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Date: | Thu, 6 Mar 2008 20:07:46 -0600 |
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Dave:
I believe your assessment of the gun is correct. This resembles a
small swivel gun usually on the rail of the command deck of a sailing
ship back in the 1700's - 1800's. Gun could be operated (loaded and
fired) by a single seaman. It gave flexibility to a gunner on the
command deck. (Not positive concerning terminology) Lewis and Clark
had one mounted on one of their keelboats.
Early settlers mounted the gun on the wall of a frontier forts palisades.
The guns could be mounted on a wooden 4 wheel carriage that could be
placed in a wagon for transportation.
Reference: "Firearms, Parts & Tools of the Mountain Men" by Carl P.
Russell. University of New Mexico Press, 1998, Albuquerque, New
Mexico. pp. 80 -85
David Parkhill
At 05:58 PM 3/6/2008, you wrote:
>Hi,
>I am wondering if anyone can help identify / date a small iron cannon
>(swivel gun?) found by a beachcomber in southeast Alaska? Russians,
>British, Spanish, and Americans were all in this region during the late
>18th and 19th centuries. I have posted a photo and dimensions at:
>http://www.alaska.net/~oha/Kake-Cannon/. Sorry for the cross-posting --
>this was also sent to SUBARCH.
>
>Thanks,
>Dave
>
>
>Dave McMahan
>State Archaeologist, Deputy SHPO
>Alaska Office of History and Archaeology
>550 W. 7th Avenue, Suite 1310
>Anchorage, AK 99503-3565
>Voice: (907) 269-8723
>Fax: (907) 269-8908
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