Contemporary Copy of Letter

Enclosing a model for the new Bavarian field pieces

Informs McHenry that as he has been employed in Bavaria, Germany to work on the construction of artillery, he has taken pains to improve field pieces. In addition, the battalion guns constructed under his direction in the arsenal at Munich have been approved by several distinguished officers in Germany Encloses memoirs of a model of one of the new Bavarian field pieces - with its carriage and ammunition wagon - requesting that the United States use it.

1799

08

26

Brompton

Philadelphia

Cited in McHenry to Rumford, 05/31/1800. This letter encloses a memoir from Count Rumford also dated 26 Aug 1799.

Cited document addressed to the War Office

James McHenry

Rumford

Benjamin Thompson

officers

Duke of Bavaria

Electoral Palatinate

Philadelphia

Brompton

Bavaria

Germany

Munich

Artillery

construction

field pieces

battalion guns

arsenal

carriage

ammunition

wagon

ordnance

guns

timber

springs

chest

iron

transport

powder

bullets

wood

leather

pikes

elastic

buckles

rounds

machine

screw

minutes

degrees

elevation

wheels

eye

longitude

1799082640001

1

Rumford Aug 26
1799


Letter & Memoir from
Count Rumford
on the New Bavarian
Artillery Aug 26th 1799
Sir
Having had occasion in the course of the public business in which I have been employed in Bavaria to turn my attention to the construction of Artillery. I have taken some pains to improve Field Pieces; and the Batallion Guns that have been constructed in the Arsenal at Munich, under my direction, having met with the approbation of several Officers of the most distinguished reputation in Germany. I have taken the liberty to send you a model of one of these new Bavarian Field Pieces, with its Carriage, and ammunition Waggon, requesting tht is may be accepted by the United States as a token of my profound Respect.
The objects had principally in viw in contriving this Piece of Ordnance are mentioned and explained in the inclosed memoir on that subject; and I shall be highly gratified if the American Officers of Artillery should find any thing in this Gun worthy of being adopted in the American Service.
Wishing all that Prosperty to the United States which the consummate Prudence and the Energy of their Government promise; - and hoping that
that my enlightened Contrymen will never forget that property is extremely precarious unless defended by the force of arms;
I have the honor to be with the highest consieration.
Sir
Your most Obedient
Humble Servant
Signed Rumford
Brompton 26 August 1799
The Honble
James Mc Henry
Secretary at War to the United States
Philadelphia

Memoir - in which some account is given of the new Bavarian Field Pieces, lately constructed at Munich, under the direction of Lieutt. Genl. Count Rumford.


