1812 Naval Cannon Exercise (DRAFT 1.

0)
(Modified for modern safety standards)
Compiled by Brian Chabot

PURPOSE
:Topresentamorehistoricallyaccuratepracticewithoutcompromisingsafety.
Manydemonstrationsandreenactmentsfollowmodernpracticeswhichdonotaccuratelyreflect
historicalfacts.Thispaperpresentsthecannondrillprocedurefromthe1812treatise,"
The
SeaGunners'Vademacum
",withsomemodificationasnotedtoensurethatsafetyofthese
drillsisuptomodernstandards.

INTRODUCTION
:Historically,ashipofwar,itseems,wouldleavethecannonsloadedwhenon
patrolatsea.Obviously,thiswouldnotbeacceptableforreenactors.Therefore,Ihavechosen
tobeginthedrillatthebeginningthroughtheremovalofthetampionandthenskippingtothe
pointimmediatelyafterthecannonhasbeenfired,startingwiththewormandsponge.From
there,repeatedroundscontinueaswouldhavebeendoneinperiod.Notethatthe
blue,italic
text
belowisacopyoftheoriginal1812instructions.Theblack,nonitalictextisthemodern
commentary.

PREPARATION
:Cleartheareaaroundthecannon.Inanavalengagement,thismaynotbe
possibletoclearittothesameextentasyoucanonland.Atleastmaketheareaclearof
flammablesubstances.Removenonessentialitemsfromthevicinity.Makesureyourpowder
chargesaresafelymadewellaheadoftime(preferablyoffsite)andsecuredintoaproperday
box.Haveyourpowdermonkeyequippedwithaproperpassbox.Onasmallboat,thebucket
maynotbenecessary,butonmostships,makesureyouhaveyourwaterbuckethandy.
Obviouslymakesureyouhaveenoughslowmatch(oftherightsize),alinstock,lighter,properly
sizedworm,sponge,andrammer,ingoodcondition.Youshouldalreadyhaveinspectedallthe
tools,briefedtheguncrew,andansweredtheirquestions.Earplugsforallthevessel'screw
arehighlyrecommended.Theguncrewshouldbewellpracticedbeforeanypublic
demonstrationandknowtheirjobandwhattodointheeventofamisfireoranemergency.

ACTION:

Checkyoursurroundings.Makesureyouaresafetofire.Observethefiringline,before
andbehind,thebarrierstokeepthecrowdatasafedistanceandlocation,thelocations
ofthedaybox,artillerypiece,otherunits,etc.Followbothyourunitssafetystandards
andthoseforthesiteandevent.
Checkyourcrew:Briefthemifnecessary.Makesuretherearenoquestionsbefore
gettingstarted.Makesureallknowtheprocedureformisfiresandtheirpartinthose
procedures.Ensuretheyareallwellinformedofanyspecialcircumstancesor
departuresfromroutine.

 Checkyourequipment:Eachcrewmemberistochecktheirtool(s)andreportbackto
theguncaptainanydiscrepanciesbeforemovingforward.
Whenindoubt,choosethesafestpossiblecourseofaction.

1. SILENCE
:
Atthiswordeveryoneistoobserveasilentattentiontotheofficers.
Yourcrewattendtotheirpositionsandstandreadyandattentive.
2. CASTLOOSEYOURGUN
:
Themuzzlelashingistobetakenofffromthegunsand,
beingcoiledupinasmallcompass,istobemadefasttotheeyeboltabovetheport.
Thelashingtacklesatthesametimetobecastloose,andthemiddleofthebreeching
seizedtothethimbleofthepomilion.Thespongetobetakendown,and,withthecrow,
handspec,&c.laiduponthedeck,bythegun.
Whenpreparedforengaginganenemy,theseizingwithintheclinchofthebreechingis
tobecut,thatthegunmaycomesufficientlywithinboardforloading,andthattheforce
oftherecoilmaybemorespentbeforeitactsuponthebreeching.
Ifthegunissecuredasitshouldbeonboardaship,castloosethelines.Allcrew
memberschecktheirrespectivetoolstoensuretheyareinworkingorder.Dampenthe
wetsponge.
3. LEVELYOURGUN
:

Thebreechofyourmetalistoberaisedsoastoadmitthefootof

thebedbeingplacedupontheaxletreeofthecarriage,withthecoinuponthebed,both
theirendsbeingevenonewiththeother.
Whenlevelledforfiring,thebedistobelashedtotheboltwhichsupportstheinnerend
ofit,thatitmaynotbethrownoutofitsplacebytheviolenceofthegun'smotion,when
hotwithfrequentdischarges.
Thebarrelisbroughttothehorizontalpositionusingwhateverquoinsnecessary.

4. TAKEOUTYOURTAMPION
:
Thetampionistobetakenoutofthegun'smouth,and
lefthangingbyitslaniard.
Youareusingapropertampion,right?Hereisalsowhenthe
apronwouldberemoved.

