Field caliber Whitworths

[CarlS]

Well said Mike and thanks.  I agree on all counts.

By my way of thinking the Modern Greece findings does make them ACW projectiles and I would gladly have one in my collection if I could afford it.  But I would want one from the Modern Greece and not a non-battlefield example.

What is the standard that you are worried about losing John?  I don't think anyone is questioning the shell's type, use or fusing.  The only question seemed to be if it rightfully belonged in the collections of the purest of collectors of ACW projectiles.  And, again in my mind and I think most others if not all, your information regarding the Modern Greece has convinced us it does belong.

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

Dear Carl,
     What I meant was that we must avoid individual ideas about how to identify a projectile, the system it belongs to and how the Fuze/fuse and shell functions.  If we don't hold to a standard then we will lose all sense of direction and purpose.
     I don't believe a standard has been established for the standard of acceptance of what constitutes a projectile and its place in the ACW history, if we had one there would be no need for this discussion.
   I would ask Rebob where he heard about the Whitworth case shot as it is so rare and covered in few books?
   Anyway this has been a most interest and informative topic and I pray ALL have LEARNED from it.
Kind Regards,
John

[pipedreamer65]

Just to clarify, I do not own a whitworth case shot projectile  as discussed in this topic.  And again, I consider them ACW by virtue of being recovered from the Modern Greece.  Not that my opinion means anything, just that I have nothing to gain or lose.

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

Sir,
   Your opinion certainly means a lot to me about the projectile being of ACW era.  It tells me that you and two other paid attention.  Thank you.
Regards,
John

[Lamar]

Hey, I've been paying attention, too - and soaking it up like a sponge!

Unfortunately, I've got nothing of any value (except my silence) to contribute.

[pipedreamer65]

Sir,
   Your opinion certainly means a lot to me about the projectile being of ACW era.  It tells me that you and two other paid attention.  Thank you.
Regards,
John

LOL!  Why, thank you very much Sir!  Best compliment I've gotten in quite sometime.

[Dave the plumber]

       Friends,    well I asked around with the local old timer diggers in the area of Wilmington and Fort Fisher. Nobody has dug a 12 lb WW shell, that they know of. A few bolts, but no shell or segmented shell. 
       As I said earlier a stacked pile of 6 lb'ers shells were found, and then a few 6 lb'er shells here and there north of the fort.  None had fuzes, suspecting they had either a 'make-do' wood fuze, or they were fired in lieu of bolts.
     There was one fella, who has since passed away, that was not into artillery that much, who once told me he dug a 12 lb WW with a fuze. His wife didn't like it in the house, so he threw it off the bridge !! Here's a mission for Diverdigger !! Unfortunately, with his passing so goes more info about the shell.......
    Sorry I couldn't add more info to the conversation.......

[divedigger]

who is diverdigger?

[redbob]

Your doppleganger?

[emike123]

I remember that bridge toos story, Dave K, but I remember it as being a 6pdr Whitworth shell that got thrown overboard.

Sometime I'd like to see your or Jack's collection of Whitworth projectiles which trump my meager offerings.

[divedigger]

I have never heard of any whitworths being found. The flying battery ran all over the place shooting at blockade ships, but all those shells went in the ocean. I do have a small shipping plug that was found in the area that had a hole drilled in it that a paper fuze would fit in nicely and I have allways wondered if it was used that way. I have seen a lot of the Modern Greece shells but the only ones I saw were 12 lb bolts and 100 lb shells. But the 2nd SC calvary were dragging a whitworth around and were allways waiting shells for it. I think they were using the small Hardings with wood sabots. If Jack Wells said  a whitworth with a detachable nose was found here, then it was.

[emike123]

I don't think anyone is disagreeing with Jack Wells's comments.  He said some were found on the Modern Greece and he thought he'd found a nose somewhere, but he has not provided us with a recovery area for the detachable nose, at least on this board to my reading.

[divedigger]

Correct. My mistake.

[alwion]

I didn't want to start a new thread with this as it is post CW and not US, but thought it was interesting next to the junk car in the alley, a whitworth cannon barrel for sale. E auction #291014427467

[CarlS]

The Armstrong cannon would be a neat item to have.

Direct link:
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/291014427467

Free local pickup if you happen to be in Buenos Aires, Argentina!  Might be hard to get the 9000 pounds on a plane.