Great Britain

Armstrong

 

DIAMETER:  2.96 inches
GUN:  12-pounder Armstrong muzzle-loading rifle, 3-inch caliber
LENGTH:  7 1/2 inches
WEIGHT:  10 pounds 12 ounces
CONSTRUCTION:  Segmented interior
SABOT:  Double rows of three brass studs
FUZING:  None, brass shipping plug

This unfired example of the British Armstrong projectile is located in the museum of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. The shorter variety of the 3-inch Armstrong shunt shells has double rows of three brass studs. The interior is in the form of iron segments arranged around a central channel which held the bursting charge. For information about Armstrong, the inventor of this projectile, click here.

English 3-inch Confederate Imported Armstrong Shell

This Extremely Rare studded Armstrong shell was buried by the Confederates during their retreat in 1865.  It was recovered around twenty years ago by Chester Dawson (now deceased) in Amelia County, Virginia.  A total of seven unfired Armstrong shells, long and short pattern types, were found by Chester.  The fuzes were found in a separate hole by Tony Easter.  The shells were recovered near were the Battle of Painsville occurred.  1/4 mile up the hill from where they were found is the Pains Crossroads.  In General Henry Abbot's collection, now housed in the United States Military Academy Museum in West Point, NY, is a similar specimen recovered from the Richmond area by Abbot's men in 1865.

Click on any image to enlarge the photograph

ArmstrongShell2.jpg
3-inch, 12-pounder
Armstrong Shell
 
ArmstrongNose1.jpg ArmstrongFuses2.jpg
Unusual in that
the shipping plug
was converted to
allow for the flame
to light the fuze.

ArmstrongFuses1.jpg
Fuze with the
British Marks.
 
ArmstrongBase.jpg (40878 bytes)
Base showing the
inner band.
ArmstrongStud.jpg (38212 bytes)
Close up of the
copper stud.

ArmstrongNDSide.jpg (35512 bytes)
Non-dug example
for comparison.
ArmstrongNDBAse.jpg (37537 bytes)
Non-dug example
for comparison.
ArmstrongNDFuse.jpg (41002 bytes)
Non-dug example
for comparison.

Armstrong Cannon information from the Army Official Records
relating to the above excavated projectile.

 80  R R--VOL XLVI, PT II

  PAGE 1266-96   N. AND SE. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA.   [CHAP. LVIII.

 [Series I. Vol. 46. Part II, Correspondence, Etc. Serial No. 96.]

 SPECIAL ORDERS,  No. 55.  HDQRS. DEPT. OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,

 February 28, 1865.

  XV. Maj. Gen. Bryan Grimes, Provisional Army, C. S., is hereby
 
assigned to the command of Rodes' old division, Second Corps, and
 
will report accordingly.

 By command of Gen. R. E. Lee:

 W. H. TAYLOR,
 
Assistant Adjutant-Gen.


 HDQRS. ARTILLERY, FIRST CORPS,

 February 28, 1865.

 [Gen. PENDLETON: ]

 GEN.: I received this morning your note directing me to turn over
 
four 3-inch rifles to the cavalry; but while making arrangements to
 
execute it, I beg to submit that it will seriously weaken my rifle
 
armament, already, I believe, the weakest in the army. The 10-pounder
 
Parrotts in my command I have condemned entirely, and have made
 
arrangements with the Ordnance Department to exchange them all for
 
24-pounder howitzers, having found it impossible to get satisfactory
 
firing from them, and I hope to be rid of every one when we take the
 
field. I have only six now, including two in Hardaway's battalion; this
 
will leave with sixty-four smooth-bores, eighteen 3-inch rifles, and five
 
Armstrong and one Whitworth in Cabell's, Huger's, Haskell's,
 
Hardaway's, Stark's and Johnson's battalions the Armstrong and
 
Whitworth are only temporary guns, as the ammunition for the former
 
is limited, and when it is gone I wish to replace them all with
 
smooth-bores, which will give seventy smooth-bores and eighteen rifles
 
a proportion of rifles which I think you will agree with me is too small
 
to be diminished. Should Owen's battalion return in place of any other
 
it will diminish the proportion of rifles, as it has none, and should
 
Hardaway rejoin his corps he will take away six of the eighteen 3-inch.
 
Many of my smooth-bores will also be howitzers of less range than
 
Napoleons. I do not like any rifle with our ammunition, but must have some.

