We know the Confederacy received six 4 inch (18 pdr) Blakey rifle cannon in 1862 and that one of them was later captured near Fort Fisher and one was at Fort Branch. Has any research ever uncovered where the other four of these guns went ?
I know Mac Mason recovered an unfired 4 inch iron sabot Reed at Malvern Hill that was presumably for one of these Preston Faucett made guns and another identical specimen of this shell just came out of a Maryland estate near Sharpsburg (not necessarily dug there as it had been in the family for many years and appears to be a very early pick up, not recently excavated).
These particular guns were fairly large for a field battery but there was use of the one at Fort Fisher in a flying battery.
Does anyone have any info on these 18 pound Blakely?s ever seeing service with the Army of Northern Virginia ?