lt so
that the spike could not twist. With the handspike socketed in the
eyebolts, lifting the trail and laying the gun was easy.

The single-trail carriage (fig. 13) used so much during the middle
1800's was a remarkable simplification of carriage design. It was also
essential for guns like the Parrott rifles, since the thick reinforce
on the breech of an otherwise slender barrel would not fit the older
twin-trail carriage. The single, solid "stock" or trail eliminated
transoms, for to the sides of the stock itself were bolted short, high
cheeks, humped like a camel to cradle the gun so high that great
latitude in elevation was possible. The elevating screw was threaded
through a nut in the stock, right under the big reinforce of the gun.

While the larger bore siege Parrotts were not noted for long
serviceability, Parrott field rifles had very high endurance. As for
performance, see the following table:

_Ranges of Parrott field rifles (1863)_

Caliber Weight Type of Projectile Elevation Range Smoothbore
of gun projectile weight of same
(pounds) (pounds) caliber

10-pounder 890 Shell 9.75 5 deg. 2,000 3-pounder.
do 9.75 20 deg. 5,000
20-pounder 1,750 do 18.75 5 deg. 2,100 6-pounder.
do 18.75 15 deg. 4,400
30-pounder 4,200 do 29.00 15 deg. 4,800 9-pounder.
do 29.00 25 deg. 6,700
Long shell 101.00 15 deg. 4,790
do 101.00 25 deg. 6,820
Hollow shot 80.00 25 deg. 7,180
do 80.00 35 deg. 8,453

Amazingly enough, these ranges were obtained with about the same
amount of powder used for the smoothbores of similar caliber: the
10-pounder Parrott used only a pound of powder; the 20-pounder used a
two-pound charge; and the 30-pounder, 3-1/4 pounds!

HOWITZERS

The howitzer was invented by the Dutch in the seventeenth century to
throw larger projectiles (usually bombs) than could the field pieces,
in a high trajectory similar to the mortar, but from a lighter and
more mobile weapon. The wide-purpose efficiency of the howitzer was
appreciated almost at once, and it was soon adopted by all Europ