"Yankee Catchpenny"-I like that one. It is my serious belief that more large caliber mortars mounted on gunboats would have been the tool that could have broken Federal blockade of Southern ports, begun in earnest after Lincoln's order of September 18, 1861. This is the same date the plans were frozen for the lower Mississippi operations of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron.

Time and practice would give a crew experience firing from a moving vessel at same. The major feat would be surviving the learning-curve period. As mentioned in an earlier post, most of the Federal Mortar crews had no experience with the weapon they were in charge of until initial firings off Key West. Federal training on this weapon was for fixed position firing as mentioned in the last two paragraphs.

You mention a firing rate of 5 rds./Hr. for large Mortars. Please recheck that through ORN Series , Vol. 18. Rate of fire at some points in the bombardment of the Forts on the lower Mississippi was at one round out per six minutes. This from twenty-two vessels.

Regarding what hulls the Confederacy might have used for Bomb Vessels I have considered "Questioning of Captain Whittle by the Confederate Senate regarding events preceding the fall of New Orleans, Series II, Volume I, Pages 445-446" in figuring what it might have been possible to construct.

You mention fire control, Shawn. Given that stereographic photography was used in the period in question I'm sure someone was thinking of use of the physics for a weapon. Federal practice , as you know, was an elaborate affair for the surveyors. Consider what importance was given the party by the force that accompanied it up the lower Mississipi following the first naval incroachment on the mouth of the river on March 27, 1861

On April 12 operations began in earnest as Assistant Gerdes moved the SACHEM up to the "Jump" accompanied by the gunboat OWASCO. The next day the SACHEM got underway and "took the lead" proceeding upriver with the gunboats of the flotilla and all other Navy vessels in the vicinity following. The small survey ship was leading the ONEIDA, IROQUOIS, VARUNA, CAYUGA, OSCEOLA, KENNEBECK, OWASCO, WESTFIELD, CLIFTON, and MIAMI. According to Gerdes "... the steamer SACHEM had an escort, as probably never a Coast Survey vessel experienced before.

If Confederate bomb vessels were available at the time this force appeared their T would have been capped, limiting fire to foward pivot of the Owasco. Reducing Confederate manufacturing capabilities and preventing maturation of same was key to Federal intentions in Department No. 1. They weren't about to give the Confederacy the time to develop. Mortar production was severly curtailed by the loss of foundries in Orleans Parish, as was production of all manner of items for the Confederacy.