Rodman Gun Drill

[hendrickms24]

All,
I had been interested on the drill on artillery since I volunteered at Ft. McHenry as an 1814 Artillerist. I have found the drill and structure of an artillery battery.
Does anyone have any information on the drill of Rodman guns and how many Rodman guns were manned per Heavy Artillery Battery?

Thanks
Mark Maranto

[Jefferson Guards]

I don't know any specifics, but all your questions will be answered by the following if you can find a copy:


Robert, Joseph. The Hand-Book of Artillery . . .with the Manual of
Heavy Artillery, Including that of the New Iron Carriage. NY:
Van Nostrand, 1863. 250 p. UF153R64

_________. Instruction for Heavy Artillery . . . for the Use of the
Army of the United States. Wash, DC: GPO, 1863. ca. 300 p.
UF467A3.

[KathyBradford]

Hi, Mark,

Vince Vaisel and Jim Bailey at Ft. McHenry may be able to give you more information. Jim is also very involved with CW history, and may be able to connect you with sources. This isn't related, but Jim is working on some tremendous research on the Romney Campaign.

The good folks at Ft. Delaware have several Rodman and Columbiad guns, some of which are fired regularly. It's just about an hour up I-95 from the Baltimore area. Dan Cashin and George Contant are continually working on research.
http://www.visitthefort.com/index.html

Martha Bennett from the Ft. Delaware Historical Society is one of those rare people who can quietly move mountains to find anything. The society has a library and archives.
http://www.del.net/org/fort/gunsftde.htm

Fort Delaware Society
P.O. Box 553
Delaware City, DE 19706

Voice: 302-834-1630
Fax: 302-836-7256
e-Mail: FtDSociety@del.net

[Mutt]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Fort Delaware does not have any Rodman guns. There is only one 8 inch Columbiad, original, but not to the fort. And also a 32 pound secoast gun on a wooden casemate carriage, and two rare, double trailed, early field pieces, all again, original but not to the fort.

The Columbiad is the only one actually fired. However the carriage isn't near authentic and the tube is sleeved down to about 4 inches :-\ But you can still drill on it fine and it makes a good bang with a pound of powder. The 32 punder is absolutely awesome. It's not fired, however we have poped off primers and it can now be run in battery by hand and back out. Recently it has been fixed so it can traverse left and right, real great stuff.

I have sources for the info on how many are in a battery somewhere. Look for Roberts manual. It's a great lil book you can get at Regimental Quartermaster. All the basics you need to know and not expensive ($14 i believe). My guess as far as drill on a Rodman is that it is similar to a Columbiad with yer 5 man crew and a chief of the piece. I'll aska friend who knows a bunch more to post here. He eats this stuff up.

I'll be out at Fort Delaware most of this summer as an interpretor. Feel free to stop by sometime and maybe attend Garrison Day in September. It's a whole new world from generic infantry.

Regards,

[KathyBradford]

Matthew,

Thank you for clearing that up. I haven't been to the fort for a while, and I confused what they used in the War with what they have now.

According the Dan and George's research, "Five different calibres of guns were used, with 10-inch Columbiads and Rodmans being the most prevalent --and powerful."
http://www.del.net/org/fort/gunsftde.htm

The rest of that page gives a fascinating account of The Guns of Fort Delaware and what one would have encountered had one dared to pass the fort.

It's a great place and a real out-of-the-ordinary experience to walk through the sally port, enter the barracks, or imagine prisoners trying to swim to freedom across the mighty Delaware.

I hope you have a very busy summer!

[hendrickms24]

Thanks for the information!