Info needed regarding ammo arrangements in rifled limbers

[A.P.Hill]

I have done a fair amount of research and read several Ordnance manuals and Artillery training manuals and have yet to find anything period that denotes the load out of limbers for 3 inch ordnance rifles, or all ranges of Parrott guns.

All the ordnance manuals I have found seem to gravitate toward smoothbore 6 pounders 12 pounders and larger. The new rifled iron guns seem to be missing in availability of information.

I would appreciate any and all references please.

Thanks in advance.

[halem2]

Re: Info needed regarding ammo arrangements in rifled limbers

For information on rifles, you will have to go to the post war manuals, I believe the first one that has rifled artillery was printed in 1873. It took that long for the manuals to catch up with the technology that was used in the war. You might also find some information in the Ordnance Department circulars that were printed during the war. That being said, I believe that many batteries tailored their ammunition loads according to experience and not what some Ordnance Officer told them to carry. An example of this would be from the Ordnance returns from the Army of Tennessee in the Atlanta Campaign. Very little canister was being sent to the Army, but lots of case shot. Lumsden's Alabama battery was firing spherical case with the fuses cut at zero on the morning of June 27th 1864 during the battle of Kennesaw Mountain.

[A.P.Hill]

Re: Info needed regarding ammo arrangements in rifled limbers

Many thanks Mark.

I do recall reading some of that a while ago regarding Atlanta .... I guess it just never registered. But I will do a better research on the circulars.

Thanks again.