In contriving these Guns, (which are six pounders 18 Calibres in length) the following objects were had in view.
1st to construct them in such a manner as to remder them capable of being used occassionally as flying or Horse Artillery
Provision is made for carrying occassionally all the men belonging to the Gun upon the limber, and upon the ammunition Waggon, where safe and commodious seats are provided for them.
To save time in getting the Gun into action the two men who ride upon the limber jump down from their seat the instant the Gun arrives upon the ground when it is to be posted, and unlimber, while she other men, who ride on the ammunition Waggon, are coming up.
The
The two long pieces of ash timber, which from the principal part of the body of the ammunition Waggon, act as springs, by their elasticity, and in order that their action may be as free as possible.
They should not be shod with iron; nor should they be made too bulky.
the long Chest in which the greater part of the ammunition is carried; - and upon which five men occasionally ride, is so slung & confined by strong side braces that if the ammunition Waggon should be overturned the men who are upon this Chest upon which they are sealed astride would be in no danger of its falling upon them.
Although provision is made for carrying the men belonging to these Guns in cases of ncessity, and transporting them with ceberity from one place to another, yet, it is not meant that they should be allowed to ride at all times but merely when the Guns are used as flying Artillery.
2.dly
2dly One principal object had in view was to render the Gun Carriage as strong and durable as possible without encreasing its weight.
A bare inspection of this Carriage and a comparison of it with the Carriages of Field Pieces on the Common construction will shew the various means that have been used to attain this important end; - and that these means have been effectual has been abundantly proved by the uncommon strength which these Carriage evinced when they were submitted to the most severe trials: Several of these six pounders were fried repeatedly with 3lbs, of the best powder, and three fit bullets, without receiving the smallest injury, while other sox pounders, of the same weight, mounted according to common method, seldom failed to break & disable their Carriage when expose to this trial, although the common Carriage was 100lbs heavier than the new Bavarian Carriage; namely 80lo in iron and 20lo in Wood.
The
The Flashes of the Carriages of Field Pieces are commonly much [undecipherable] by being made crooked; an also by the umber of holse that are bored in them; -but the new Bavarian Carriage is free from both these defects. The Bavarian Carriage is moreover much preserved by the Collars fo thick sole leather which surround and cover the trunnions of the Gun, and the pivots of the elevating machine; for this soft and elastic substance being interposed between the Gun and its carriage serves to deaden the blow of the Gun against its carriage in its recoil.
3dly Several new contrivances were management of the Gun in service, and to prevent accidents and mistakes in the use of the Hand-Spikes-Ramrod &c.
The handspikes, (of which there are two, in order that one may remain if the other is shot away) are attached to the Gun Carriage, and consequently cannot be misplaced, nor lost through carelessness, nor in the hurry of action.
There
There are no buckles to unfasten, nor cords to loosen and untye in preparing the Gun for action; - the ramrod is fastened to the Carriage in a safe and simple manner, and may be detached from it in an instant when wante, and the Tompion of the Gun, and the stopper that closes the vent may be removed, or put into their places with the greates expedition.
Upon a comparative trial of one of these new invented Guns with a field piece on the common construction (which trial was made in the presence of the late Elector Palatine Reigning Duke of Bavaria) it was found that when both Guns arrived on the Ground at the same moment the new Gun commonly unlimbere and fired from four to six rounds before the old Gun could be got ready to be fire once.
4thly In the mounting of this new Gun care was taken to provide for the pointing and elevating of it in the most expeditious manner, and for confirming of it at any given elevation.
5thly to make provision for elevating it
[it to any given number of Degrees and Minutes above the objectagainst which it is pointed, without the assistance of any Gradiants, to plumbelines or other instruments.
the Elevating machine belonging to this Gun will be found to answer perfectly for all these purposes. The thread of the elevating Screw may, in all cases, be so chosen that one turn of the Screw shall elevate the Gun to a certain number of minutes, - as 60 for instance, when the Gun being previously pointed directly as the object, may be elevated to any required number of degrees or minutes above it, merely by keeping an account of the number of revolutions & parts of revolutions of elevating Scre that answers to the given elevation.
6thly In order to facilitate the pointing of the Gun when the wheel of the Gun carriage happen to be placed upon uneven ground there are two lines of sight drawn upn the Gun, (one on
on each side of it,) which are bothe perfectly parrabllel with the axis of its bore.
The utility of these lines must be evident to those who know how difficult it is to point a Gun at a given object when one of the Wheels of its Carriage is higher than the other, and how much under this circumstance (of uneven ground) a Gun is neccessarily throuwn out of its true direction by poinring it by means of fixed sights or nothes situated on the upper part of the Gun.
By means of the lines of sight parrallel to the bore, which are marked on these Guns the pointing of the Gun may at any time be examined and corrected; for the lines of sight will carry the eye, wither against the object, (namely in very small distances) or perpendicularly over it.
7thly As it frequently happens that the wheels of Gun Carriages are wounded and disabled in Action, in order that a speedy remedy may be applied in those cases in the
the Bavarian Artillery, the wheels of the Gun Carriages of the FieldPieces are of the same form and dimensions precisely as the wheels of their limbers, and the tinder wheel of their ammunition Waggons in order that these last may be taken occasionally to replace the former.
8thly In the construction of the new Bavarian Artillery all useless reinforced rings upon the Gun have been omitted, and pains have been taken to make its form as simple as possible.
Signe
Rumford
Brompton 26 Aug.st 1799
NB. The model which this memoir accompanies is just 4. in longtidudinal measure of the full Size of the Gun.