Hello all,

I went to the National Civil War Naval Museum (Port Columbus) in Columbus, Ga. yesterday. I was looking at the big gun mounted on a swivil carriage outside by the river and the one in the casemate in the CSS Albermarle mockup. I have been told that those big naval ships' guns had crews of up to 15 to 23 men . I would like to know what each man did and what and where his position was. It does not seem that there would be enough room for that many men to be gathered around a gun in the cramped space of a casemate ironclad like the Tennessee. But I reckon they made it work.

Anyway, I have a pic of a Union Naval gun crew aboard a ship in which I count 15 or 16 men, including what appears to be two officers in the rear of the gun and one USMarine working with the crew. It is obvious that the four men nearest the muzzle handle the spunge, ramrod, etc., the four along the side (two on each side, appear to be ratcheting the gun into position. Two of the ones at the breach end of it seem to be looking at the ones along the side doing the ratcheting. The two at the rear of or behind the breach (one is the Marine) seem to be also ratcheting or prying the gun up or possibly the elevation. The one in the center of the breach area apparently set up the lanyard and lock or firing mechanism for the sailor to the rear, who is standing between the two officers (one might be a Sailor), holding the end of the lanyard.

That is what I figure they are doing but I am not sure and am totally ignorant on Naval gun drill, what each man does, etc.. But can someone tell me, if there were 23 man gun crews, or say the crew of a gun aboard the CSS Tennessee for example, what each man's duties were? Did each have an assigned duty or title like rammer, spunger, powder man, shot men, or what? Is there a diagram I could look at? For example in the book, "Arms and Equipment of the Civil War", there are drawings of Army field pieces, with each man numbered, etc.. It then tells the loading and firing sequence and what each man, or number, does in the sequence and what his job is. I thought that was neat and informative. It has some nice drawings of Naval guns, etc., but nothing about the gun crews, etc.. So what about a huge Brook Rifle in a Confederate Ironclad or a big gun on a Union vessel?
Thanks guys,
Dave