Selma rifled 24 pounder bolt

[Steve Phillips]

This is a 5.75 inch Selma bolt for a rifled 24 pounder. It has a Selma inspectors stamp on the sabot. This one is a G, which is the most common stamp. I found this one 12 years ago in the river at Selma Alabama. Last week I noticed that it was flaking some from iron cancer. That was because I took a short cut when I preserved it. I should have boiled it several times in fresh water after electrolysis to help get rid of sulfides. So this week I boiled and changed water a couple times each day till the water was no longer stained. About a dozen times. Then I preserved it with a couple coats of Gemplers Rust Converter.
What I was curious about was how uncommon these bolts are. I don’t know how many places the confederates used rifled 24 pounder guns. I know that rifled 24 pounders were used at Port Hudson because I have a shell from there. I also have shells that I found at Selma but this is the only bolt.

[CarlS]

A very nice and really rare projectile.  Thanks for sharing.  According to Bell's book, the 24-lber rifled projectile could be found in

• Charleston, SC
• Mobile, AL
• Wilmington, NC
• Columbus, KY
• Evansport, VA
• Atlanta, GA

due to there having been rifled 24-lber guns delivered there.

[redbob]

I have an Eason that was for a rifled 24#er that was found in Charleston.

[emike123]

Mine was dug by the late Billy Spedale at Port Hudson. The sabot was bent on firing, but remained on projectile. It is shown in Billy Spedale’s book “Where Bugles Called and Rifles Gleamed” on page 74.

These must be rare because out of nowhere recently 2 different advanced collectors have inquired about getting it from me.  Mine is in good (especially for Port Hudson) but not perfect condition, but it is the best one I have been able to secure.  I recently saw a rougher one missing all the but the center bit of its sabot in another collection and that one is also from Port Hudson, I understand.

[Woodenhead]

Is this a Navy shell? Is "Selma" code for "Navy"? After all, we have established that the Army made no shells at Selma. I believe it was the Navy marking many of their shells with "G", etc. It is my understanding that all Army patterns originated in Richmond. This disc sabot appears to be a late war development. The CS Navy was still trying to improve their ordnance toward the close of the war but the worn-out Army seemed to stick with the established designs.

I believe rifled 24 pounders were made in Richmond and New Orleans early in the war. I'll try to find the invoices. That would include rifled Archers and Mullanes according to my recollection.

Is there an official name for this copper disc sabot? Has it been seen on other calibers?

Wooden Head

[Steve Phillips]

As always, there are no complete records of what what was made at Selma. Over the years I along with my sons and dive buddies have found around 500 or more artillery projectiles in the river at Selma. Over 90 percent are field projectiles. Many styles were only made at Selma like the 3 inch pre engraved Brooke and the segmented Selmas and the 3 inch that is segmented that Forrest used. Many of our field projectiles are unfinished. Selma manufacturers were burned as well as the foundries that made the iron. Records were destroyed. The only records are the relics that have been found in the river.

[jamesshell]

Hey Steve,  I had an opportunity to look at a collection in Mississippi.  I saw two 5.82 Selma Bolts that were recover in the area of Vicksburg.  One had the sabot torn off and the other had the sabot bent down.  So, I know they come from Port Hudson and Vicksburg.  J

[KerryG]

In early July of 1862, four 24 pdr iron Siege guns (two of which were rifled) were sent from Briarfield Arsenal in Columbus, Miss. to Vicksburg. In a separate shipment, 120 - 24 pdr Read balls and 80 - 24 pdr Read shells were sent from Columbus to Vicksburg.  The ordnance at Grenada and Columbus at the time was the shot and shell removed from Memphis (Brooks & Gaynor, Quinby & Robinson, M & C R. R., Street, Hungerford & Jackson, to name the major suppliers, as well as C. B. Churchill which had contracts with the Memphis Arsenal)  There was one 24 pdr rifled 24 pdr in the defenses at Snyder's Bluff, above Vicksburg.  Several of the guns in the defenses at Snyder's Bluff, Drumgould's Bluff, Hayne's Bluff, Grenada and Fort Pemberton, were shifted back and forth according to whether the Yazoo River was up or down, and as the need arose due to pressure from the enemy. 

[KerryG]

Correction:  Yazoo City...rather than Grenada for where some of those guns were switched out. 

[CarlS]

Very good info.  That had to be a bunch of work to move those big guns so much.

[KerryG]

They only moved some of the guns, but they did shift them according to whether the Yazoo River was up or down, and the ability fo the Federal gunboats to move up or down the river against the fortifications.