Artillery Vent Pick – marked Watervliet US - For Siege Cannons - Original

Description

This original Civil War iron artillery gunner’s vent pick (or gimlet) is in very good condition, with minimal pitting.
It is marked “Watervliet US” and "12M" in two locations as shown in the photo.
The pick end is twisted.  This gunner’s gimlet was described in the 1863 Ordnance Manual.
It is 23
½
inches long overall, which is typical for picks for the larger siege cannons, and the loop measures 2
¼
inches in diameter.
This iron artillery vent pick was used to pierce the powder bag through the vent hole of the cannon.
One of the photos shows the vent hole on the top of a 4.2 inch Parrott Siege Cannon where this pick would be inserted.  This cannon is at the Vicksburg National Military Park in Vicksburg, Mississippi, where one of the longest and most devastating sieges of the Civil War occurred.
A beautiful example of a Civil War artillery tool!
Here are (2) 6 lb... 5" tall and 3-1/2" in diameter original excaveted canister plates. Among the most effective anti-personnel ammunition during the Civil War was the "canister" shot, a cylindrical stack of about 28 small balls with metal plates on either end, which, when shot from a cannon, would spread out and hit targets over a wide area. These items are rare today. Found in Port Hudson areas.
REBUILT 6# CANISTER for DISPLAY ONLY!!!