Near Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Arming the Fort
Some large, old smoothbore cannon were "rifled and banded" to enhance firepower. Banding (heating and tightening bands of wrought iron around a cast iron barrel) strengthened a cannon to withstand increased pressure created by greater powder charges. Rifling (cutting spiral grooves in a weapon's bore) gave a stabilizing spin to a projectile, increasing accuracy.
Rifled cannon had greater range than smoothbores of similar size. Their elongated aerodynamically-shaped projectiles could be larger and heavier, and were more accurate and destructive than the old, round shot and shells. They could be either solid shot or filled with explosives.
If you look into the cannon barrels here, you can see that some are smoothbores and some are rifled.
(Sidebar):
Fort Sumter's original armament consisted of cast iron smoothbore guns which were mounted "en barbette" on the parapet and in the first tier of the casemates.
The recoil of the wooden carriages allowed the crew to service these muzzle-loading guns. A 42-pounder smoothbore cannon is located near the fort entrance.
Erected by Fort Sumter National Monument, South Carolina - National Park Service - U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • War, US Civil.
Location. 32° 45.162′ N, 79° 52.493′ W. Marker is near Charleston, South Carolina, in Charleston County. Marker is located at Fort Sumter National Monument and only reached by boat. See links below for more information about access to the site. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Charleston SC 29412, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 15-Inch Rodman (here, next to this marker); 8-Inch Columbiad (a few steps from this marker); Holding the Fort (a few steps from this marker); Mining Casemate (a few steps from this marker); 10-Inch Mortar, Model 1819 (a few steps from this marker); 42-Pounder, Banded and Rifled (within shouting distance of this marker); Siege of Fort Sumter (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Sumter Today (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charleston.
More about this marker. In the upper left are line drawings of the smoothbore cannon on parapet and Smoothbore cannon in casemate.
On the lower left is a drawing captioned Union soldiers stand beside a ten-inch columbiad cannon mounted as a mortar on the parade ground of Fort Sumter in 1861. A mortar fired upward in a high arc, while a cannon fired in a low trajectory.
In the center are line drawings of the various types of projectiles, comparing rifled and smoothbore projectiles. In the lower center is a line drawing of a 10-inch siege mortar.
In the lower right is a drawing of a budge barrel. Crewmen carried powder charges in budge barrels made of canvas and wood. Budge barrels kept powder dry and safe from sparks.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 23, 2020. It was originally submitted on May 12, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,362 times since then and 78 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 12, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 2, 3. submitted on February 14, 2014, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 4. submitted on May 11, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 5, 6. submitted on May 12, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.