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rampa_room_artillery
06-29-2008, 07:40 PM
I know of only one civil war pic of a 24 lb confederate mortar are there anymore? any writen info on orginal load charts? how they where to be moved from camp to camp?

Trying to maybe get into doing living history but i have to learn all i can about civil war light mortars before i even think about trying it.

rick bryan
3rd va. co B.

R. C. Hubbard Jr
06-29-2008, 09:16 PM
AS confederate manuals were nearly a direct copy of U.S. manuals, the charts are the same. Gibbons is on-line and the best in my opion.
The C.S. feild manual can be had cheaply (14.95 on ebay) and it aslo has charts.
I have not seen anything on how the small mortars were trasported but would have to assume that they were just put in a wagon.

Minieball577
06-30-2008, 01:10 AM
Is this the image you were thinking of? This version is from the Library of Congress. You'll notice a second type of square carriaged coehorn on the right of the image in the "ghost" area. Its important to note that these coehorns are not the open "Box type" of carriage constructed of thick planking, but rather are squared solid lumber.

The box in front of the coehorn clearly says "Richmond Arsenal" in the large block letters on the right of the panel facing the camera. It also has a date (186 3something) in the center of some lettering that is set with a radius on the left side of the panel facing the camera.

http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cwpb/00600/00698r.jpg

And this image of the same location from a different angle.
http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cwpb/00600/00693r.jpg

Minieball577
06-30-2008, 01:15 AM
Here is a neat sketch of some Coehorns at Cold Harbor.

http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3a00000/3a09000/3a09700/3a09707r.jpg

Minieball577
06-30-2008, 01:16 AM
Try retrieving the "Archival .Tiff" format file for this image at the library of Congress to get amazing details of the ordnance in the image.

http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/cwpb/00600/00690r.jpg[

Looks like a whole line of Coehorns, and a few others, including the one shown in my first post on this thread. If you include the "confederate" coehorn in the image that is not in the long row of coehorns as a distinct type of carraige, the large squared lumber type I mentioned in my first post, you have within this image four distinct types of carriages for coehorns in the possesion of Federal forces. The long line of "Federal" coehorns in the image has some bases that are angled, some that are rounded, and some that have the more fancy stepped quarter round finish, as shown in this grouping from the same series of photos.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/CoehornMortar.jpg

Minieball577
06-30-2008, 01:53 AM
I have not seen anything on how the small mortars were trasported but would have to assume that they were just put in a wagon.

Dad, you know better than to assume. Here is a reference from the Official Records specifically to "Mortar wagons" for use in transporting Coehorns.
http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/ ... U4519-0040 (http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/pageviewer?frames=1&coll=moa&view=50&root=%2Fmoa%2Fwaro%2Fwaro0040%2F&tif=00132.TIF&cite=http%3A%2F%2Fcdl.library.cornell.edu%2Fcgi-bin%2Fmoa%2Fmoa-cgi%3Fnotisid%3DANU4519-0040)

And a mention of using a Coehorn battery in assualt in S.C. including the necessity of its platform, which one would assume also fit on the mortar wagon for long distance travel :)
http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/ ... U4519-0046 (http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/pageviewer?frames=1&coll=moa&view=50&root=%2Fmoa%2Fwaro%2Fwaro0046%2F&tif=00311.TIF&cite=http%3A%2F%2Fcdl.library.cornell.edu%2Fcgi-bin%2Fmoa%2Fmoa-cgi%3Fnotisid%3DANU4519-0046)

BTW, The OR says they also used a Requia batttery in the assault on Battery Wagner. That would be a cool project. Doubt that ogre Holland would let you shoot it on Sunday though.

Here is a link to a google electronic book of the Ordnance Manual for mounting a gun on a mortar wagon. http://books.google.com/books?id=g4XcbT ... #PPA349,M1 (http://books.google.com/books?id=g4XcbT6OlhQC&pg=PA349&lpg=PA349&dq=mortar+wagon&source=web&ots=MqpT_Hf461&sig=5zVfVzk5lRt8-KXTqAZzKNGizkw&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result#PPA349,M1)

My guess though is that the mortar wagon is probably more intended for the 8 inch type based on the Bill of Timber listed in that manual, and its calling for several handspikes and the like. I'll bet though you could mount several Coehorns and their platforms on one mortar wagon.

R. C. Hubbard Jr
06-30-2008, 09:00 PM
You shouldn't assume I was assuming anything. Mottar wagons were for trasportation of SEIGE mortars with their beds or guns or large shot and shell. This according to the ord. manual, 1862. The first link lists the ord.required and then list the support eqp. Still dont know how the 24pdr.s were transported for sure.

Requia batttery - would be a cool project but there are to many small parts which move the individual barrels. I forgot where I found this but...

http://www.myhostedpics.com/images/guardsgunner/39threg1.jpg

Minieball577
06-30-2008, 09:20 PM
I assume then that you notice that all those many little 24 .pdrs are amongst other pieces of SIEGE artillery, which to me would add credence to the possibility that they were moved there by the same mechanics used to move other SIEGE artillery.

Isn't there a mention by Henry Matrau of working the coehorns in the trenches near Petersburg after the 6th Wisconsin was attached to the 5th Corps? If so, it might be worth reviewing. He gave good details, and maybe mentioned moving them into place.

rampa_room_artillery
07-02-2008, 04:09 PM
how about equipment loading tongs, sponge
I love the info thanks, i have seen that pic but didnt know there were different views of the same place on the net like that.