A pic I found

[Owen]

Civ war stuff isnt usually my thing. But the text with this pic is less than usless "Union soldiers man heavy mortars used in the American Civil War". Any more info? Is scaned from a book I found at a second hand shop printed in 1965.

[Artilleryman]

They are 13 inch seacoast mortars.  They threw 200 lb shells.  I think this is an emplacement at Yorktown.

[nchokie]

Yep ...thats the battery in Wormley Creek during the Penninsula Campaign.They were shelling Yorktown,Va

[cannonmn]

One of the mortars shown was moved to the Union lines near Petersburg and gained fame as "The Dictator."

[Artilleryman]

I wonder what happened to cause all the dirt and gravel to cover the front of the two platforms in the foreground?  These platforms look to be on the short side but it is hard to tell how much is covered up.  As is one firing would have the bed of the mortar a few inches over the back end of the platform.

[Terry C.]

I would imagine that the muzzle blast from such a weapon would be enough to stir up any loose ground in front of the platform.

Of course, that's just a theory.

[Artilleryman]

I was under the impression that the Confederates withdrew before these mortars were to fired.

[GGaskill]

I wonder what happened to cause all the dirt and gravel to cover the front of the two platforms in the foreground?

If you look in the background, you will see that the bank is much steeper than the natural angle of repose for ordinary soil.  So something as natural as rain could have washed the bank onto the mortar platforms that were too close to the bank.

[seacoastartillery]

     The shape of the Union 13" Seacoast Mortar Battery before Yorktown, Virginia, the Wormley Creek battery or Battery #4 was that of a hockey stick.  Your photo shows the 7 mortars of the northerly portion and the photo we are posting tonight shows the other 3 of the 10 heavy mortars present in Battery #4.  All that we have read about this powerful battery indicates that it never fired a shot and that all Confederate forces slipped away during the early morning hours prior to the date the bombardment was to have begun.

     As for the earth bank slippage, you can see that the southernmost guns had an embankment that was supported by a log stockade type revetment to prevent earth slippage.  It's surprising that the larger 7 mortar portion of Battery #4 was not revetted with a log stockade, log cribbage or sand bags.  Those hefty muzzle blasts would certainly have brought down plenty of soil onto the platforms.

Regards,

Tracy and Mike

[Owen]

Thanks .... now I know more about them.

Owen

[RocklockI]

M&T How many of these things were made ?

Where is The Dictator now ?

Did the one at City Park come from this battery  too ? Any history to it ?

It almost looks like the closest mortar is loaded....looks like a protruding radius .

Also it looks like those retaining wall trees will be "trimmed " to fit .

Smart Confederates

[Blaster]

Is that "City Park" in Denver?  If so, can someone please tell me exactly where it is located as I'd sure like to stop by and get a few pictures of it on my next venture up to Denver (when ever that will be).  And speaking of Dictator, wonder whatever happened to our fellow BP cannon/mortar shooting buddy, Dictator.  Have not seen any posts made by him in a LONG time.

[leesecw]

The seacost fellas can probably tell you which park. Ive got the list of whats in the whole state of colorado and Im pretty sure they do too.  I used to live in Aurora. I dont have the data in fron of me on how many were made. A number of them went into the scrap heap and were melted down in WW2. Here in Michigan in Bay City alone sent 2 13 inch seacoasts to the smelter. Both of those were Ft. Sumpter survivors

[Max Caliber]

Here are pics of the Denver mortar taken 18 years ago.

Max

[RocklockI]

It the park w/the Natural History Museum on Colo. and 20th ish . Huge entrance to the west from Colo.

It's a little tricky to find now that they closed some roads . You can drive right up to the display .

A 100lb Parrot , A 13" seacaost mortar , and a monster Dalgren gun . Well worth the drive from the Front Range

Gary

[Blaster]

Thanks guys, for that information about the City Park in Denver.  Next time I head up North for Denver, I'll take my camera and the Dom Carpenter built beer can Dictator Mortar and photograph to two side by side.  Oh yeah, I'll make certain that the Goex BP can (taken for scale to keep DD happy) is definitely mty as I do not want the local law boys to think I'm gonna use some BP to fire that authentic Dictator.

[Terry C.]

It almost looks like the closest mortar is loaded....looks like a protruding radius .

How deep is the bore? I've always assumed it was more than one caliber, which would mean that a loaded ball would not protrude.

Oh yeah, I'll make certain that the Goex BP can (taken for scale to keep DD happy) is definitely mty as I do not want the local law boys to think I'm gonna use some BP to fire that authentic Dictator.

A pound of GOEX in the Dictator would be the proverbial "fart in a hurricane"...

[seacoastartillery]

     162 of these large 13" Model 1861 Seacoast Mortars were made, 90 for the Army and 72 for the Navy.  27 survive today scattered all over the US;  Tim K knows where Reg. #1 is located; he used to live in that state.  The Civil War use of only 3 is known and nobody ever turned up the "Dictator" of Petersburg fame.  The piece located in Hartford, CT ain't it!  It was probably donated to some scrap drive.  #1 was used by the Union Navy onboard the Matthew Vassar.  The Navy also had Reg. #9 onboard the Racer.  The Union Navy had Reg. #1051 onboard the John Griffith. 

     The one in Denver is approx. 1/2 mile west of the Natural History Museum or whatever they call it now.  This 1861, 13" mortar is just 20 feet off the road that goes to the museum off Colo. Blvd. on the NORTH side.  It has a paddle-boat pond and large Pavillion Bldg. on the south and a duck pond just across the road on the north side, being just 40 yards south of the Denver Zoo.  There are a 100 Pdr. Parrott Rifle and an 11" Dahlgren Shell Gun located close by separated only by a flower garden and a monument.

     Max Caliber's excellent photos show at least 3 important things.  The "old style wrought iron bed", the duck pond and road, and the muzzle face markings.  This one was Reg. #1022 and weighed 17,196 lbs.  We don't know of any history which can be attributed to this mortar, maybe someone else does.

     Smart Confederates?, you bet.  Just take a good look at one of those 220 lb. shells.  The vast majority of buildings in Yorktown were wood dwellings.  With ten of those mortars firing at you, how long do you think it would take them to torch the whole town?

Regards,

Mike and Tracy

[Cat Whisperer]

As M&T said, SN 1 is in front of the capitol building in Des Moines, IA.

They used to have two, don't know what happened to the other.