Mackinaw's Dahlgren Cannons-- Part 1: The Guns That Won the Civil War

 From HMDB  On the Mackinaw City Historical Parkway.

Inscription:  During the Civil War and after the Battle of Mobile Bay, naval historians called this gun, the 9-inch Dahlgren, the gun "that won the Civil War."  We are very lucky to have three relics  from the Civil War here in Mackinaw City, Michigan.  Three guns on our Marina Lawn came from the most famous ship in the Union Navy, the USS Hartford.

The nine-inch refers to the diameter o the muzzle and the size of the  ammunition the Dahlgren could fire.  Shooting this gun took an officer, loaders, spongers, rammers, tackle men, 16 in all, plus one powder monkey, usually a young boy, or each broadside gun.

Aiming such a large gun from the deck of an unstable ship took practice;  guns were often fired at the instant the roll of the ship brought the target into line.  The large metal loops on the cannon were for the strong ropes used for running the guns out and checking the length of recoil when the gun was fired.

--Old B-Runner