3.3 Cannon at shiloh

[alwion]

I've recently gotten a 3.3" short nose archer from Shiloh. In searching info on what units could have fired it, it turns out there were only 2, Washington and Watsons both from the New Orleans area. Then I saw Raw War diggers post of a 3.3" long nose archer. Further research shows  3.3" James also found in the shiloh area. this gave me several questions.

 
1.why were there three kinds of 3.3 bolts at the same battle for 4 cannon, a relatively small number?
2.why were each unit( both in different CS armies and at different ends of the battle) sent different rounds?
3.with canister rounds, for example, a 3" came in several sizes due to capability/weakness's in some of the cannon barrels, some were just old, some were inferior metal. could one or more of the barrels at shiloh have required a lighter round? The short nose was 8 1/2 lbs, the other two around 12
4. were the CS armories just sending mixmatch stuff as fast as they could transport it?
5 Pete's book list my short nose as a prototype. Archers had a limited production run and several variations, could it have been that actually one was for one type or range target, and one for another

washingtons battery was on the west end of the battle around corinth road, watsons looks to have went down Bark road to the east side near the Tenn river. not sure the range of a 3.3, but generally a bolt found east or west would be attributed to a specific battery as it looks like they were at least 2 miles apart, does anyone else have a 3.3 that can be assigned to a battery or east or west of the battle?, I am interested if both batteries had all 3 type shells, or if one battery had one type, and the other had a different type

[emike123]

Robert:

You might try reaching out to George F Witham of Memphis.  He has more experience digging in that area than anyone and even authored a book on artillery at Shiloh (which he will sell you when you call him for $25).  He has attended the Franklin Show, but he is getting up there in age so each year probably becomes more of a challenge.

[Pete George]

  First, let me mention, in addition to the three versions you listed, there was a fourth type of 3.3"-caliber rifled shell which has been dug in the Shiloh TN area... bourreleted, copper-saboted Read 3.3" explosive shells.

Basically, the answer to your question #4 answers the other three questions. Answer to #4:
  During the civil war, the specific army which protected the nation's capital received the best equipment (and commanders). Obsolete, or 2nd-quality, or oddball equipment (and commanders) got sent to the "Western" armies. That is why, after the first 12 months or so of the war, all of the Army Of The Potomac's James Rifle cannons and James projectiles got sent west.

  The Confederacy's 3.3" Rifle cannons were all newly-made as rifled cannons, not conversions of pre-existing smoothbore cannons. (The converted smoothbores were the ones which required lighter-weight cylindrical projectiles).

  In general, an army received artillery ammunition manufactured in the area that army was operating in. As with the East-vs.-West weaponry supply situation, ammo-supply for the "Western" armies tended to be a scraped-together hodgepodge... ESPECIALLY for "oddball" cannons like the 3.3" Rifle. The complicatedness of supplying that unusual caliber of ammunition caused the 3.3" rifles to be almost entirely retired to backwater garrisons in the "western theater" by late-1863... or be melted down for metal-recycling into more-popular calibers of cannons. We know that at least one was present at the early-1865 siege of Spanish Fort AL, because 3.3" Read shells have been dug there.

Regards,
Pete