James shells

[relicrunner]

Would anyone know what foundry and/or arsenal supplied the James shells?
Also, from which battlefields have they been recovered (or not recovered)

Thank you

[Dave the plumber]

         Jim,          I do not know where they were manufactured, but since General James had so much influence, I bet it was in his home state of Rhode Island.........
 Anyway, a buddy of mine dug 30 plus fired 3.8 James at Gauley Bridge through his hunting career, both type 1 and type 2.     

[relicrunner]

Thanks Dave....even though I did not specify, the 3.8 size is what I was interested in hearing about

[jonpatterson]

Some places James were used include: Chickamauga, Shiloh, Carnifax Ferry WV, Vicksburg, Gauley Bridge WV, Champion Hill, Petersburg siege, Ft. Pulaski and Secessionville, SC . Not sure 3.8" were used at all of them.  Shiloh, Carnifax Ferry WV, Vicksburg, Gauley Bridge WV, Champion Hill are listed in Dickey-George as places 3.8" have been recovered.

[Lazouave]

You can add Steele's Expedition in Arkansas.

I have seen examples and found frags from Prairie D' Ann(Precott) area.

[Steve Phillips]

The only James that I have found was at Davis Bridge Mississippi in the river.

[coonboy]

I found several (all tie rings) at Pleasant Hill, La. fired by 3rd Indiana Battery who had the only James rifles in that Battle. At Vicksburg, I found four type I's and 2 type 2's on private property. La. Zouave knows the exact I spot I dug them as he has hunted there. I also found a couple near Pebble Hill, Tenn. and they were the type 1 tie rings. coonboy

[Garret]

Have any been recovered on the Stones River Battlefield?

[relicrunner]

So no other thoughts on where they were manufactured??

[jonpatterson]

I have not found anything indicating where they were produced.

[CarlS]

Hello,

There is a frequently seen Harper's Weekly or similar source image that shows James shells being made.  Perhaps it says where they are being made in he caption or text.   Anyone have that?

[emike123]

I have the page with the pictures, but no mention of location is made on that page.  Its a very small workshop possibly the same Long Island one where they had the accident that killed Gen'l James.

The picture page has a footnote referring to "Shells and their Manufacturing" on page 764.  This is Harper's Weekly of November 30, 1861.

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

Note:  Man at lower right is pouring the lead sabot through the four holes in base of shell or bolt.
Regards,
John

[relicrunner]

VERY COOL!!...thanks Mike....what do you imagine is the diameter of the shell in the lower pics?

[Pete George]

  Carl, I've already checked that Harper's Weekly illustration, and the news-article which accompanied it.  Neither of them tell the location. (Edit-note: Emike's post showed up while I was typing this one.)

  Beginning in Spring 1993, "The Artilleryman" magazine published the entire Document 99 records of January-1861-through-June-1866 US Ordnance Department artillery projectile purchases, listed under each manufacturer's name. Because Document 99 is so large, the information had to be spread out over several issues of the magazine. Unfortunately, I do not own all of those issues. On Relicrunner's behalf, I checked the ones I've got. The info in the Fall 1993 issue's data says J.T. Ames of Chicopee MA manufactured James projectiles.  The Ames data specifically mentions 3.8" James bolts and 7" James bolts and shells.

  The Ames data also lists 3.67", 4.62", Rifled 24-pounder and Rifled 32-pounder bolts and shells, but does not specify that they were James projectiles. However, I suspect they were indeed James projectiles, because Parrott, Hotchkiss, and Schenkl bolts and shells do not exist in 4.62" or Rifled 24 or 7" calibers. EXCEPTION to that statement: Jack Bell's book lists a SINGLE known specimen of Rifled-24 and 7" Schenkl shell (but no bolts in those calibers). So, having eliminated Parrott, Hotchkiss, and Schenkl in those calibers, what else other than James could the Ames-made projectiles in those calibers be?

Regards,
Pete