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| Cannons were made of both brass and
iron. Brass was preferred by the crews, because it was less
likely to crack and fail, and injure them, but iron cannons could be
built more rapidly and cheaply. This shows a brass and an iron
cannon side by side. |
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| This cannon appears to have been
spiked - a small piece of metal driven down into the vent to prevent
the use of a friction primer for firing the cannon. Usually done
to temporarily silence a captured cannon in combat, when you aren't
sure you can keep it from falling back into enemy hands, or if you
have to abandon your own cannons. More information on ammunition
and friction fuses here - Civil
War Ammunition |
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| This is a battle damaged Confederate
cannon - it looks like it might have been hit by counter battery fire,
with a shell striking the barrel of the cannon. This kind of a
hit would make the entire cannon unusable, unlike simply knocking off
a wheel, which could be repaired. |
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| This is a look down the barrel of the
damaged cannon above - a much better picture is on the next page. |
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