Howitzer, by comparison, firing with a 2 pound charge has a range of 1,270 yards at 5 degrees. The 30-Pounder Parrott weighs 3,550 pounds while the 24-Pounder Howitzers weighed 1,300 pounds each.
Returning to Charleston as a blockader, USS Stettin would participate in several captures.
On March 28th, 1863, USS Stettin captured the blockade runner S.S. Aries at Bulls Bay north of Charleston. S.S. Aries was found to be a valuable prize with a cargo largely of spirits. As Acting Master Edward F. Devens, Commanding officer of Stettin, was not in good health, Admiral DuPont detached Devens from Stettin and sent him north to Boston in command of the prize.
Capture of the Anglo-Confederate steamer Aries off Bull's Bay, near Charleston, S. C., by the United States gunboat Stettin. Frank Leslie’s Famous Leaders and Battle Scenes of the Civil War, pg. 354.
24-Pounder Dahlgren Boat Howitzer mounted on a slide at the National Museum of the United States Navy. Photo provided by “Glenn from Canada” via Flickr and used with the photographer’s permission.
Report of Acting Master Devens, U. S. Navy, commanding U. S. S. Stettin.
PRIZE STEAMER ARIES,
Port Royal Harbor, March 29, 1863.
SIR: I would most respectfully make the following report in regard to the capture of the English steamer Aries, while endeavoring to run the blockade off Bull's Bay:
At 12:45 a. m. of the 28th instant a steamer was discovered standing to the westward. I immediately got all ready and slipped my anchor, and when the steamer was inside of me and near shoals in this place commenced firing at him, at the same time following him as fast as possible. Finding the water to shoal very fast, I anchored in 3 fathoms. At early daylight saw the above steamer ashore on the south end of Petrel Bank. I immediately armed and equipped the boats' crews, and, taking command in person, I went on board and took possession of her as a prize to the U. S. Government.
Found her to be aground astern; commenced shifting cargo forward. At 7 a. m. she came off. I proceeded to Charleston with her, and was ordered by Commodore T. Turner to report to you at Port Royal, Lieutenant Robeson taking command of the Stettin.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
EDWARD F. DEVENS,
Acting Master, Commanding
US Navy 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle, Registry Number 119, at the National Civil War Naval Museum
US Navy 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle, Registry Number 119, at the National Civil War Naval Museum
The holes made for service as a bollard can be seen in the chase of Number 119
US Navy 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle, Registry Number 119, at the National Civil War Naval Museum alongside four 9-Inch Dahlgrens.
US Navy 30-Pounder Parrott Rifle, Registry Number 119, at the National Civil War Naval Museum
9-Inch Dahlgren installed as a bollard around a former dry dock at Boston. Notice the Fletcher-class destroyer and museum ship Cassin Young and the masts of the frigate USS Constitution in the background. This is one of several 9-Inch Dahlgrens still present as bollards around the dock. (Photo taken in August of 2024.)
