Bullet and Shell Civil War Projectiles Forum

Author Topic: Quinby & Robinson - 2.25 and Variety  (Read 2405 times)

Selma Hunter

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 389
Quinby & Robinson - 2.25 and Variety
« on: July 15, 2018, 01:27:10 PM »
All,

In going through records associated with the Briarfield Arsenal I ran into some activity by the above noted firm when it still operated in Memphis.  Earlier in my day I had also had a chance to read the "Bannon Report".  This was a report by three separate officers of the 17th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment  regarding Wilson's raid through Alabama ending with the capture of Macon, Ga.  In that report a Ltc. Frank White notes in closing that he had also captured (after the investiture of Macon) “four 2 pounder Travis guns” intended for Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest.

Curiosity demanded that I investigate this gun of a type I personally had never heard of.    Imagine my surprise when I discovered that it was a well known type that was essentially a 2.25" mountain rifle - Confederate of course.  Matt Switlik penned a very informative article about these guns for The Artilleryman Magazine in the Spring 2003 edition.   Apparently one of the 4 brass  breech loading mountain rifles did survive and at the time Switlik wrote his article the gun was owned by  collector Ken Baumann.  There is some question in my mind as to whether the bore size is 1.5, 2.2 or 2.25 inches.  I will post an answer to that when I can reach Switlik or Baumann to confirm the bore size. 

Now to the Quinby & Robinson part.  As most of the folks on the forum know there has been a continuing discussion as to the point of origin of the small 2.25” Mullane sabot projectiles found in AUGUSTA (thanks, Jack) Selma  and elsewhere?  Here, just hours later, I find myself reading the invoices of the Q&R company and I see, again, a reference to “53 Travis shot fitted up complete”.  My interpretation of the “fitted up complete” means that the sabot was attached.  No mention is made of the fuse type.  The date on the document was June 12, 1862 and the location was Columbus, MS at the Briarfield Arsenal.  See the image below as “Page 84 Comp”.  The top of the page is shown in the image “Page 83 Comp”.

Just for fun I have added two more pages  as “Pages ‘186 & 188’ Comp” just to provide an idea of the variety of projectiles made by the Q&R firm.  Reeds, Archers, submarine battery weights, many references to 12 pounder grape, bronze, brass and iron cannon, etc. abound on those pages.

 Like the rest  of the Briarfield connected  operations all of the Brook & Gaynor (and other machinery, people, supplies, etc.) were relocated primarily to Selma by early 1863 and then who knows?
« Last Edit: October 11, 2018, 09:21:34 AM by Selma Hunter »

Woodenhead

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 182
    • Email
Re: Quinby & Robinson - 2.25 and Variety
« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2018, 07:12:19 AM »
The 2 inch steel guns were the Williams patent breech-loading guns. Between 20 and 30 were made in Richmond early in the war. The Indiana boys can be forgiven for misidentifying them. Your Quinby "Travis  shot" at $10 each had to be one of Jack Bell's big boys. You can see from the Samson & Pae records below that the price for the tiny Williams shot was 35 cents a piece. Gen. Forrest requested two Mountain Rifle guns in early 1864. They were shipped by the Augusta Arsenal along with the little Mullane shell made by Augusta, but before they arrived, Forrest acquired two 3 inch Rifles instead. Tredegar cast 18 bronze and one iron muzzle-loading Mountain Rifles during late 1861 and early 1862. They were seldom used and mostly sat in the artillery reserve.
Woodenhead