THE CIVIL WAR
ARTILLERY PAGE

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA
of Civil War Artillery

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Introduction

The Encyclopedia is long-term project that will eventually provide a photograph and description of every type of cannon used in the American Civil War. For a general introduction to the nomenclature and types of Civil War artillery, consult the Weapons section of the Civil War Artillery Page.

The Encyclopedia is produced in collaboration with historian Wayne Stark, who created and maintains the National Register of Surviving Civil War Artillery. A member of the Company of Military Historians, Mr. Stark is a nationally recognized authority on Civil War era cannon, and recently co-authored The Big Guns: Civil War Siege, Seacoast and Naval Cannon, with Edwin Olmstead and Spencer C. Tucker.

Search the Virtual Encyclopedia:

For example: search "Navy" to find guns used primarily by naval forces, or "Confederate" to find ordnance manufactured in or used by the Confederacy. There aren't a lot of pages to search right now, but this facility should come in handy as the Encyclopedia grows.


  • Civil War Cannon Markings
    All U.S. cannon, and many cast in the Confederacy, were marked by the founders and inspectors with information that provides us with clues to their provenance.

  • Index by Bore Diameter
    If you know the bore size of the gun you want to see, use this index to link directly to the page on which it can be found.

    • Outline of Contents

    Guns (smoothbore)

    Guns (rifled)

    Howitzers

    Mortars

    To find out where you can go to see specimens of the ordnance described here, consult the:
    National Register of
    Surviving Civil War Artillery

    [Organization & Drill] [Weapons] [Ammunition] [Equipment] [Famous Weapons]
    [Famous Artillerymen] [History & Reenactment] [Reference Desk]

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