  Cannot the cavalry take 12-pounder howitzers? I consider them the
 
best gun for their service, and would prefer them to anything were I in
 
that arm. Our 3-inch have no shrapnel; their shell very defective and
 
uncertain, even when they explode at all, and you know the frequent
 
complaint on this head and their canister is very small and inferior. The
 
Yankees have shrapnel and canister with lead balls, and thus use them
 
very efficiently, but our 3-inch are not their 3-inch by a great deal. The
 
12-pounder howitzer is lighter, its ammunition cheaper and more
 
abundant; it formidable shrapnel; its shell seldom ever fails, and its
 
canister is but little inferior to that of Napoleons. Where guns have to
 
protect themselves against a charge of either infantry or cavalry, I
 believe the 12-pounder howitzer superior to the Napoleon and worth
 
twice its number of 3-inch rifles. Is not this gun better adapter to the
 
service of cavalry than a gun whose only recommendation its has a very
 long range and one-half of whose projectiles never burst (and when one
 
does burst it does not make a dozen fragments), and which is very
 
dangerous to our own men when fired over their heads? I have entire
 
forbidden their use by my battalions over our infantry.

 N. AND SE. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA.   [CHAP. LVIII.   PAGE 1267-96

 [Series I. Vol. 46. Part II, Correspondence, Etc. Serial No. 96.]

 I have sent in to Col. Brown to know what he can give me to replace
 the 3-inch, if you still desire the exchange. I don't want Parrotts (would
 
rather have mountain howitzers,) and prefer 12-pounder howitzers to
 
Napoleons, of which I have enough. It will also be dangerous to take
 
my guns from the lines while awaiting even the unavoidable and
 
especially the probable delay.

 Cannot the horse artillery be ordered to provide themselves with
 
12-pounder howitzers, and report to me to be directed where to
 
exchange them for 3-inch rifles? Please reply to me by telegraph, care
 of Gen. Longstreet, if you wish the exchange to go on as you have

 directed in you note.

 Very respectfully, yours,

 E. P. ALEXANDER,
 
Brig.-Gen. of Artillery.


 HDQRS. ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, ORDNANCE OFFICE,

 May 31, 1865.

 Col. GEORGE D. RUGGLES,

 Assistant Adjutant-Gen.:

 SIR: I have the honor to make the following report of artillery and
 
small-arms received by the ordnance department, captured from and
 
surrendered by the enemy in the recent campaign, in operations around
 
Petersburg, and against the rebel army after the evacuation. This does
 
not include the heavy artillery which was collected by Gen. Abbot
 
and not received by any of the ordnance officers of this army: Light
 
12-pounder bronze guns, U.S., 70; light 12-pounder bronze guns, rebel,
 
62; 12-pounder cast-iron guns, banded, rebel 34; 3-inch wrought-iron

 PAGE 1242-97   N. AND SE. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA.   [CHAP. LVIII.

 [Series I. Vol. 46. Part III, Correspondence, Etc. Serial No. 97.]

 guns, U.S. 33; 3-inch wrought-iron guns, banded, rebel, 13;
 
10-pounder Parrott guns, U. S., 10; 20-pounder Parrott guns, U.S.,
 
2; Coehorn mortars, rebel, 1; 3-inch Whitworth guns, rebel, 1;
 12-pounder howitzers, U. S., 5; 12-pounder howitzers, rebel, 3;
 
3.4-inch Blakely guns, 1; 3.67-inch rebel guns, banded, 1; 3.80-inch
 
smooth-bore guns, 2; 24-pounder howitzers, U. S., 4; 24-pounder
 
howitzers, rebel, 2; 24-pounder howitzers, U. S., Dahlgren, Navy, 1;
 
12-pounder Armstrong guns, rifled, rebel, 5; 12-pounder iron guns,
 
re-enforced, rebel, 1. Total number, 251. Rifles and muskets, 21,177;
 carbines, 1,293; pistols, 163. Total number small-arms, 22,633.*

 Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

 F. H. PARKER,

 Lieut. and Chief Ordnance Officer, Army of the Potomac.

 

PAGE 72-95   N. AND SE. VA., N. C., W. VA., MD., AND PA.   [CHAP. LVIII.

 [Series I. Vol. 46. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 95.]

   No. 4.

 Itineraries of the Army of the Potomac, Sheridan's Cavalry

 Command, and the Army of the James.*  cont…

 Reports from the Third Brigade, Third Division.

 CHAP. LVIII.]   THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN.   PAGE 85-95

 [Series I. Vol. 46. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 95.]

 [March.]--Remained in camp near Hatcher's Run, participating in the

 affair of March 25 near the Tucker house, where, after a stubborn
 
resistance on the part of the enemy, we succeeded in taking and
 
retaking the enemy's picket-line in our front.

  March 29.--Broke camp, and moved with the rest of the division to the
 
left near the Boydton plank road.

  March 31.--Made a gallant charge on the enemy's works to develop
 
their strength.

  April 2.--Attacked and captured the enemy's picket-line where the
 
Boydton plank road crosses the White Oak road, and afterward
 
occupied his main works and advanced to Petersburg.

  April 3 to 5.--Pursued the enemy.

  April 6.--Came up with him at Amelia Springs. Skirmished with him all
 
day, and at night succeeded in forcing him to abandon his wagon train.