More Mullanes, ahem "Tennessee sabots"...

[emike123]

Here are a few that sync to Woodenhead's excellent recent post and a few more we would all be better for if he had any words of wisdom to share about!

[speedenforcer]

WOW...........

[Woodenhead]

Thanks for posting those nice Mullanes from your collection. The first 3 inch with the low side-hole I believe was made in Lynchburg by Deane & Son and sent by canal boat to Richmond's Somers & Baker. There, during the first week of December 1862, the fuze hole war threaded and the side hole reamed and threaded for 50 cents. I strongly suspect your shell was among the 108 3 in. Rifle Shells listed on the first invoice below. If not, your shell was included on the second weekly invoice (not shown here) because they soon moved the side holes above the top bourrelet. All of the 3 inch and 10 pdr Parrott side holes and brass fuzes represented the efforts of Somers & Baker. That includes almost all found at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. They also fuzed and put the side holes in all of the captured 3 inch Dyer ammunition found at those two battle sites. All told, S & B made about 20.000 long-range copper adapters for Richmond foundries like Rahm, Snyder & Walker and probably a couple of others. You will never find a side hole in a 3 inch Read or 10 pdr. Parrott made by Samson & Pae because they made their own brass fuzes and completely finished all of their own projectiles.

The mold pattern for casting your 3 inch Mullane is distinctly different from Tredegar's which can be see with the flush-bolt Mullane in front of your side-loader. That body style, with long bolts as well, is found in great quantity on the Peninsula and 7-Days battlefields. At that time, Tredegar was casting nearly all 3 inch Mullanes (est. 8-10,000). This improved flush-bolt arrangement was only adopted by Tredegar at the end of their production run around July or August of 1862. At that time, they were making lots of Brooke saboted shells which really was just an improved Mullane sabot designed by Cmdr. John Brooke for the CS Navy. Tredegar made this adjustment on their own. The last of these flush-bolt shells made by the ironworks had copper fuze plugs. Tredegar billed in June 1862 for making a mold for the copper adapters.

Below, are three pertinent Somers & Baker invoices showing their work. I have many more. It was a 6 month contract which helps explain why the side plugs gradually disappear after Gettysburg.

I''ll post again with info about some of the other Mullanes in your pics.

 Woodenhead

[Woodenhead]

In the background of your first posted photo I see one of the only 3 inch Mullanes made in the Deep South. Made in early 1862, a time when equal numbers of bolts and shells were ordered in the Deep South. It cannot be a South Carolina product because the Charleston Arsenal did not begin making field-caliber projectiles until late 1862 or early 1863. The available evidence suggests production by Janney & Co. on behalf of the Montgomery Depot ( not an "Arsenal" until 1863). The two letters below back up this supposition. Janney was a very important source of field and heavy projectiles during 1862-63. It appears they are the only foundry outside of Richmond and Augusta that made 2.25 inch Mountain Rifle projectiles. I found an invoice from Montgomery reporting the shipment of about 150 of those projectiles - all solid bolts - to Knoxville. I believe the 3 inch "S.C." Smooth Mullane bolt on page 201 of Dickey/George 1993 Edition is one of those tiny bolts.

W.H.