Near Pensacola Beach in Escambia County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Converting a Cannon

— Fort Pickens —

Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 31, 2014

1. Converting a Cannon Marker

Inscription. Feel the grooves inside this rare cannon barrel. This Rodman cannon was cast in 1861 as a 10-inch smoothbore, which fired round cannonballs. To keep up with modern technology, the U.S. Army in 1884 inserted an 8-inch rifled sleeve into the old cast-iron barrel, because rifled guns had longer ranges than smoothbores. Steel later replaced cast iron, and the old guns were sold for scrap. The piece on the right is a smoothbore. The piece on the left is part of a rifled bore.

Erected by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Forts and Castles • Military. A significant historical year for this entry is 1861.

Location. 30° 19.641′ N, 87° 17.433′ W. Marker is near Pensacola Beach, Florida, in Escambia County. It can be reached from Fort Pickens Road 9.8 miles west of Pensacola Beach Boulevard (State Road 399). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Fort Pickens Road, Gulf Breeze FL 32561, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Pensacola

and on the Florida Panhandle.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fort within a Fort (a few steps from this marker); Deadly Explosion (within shouting distance of this marker); Massive Smoothbore (within shouting distance of this marker); Apache Prisoners

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(about 300 feet away); Step Back in History (about 300 feet away); Swatting Mosquitoes (about 400 feet away); Dueling with Confederates (about 400 feet away); Beefing Up Defenses (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pensacola Beach.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Captain Richard G. Bradford (was about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been confirmed missing).

Also see . . . Wikipedia article on the Rodman gun. (Submitted on January 2, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

Converted cannon at Fort Pickens image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 31, 2014

2. Converted cannon at Fort Pickens

Rifled bore inserted into smoothbore image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 31, 2014

3. Rifled bore inserted into smoothbore

Fort Pickens area entrance sign. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, January 1, 2015

4. Fort Pickens area entrance sign.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 1, 2017. It was originally submitted on January 2, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 752 times since then and 47 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 2, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.