"US Schooners question" Topic

The US Schooners Fair American and Pert from the war of 1812, as best I can tell had 2 and 1 (respectively) long guns. Would these be on circular\swivel mounts?

There is very little information easily available on the internet to say either way.

Since they were both requisitioned from civilian sources I would expect that would have been armed from available US Navy stores which would imply to me that these would be carriage borne guns.

Anyone got any better sources?

I'd *very* strongly expect a centreline pivot – it was a standard retrofit for that kind of requisitoned vessel, as a carriage gun breaking free could easily do them terminal damage. Link to an article on the Raven; similar vessel, requisitioned and armed with a pivot 18 pounder.

link

Bingo – pivots on both, with a couple of carriage 4 pounders too on the Pert – found them here:

link

Awesome!!! Thanks, that is what I suspected but now I know for sure.

Fair American: total guns 2, 1 x 32pdr long gun and 1 x 24pdr long gun, both were pivot guns

Pert: total guns 3; 1 x 32pdr long gun on a pivot and 2 x 6pdrs long guns on carriages.

Source: Malcomson, Warships of the Great Lakes 1754-1834, Table 19, pg. 65.

Note; Pivots are "circles and consisted of slides that rotated on circular tracks laid down on the centerline, in the bow or stern." pg. 66.

I hope this helps.