8 Inch Brooke Rifle in Revetment

Browne, William Frank, photographer. “Same gun, as shown in no. 1015, with Hurdle Revertment (i.e. revetment) and Epaulement - unfinished battery.” Stereograph showing a soldier facing the cannon in a trench fortified with gabions. James River in the background. 1 photographic print on stereo card : albumen ; 8 x 17 cm. Washington, DC : Philp & Solomons, 1865. Library of Congress Civil War Photograph Collection. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2011646191/ ( Accessed 10/28/2013)

8 Inch Brooke Rifle in Revetment

This Rifle weighed 21,987 lbs., and the Revetment was made using grape vine Cambions rolled out to hold the dirt in place. In this picture you can see the position is built up above the lay of the land with the ability to shoot at ships on the river. This particular Revetment is on the James River and it shows the techniques used at the time.

Here is the position before the dirt and sand was filled in.

Browne, William Frank, photographer. “Eight inch Brooke rifled gun, weighing 21,987 lbs., in unfinished battery wood-hurdle revertment (i.e. revetment), anchored by grape vines.” Stereograph showing a soldier standing next to a mounted cannon on the James River above Dutch Gap Canal. 1 photographic print on stereo card: albumen ; 8 x 17 cm. Washington, DC : Philp & Solomons, between 1861 and 1865. Part of series: View of Confederate Water Batteries on James River. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division; Civil War Photograph Collection. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2011646163/ ( Accessed 9/28/2013).

Three years In the C.S. Army (P.A.C.S) A Diary of a Confederate Soldier by Jerry Pepper and Richard Lauren McClung

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00FR2MT7I

http://civil-war-diary.blogspot.com/2013/10/8-inch-brooke-rifle-in-revetment.html

Breastworks (Trenches)

“Rebel breastworks in front of Petersburgh (i.e. Petersburg). The small mounds with chimneys are the soldiers' quarters, under ground.” 1 photographic print on stereo card : albumen ; 8 x 18 cm. New York : E. & H.T. Anthony & Co., American and Foreign Stereoscopic Emporium, 501 Broadway, 1865 April 3. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Civil War Photograph Collection Part of series: The War for the Union. Photographic History. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2011649170/ (Accessed 10/28/2013).

Breastworks (Trenches)

They used Gambions which war basically wicker barrels filled with sand to create Breastworks and revetments for guns. The soldiers would live inside of these positions and they could quickly be made with the Gambions which look like barrels in some photographs but are actually a quick method of building a fortification that can withstand an artillery attack.

So when Richard talks about sighting the enemy from the Breastworks, he is talking about this type of structure.

The US Ironclad Gunboat the Essex

"Destruction of the rebel ram "Arkansas": By the United State gunboat "Essex," on the Mississippi River, near Baton Rouge, August 4th 1862." 1 print : lithograph, hand colored. New York: Currier & Ives, [1862?] Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/91795896/ (Accessed 10/18/2013).

The US Ironclad Gunboat the Essex

Richard faced this ship in three different battles, at Fort Henry, Fort Donelson and at Port Hudson where it was the only Ironclad gunboat in the lower Mississippi Fleet. The rest of those ships were oceangoing warships and some of them were in Commodore Perry's trip to Japan ( 1852-1854).