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Author Topic: 4 inch Blakely?s  (Read 1905 times)

XRdsRev

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4 inch Blakely?s
« on: October 20, 2021, 10:42:02 AM »
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 ?
« Last Edit: October 20, 2021, 10:43:39 AM by XRdsRev »
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emike123

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Re: 4 inch Blakely?s
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2021, 09:09:42 PM »
I own the Mac Mason one (shown in his book) and believe me it is fired.  A chunk of the back section is blown out.  I only got it because it was fired as all the other ones I have seen are from unfired surplus stocks.

Woodenhead

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Re: 4 inch Blakely?s
« Reply #2 on: November 20, 2021, 10:38:56 PM »
Forget Malvern Hill. The South had no 4 inch guns at that time. I have handled several found on the Cold Harbor battlefield. I believe all were fired during the August 1864 battle of Fussell's Mill. It was a wide-ranging 3 day fight that covered the same area east of Richmond. The Rebs were caught by surprise with most of their field artillery in the Petersburg area. They were forced to use guns from the reserve artillery park in Richmond. That likely included a single 4 inch Faucett Rifle as well as at least one 2.25 inch Mountain Rifle Gun. A few of those little Mullanes have been found in the same vicinity. Our Selma Hunter dug a copper saboted 4 inch shell (made at Augusta for the "18 pounder Blakely") at Bermuda Hundred probably fired across the James River by the same imported Faucett Rifle.

Woodenhead