Letter, 1863 September 22, James Wallace to Brooks, regarding Parrott guns that failed, page 2

TitleLetter, 1863 September 22, James Wallace to Brooks, regarding Parrott guns that failed, page 2
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CreatorBaldwin, James

CollectionsThomas Benton Brooks Papers

Dates

Descriptive InformationLetter to Brooks from James Baldwin, reporting results of Baldwin's examination of the 100 and 200 Pdr Parrott guns that failed during the bombardment of Ft. Sumter. The number of rounds at which guns failed, signs of crystallization, cracks, and fractures in the guns are detailed.

Transcription[Letter, continued] in one place, signs of crystallization. A piece of the same band, included one half the whole, and mid-way between the ends, was cracked in two places. These cracks included portions of iron, respectively 4" and 8" wide: they were regular, and well defined, and appeared to be the lines of separation, between the bars composing the band. A similar line of separation, not so well defined, was visible on a fragment of 6. The plane of this surface was oblique to the axis of the piece. The iron of this band, appeared to contain a considerable quantity of scoriae, and cinder. The reinforce-bands, in 1, 4 and 5 appeared to be sound. The surface of fracture is slightly concave. The surface of fracture at its junction with the band is about 11", from the rear of the same, while along the line of the bore, it is at its junction 13". The sketch represents this concavity. [Sketch] There was nothing unusual in the service of any of the above pieces except 1. This piece was fired at an elevation of 35 degrees, to 36 degrees, Charge 18 Lbs 18 oz [????]. During the 100' previous to the bursting of this piece, 20 rounds were fired, and toward the end of this period, only 4' elapsed between one discharge and the next. The surfaces of fracture, in the cast-iron portion of 2 and 6, which ran longitudinally, were but few of them radial, to the axis of the piece. I have the honor to be Major; Your Obedient Servant; James S. Baldwin; [????] NY [New York] V [Volunteer] Engrs [Engineers]

LocationsMorris Island, Charleston County, South Carolina, United States(32.71573,-79.89037)

TopicsSouth Carolina--History
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Artillery operations
Fort Sumter National Monument (Agency : U.S.)

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RightsU.S. Government Work Learn More