US Army Rodman Guns of the Civil War

In 1860 Fort Pitt Foundry cast a massive 25-ton, 15-Inch gun designed by US Army Officer Thomas J. Rodman. Rodman's heavy guns used a hollow casting method to water cool the molten iron from the inside out, greatly strengthening the casting. His 8-Inch, 10-Inch, 15-Inch, and even 20-Inch guns would become the centerpiece of US Army Coast Defense during and after the American Civil War. Today, Rodmans can be found in historic forts and as monuments in local communities.