Bullet and Shell Civil War Projectiles Forum

Relic Discussion => Artillery => Topic started by: CarlS on March 31, 2019, 01:52:28 PM

Title: Neat Piece - What is it?
Post by: CarlS on March 31, 2019, 01:52:28 PM

RelicRunner and I were out touring western Tennessee a week ago and visited Fort Pillow State Park.  It is a nice remote park with visiting if in the area.  This park protects the Confederate then Union occupied earthworks overlooking the Mississippi River.  The river has since moved west from there but the fort is nicely intact up on the river bluffs as well as the outer defense trenches.  It housed a number of Columbiads, etc. meant to stop unwanted traveling on the river.   There is a small museum with a few relics.  One was a near mint Hotchkiss canister base.  The other was this item labeled as a "Columbiad Elevation Piece".  It displays the well known Palmetto bush symbolic with SC.  Below is an image of the piece as well as the sign that hung above it.  Does anyone recognize this as being what it is labeled?

Title: Re: Neat Piece - What is it?
Post by: pipedreamer65 on April 01, 2019, 10:18:34 AM

Not sure what the scale of the piece is and it appears to be broken, but I found this image and I am also aware of a similar item purported to be the same thing from another fort.  Columbiads had different mounts depending on size and what the intended usage was.  Love the palmetto/palm..

Title: Re: Neat Piece - What is it?
Post by: CarlS on April 01, 2019, 03:32:02 PM

By George I think you've got it!    I've never noted that before in looking at cannons.   I'll have to look at the carriages more closely.  Very odd the SC piece went that far west.  Thanks.

Title: Re: Neat Piece - What is it?
Post by: pipedreamer65 on April 03, 2019, 07:57:59 AM

Thanks for posting it.  Really cool piece.  Yea, I wonder how it made it so far west too.  Definitely South Carolina related.   

Title: Re: Neat Piece - What is it?
Post by: pipedreamer65 on April 26, 2019, 01:15:17 PM

Carl, my son and I visited Fort Macon last weekend.  He took this picture of a reproduction columbiad carriage on the seaface.  It shows the elevation device. 

Title: Re: Neat Piece - What is it?
Post by: CarlS on June 01, 2019, 10:50:26 PM

(I forgot to respond to this.)

Thanks for sharing.   It is a near match.  I can't believe I've never noticed one before.