Guns Of The Gist Guard

On August 9th, 1863, Major Henry Bryan, Assistant Inspector General of the Confederate Army, surveyed the defenses of Morris Island.  Included in his report was the number and condition of the guns at Battery Wagner in the charge of the Gist Guard:

Official Records:  Series 1, Volume 28, Part 1, Pages 410-412

"Left flank of right half bastion. - Two 32-pounder carronades, one 8-inch siege howitzer; in serviceable order; Gist Guards in charge. One 32-pounder carronade right gorge overlooking creek, in charge of Gist Guards, reported serviceable, but the elevating screw does not fit well. One 10-inch light sea-coast mortar, in advanced angle of right half bastion in charge of Gist Guards. This is on an inferior old-fashioned bed. There is a slight split in its right cheek and a very bad split in the upper section of left cheek.

I recommend that this last section be taken out and sent to the arsenal and another made there by the pattern thus provided to replace it. The right cheek could be then strengthened by a bolt, and the mortar used for slow firing. This is Colonel Brown's opinion. In the meantime, another carriage should be supplied."

Here are some pictures to give you a pretty good idea of the armament with which the Gist Guard had to defend Battery Wagner:

8-inch siege howitzer - Washington Naval Yard

One of the two there may be the very same gun worked by the Gist Guard on Morris Island.

(photo courtesy of Civil War Artillery)

10-inch light sea-coast mortar - Fort Sumter

It is thought that this may be the piece that fired the first shot of the war.  It is also very likely that this is the very same gun worked by the Gist Guard on Morris Island.

(photo courtesy of Civil War Artillery)

32-pounder carronade

This is representative of what the carronades at Battery Wagner probably looked like.