 |
The
Living History Engineer's
Ft. Nathan Hale's Cannon |
Ms.
Jorgenson;
In regard to the cannon barrel to which you refer, Yes, the pictures provided
are all that I currently have. The other "glossies" I returned
to their owner late last April, when I received no response from your magazine.
The cannon of which I am interested is one of two which were sold together as
antiques supposedly from the Rev. War Period. However, the style of
weapon, and it's rumored use in the Rev War combined with the condition of the
weapon, after a supposed submerging in sea water after some 220+ years leaves
some doubt as to the seller's story of the two guns.
One of the guns is the private possession of a gentleman here in
Connecticut
( I have visited his home and looked the gun
over in detail) and the other was donated to
Fort
Nathan
Hale
Park
in
New Haven
,
CT.
The donated gun is the weapon of primary
interest.
The gun(s) is a carronade, but it has two
very different features from the original design of that named weapon. It
uses trunions to stabilize the barrel in / on the gun carriage, and it does not
have the lower mounting block which is normally part of the integral barrel
casting of the carronade. Carronades were essentially naval short range
weapons known as "smashers" during the period from the late 1700's
through the mid 1800's. They were esteemed for their ability to deliver
heavy broad-sides at short range in relation to the relatively light weight of
the barrel casting. They were at first (late 1700's) used only as a
defensive weapon for merchant ships and privateers. Later, they were used
in all the major navies of the world, but were never included in the ship's
rating of her guns, due to their short (pistol shot) range.
However, there is documentation that
Fort
Adams
in
Newport
,
Rhode Island
was armed with Carronades as Flank guns at the
two fort outside entrances, and one of those guns is said to be mounted in front
of a local high school at
Middletown
. I have seen the gun at the High School
and have pictures of it.
The information provided you previously, regarding the "Donated Gun"
at Fort Nathan Hale, is still the same. The story of the gun, and where it
came from has at least four variations, and is quite an interesting one, except
for the above problems, previously mentioned.
The Fort Nathan Hale Restoration Committee is searching for any leads possible
to try and determine the origin of the gun and when it was cast and where it was
cast. You will understand that the value of the barrel is in direct
relation to it's age and condition. There are no markings on the barrel on
either gun. On the end of one of the trunions of the
Fort
Hale
gun there is what appears to be some incised
letters, but the pitting makes them impossible to make out clearly at present.
This lack of markings, we believe, is an indication that both of the guns were
originally cast in the
United States
, since any British, Spanish or French gun
barrel would likely have had more specific markings of some kind. It is
further information along this line, as to possible casting practices, places
and products between the above periods mentioned that the Fort Nathan Hale
Restoration Committee is seeking. Any information at all relating to the
gun previously described or the casting of such guns in
New England
would be much appreciated.
Fort
Nathan
Hale is located on the Eastern Shore of New
Haven Harbor. It is an earthen fort which consisted of five underground bunkers
and from the original plans 14 gun positions. The guns for these positions
were all 32 lb. Parrot Rifles mounted en barbette between the bunkers. Twelve of
the gun mounts were designed to point bayward covering a continuous arc of fire
of nearly 240 degrees. Two of the guns were mounted so as to command the
landward approach over a raised road across a marsh about 5-10 acres in area.
A moving bridge over the moat, which could be withdrawn on rails was constructed
to join the fort with the marsh road. The fort's landward side was
protected by a moat connected at both ends to the harbor, and a significant
rampart in two parts protecting the bunkers and gun emplacements. The
Northern half of the moat also wrapped around the front of the gun emplacements
and protected the bayward facing ramparts and bunkers from a seaborne landing.
The Southern facing gun emplacements were protected by a shelving shallow sand
beach, and a shallow cove area.
Fort
Hale
was built on the site of three former forts
from the 1812, 1776, and late 1600's periods.
Fort
Nathan
Hale, the second fort to be so named, was
constructed from 1861 to 1863, and in the course of it's construction, the 1812
Fort of the same name was destroyed. The 1776 Fort named Black Rock Fort,
for the large rock formation on which it was built, about 100 yards bayward and
slightly south from Fort Nathan Hale, has been restored, Fort Hale was
abandoned by the U.S. Army sometime in the late 180o's or early 1900's and was
allowed to fall into ruin. The fort was "rediscovered" in 1954
when some youngsters found a keg or two of gunpowder in one of the abandoned
bunkers. They decided to experiment with the gunpowder and the resulting
explosion collapsed the bunker where the gunpowder was found. Apparently
no-one was hurt, and the perpetrators were never found, but the explosion
awakened the community to what was in their "backyard" and some
interested citizens formed the Fort Nathan Hale Restoration Committee and
restoration was begun.
The bridge over the moat was rebuilt, and
one of the wooden gun carriages and a gun platform was built, and a 32 pounder
Parrot Coastal Rifle was donated to put on the carriage. The road out to
the fort through the marsh, that surrounds it, has been finished and the five
star flag court, in the middle of the marsh, has been completed. A
concrete walkway across the beach to Black Rock Fort has been developed and
built, and period security gates / grills have been installed in the windows and
doors of bunkers #2 and #4 in defense of vandalism which is significant in that
area of the city. In recent years both Rev War and Civil War reenactments
have been held there, with night tours of the fort provided, and the restoration
of Bunker #2 is at present being undertaken. Bunkers #3 and 5 are
collapsed #5 from the 1954 explosion and #3 from an unknown reason prior to
1954.. Bunker #4 which is believed to have been the main magazine is
leaking badly due to an extensive root system invasion from brush on it's roof
and the original ceiling supports are badly rotted and require shoring.
Bunker #1, at the moment, has no ventilation due to blocked ventilation windows
and is very damp inside with no light or ventilation.
I am the commander of a Topographical
Engineering Reenactor Group, and also the designated
Fort
Engineer
for the Fort Nathan Hale Restoration Committee.
Through our efforts at the fort, there is a set (8) of colored drawings
(11" x 17") available of the fort (Nathan Hale #2 and Black Rock) ,
it's environments, a gun carriage drawing, if you are interested. A
drawing of the 1812
Fort
Hale
is also in development. There are also three
history booklets available about each of the three forts built on the site about
which something is known. The 1600's fort is almost completely without
reference.
There is currently a very active restoration program being administered at Fort
Nathan Hale both in restoration efforts and in maintenance efforts to restore
the fort further, and to retain what we have gained to date. Any
information or donations for either of those projects may be referred to myself
for further delivery to the Fort Nathan Hale Restoration Committee.
I thank you for your interest in Fort Nathan Hale and the cannon barrel which
was donated to the Fort.
James L. Mathews
Fort
Engineer
Fort
Nathan
Hale Restoration Committee
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