double cannister?

[FloridaConscript]

cannoneers,
When double cannister was loaded was it a single load of powder and 2 cans of cannister, or double powder and 2 cans of cannister?

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: double cannister?

Hallo!

If I recall correctly, rifled guns had a greater option in that the projectile and the charge were separate.
While smoothbore field piece guns had fixed ammunition where the projectile was fixed with a sabot tied to the cartridge bag. (But then, in theory, the two could be separated?)

An interesting question.

Curt

[bAcK88]

Re: double cannister?

For double canister the #2 man would knock the powder bag off the second round by hitting it against the wheel of the gun. So it was a single load of powder and 2 rounds.

BB

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: double cannister?

This is Virginia's spouse posting.

I believe it was at the battle of Antietam that I read of one account where infantry were pressed into service to work artillery. The description mentioned that they didn't know they were supposed to knock the extra powder charge off the second canister round and how lucky they were the tubes didn't burst. I think it may have been in _Landscape Turned Red_.

Michael Mescher

[AntietamCollector]

Re: double cannister?

That's true. At least with Battery B, 4th U.S. Artillery, some of the enlisted men from Patrick's and Gibbons' Brigades performed as artillerists. However, many were not pressed into service during the battle, but rather were transferred prior to September 17th.