5. WORMANDSPONGEYOURGUN
:
Thespongeistoberammeddowntothebottomof
thechamber,andthentwistedround,toextinguisheffectuallyanyremainsoffireand,
whendrawnout,tobestruckagainsttheoutsideofthemuzzle,toshakeoffanysparks
orscrapsofthecartridgethatmayhavecomeoutwithitandnext,itsendistobe
shiftedreadyforloadingand,whilethisisdoing,themanappointedtoprovidea
cartridgeistogotothebox,andbythetimethespongeisoutofthegun,heistohaveit
ready.
Thatsright.Inperiodthiswasonecommand.Thegunnerscrewknewtheirjobs.
Wormthensponge.Thespongeisthewetspongebymodernstandards.Itshouldbe

damp.Sowormthenspongeherewhilethecartridgeisbroughtoutofthedayboxand
intothepassbox.
6. LOADWITHCARTRIDGE
:
Thecartridge(withthebottomendfirst,seamdownwards,
andawadafterit)istobeputintothegun,andthrustalittlewaywithinthemouth,when
therammeristobeenteredthecartridgeisthentobeforciblyrammeddown,andthe
captainatthesametimeistokeephisprimingwireinthevent,and,feelingthe
cartridge,istogivethewordhome,whentherammeristobedrawn,andnotbefore.
Whilethisisdoing,themanappointedtoprovideashotistoprovideone(ortwo,
accordingtotheorderatthattime)readyatthemuzzle,withawadlikewise,andwhen
therammerisdrawn,atthewords
Hereistheadeparturefromthemodernmethod.Sometimeafterthewetsponge,the
venttenderneedstoinsertthepricksoastobeabletotelltherammerthecartridgeis
home.Withmodernloadsthereisnoseam,butthefoilpointpointstowardsthemuzzle.
Thedescriptionendsabruptlyasitcontinueswiththenextcommand.
7. LOADWITHSHOTANDWADTOYOURSHOT
:
Theshotandwaduponitaretobe
putintothegun,andthrustalittlewaydown,whentherammeristobeenteredas
before.
Whenshootingblanksthiscommandisoftenignored.Foraproperpresentation,it
shouldnotbeomitted.Thecannoncrewshouldbeabletomimeloadingandwadding
whiletherammerramstheblankcartridgeasecondtimeasfollows.
8. RAMHOMEWADANDSHOT
:
Theshotandwadaretoberammeddowntothe
cartridge,andtherehaveacoupleofforciblestrokes,whentherammeristobedrawn,
andlaidoutofthewayofthegunsandtackles,iftheexerciseoractioniscontinued
but,ifitisover,thespongeistobesecuredintheplaceitisatalltimeskeptin.
Inmodern,blankfireexercisesthisisoftencombinedwiththeprevious.Foraproper
presentation(andtopracticeincaseyoueverhavetheopportunitytodolivefire)it
doesnthurttoincludethiscommand.
9. RUNOUTYOURGUN
:
Withthetackleshookedtotheupperboltsofthecarriage,the
gunisbebowsedoutascloseaspossible,withouttheassistanceofcrowsor
handspecstakingcareatthesametimetokeepthebreechingclearofthetrucks,by
haulingitthroughtheringsitisthentobebentsoastorunclearwhenthegunisfired.
Whenthegunisout,thetacklefallsaretobelaidalongsidethecarriagesinneat
fakes,sothat,whenthegun,byrecoiling,overhaulsthem,theymaynotbesubjectto
getfoul,astheywouldifinacommoncoil.
Thismakesforanimpressivepresentationwhendoneaboardaship.Itshouldnotbe
skipped.

10. PRIME
:

Ifthecartridgeistobepiercedwiththeprimingwire,andtheventfilledwith

powder,thepanalsoistobefilledandtheflatspace,havingascorethroughitatthe
endofthepan,istobecovered,andthispartoftheprimingistobebruisedwiththe
roundpartofthehorn.Theapronistobelaidover,andthehornhungupoutofdanger
fromtheflashofthepriming.
Obviouslywedothisstepslightlydifferent,andevenintheNapoleonicEra,theydidas
well.Primingquillsareusedandeventhesourceusedfortheseinstructionstalksabout
tinprimers.Soformodernsafety:Prickthecartridgeandinsertaquillhere.Laythe
apronoverthequillandallstandready.WormandRamcrewmembersholdtheirtools
upintheairtosignalthegunisready.

11. POINTYOURGUNS
:
Atthiscommandthegunis,inthefirstplace,tobeelevatedto
theheightoftheobject,bymeansofthesidesightsandthenthepersonpointingisto
directhisfirebytheuppersight,havingacrowononeside,andahandspeconthe
other,toheavethegunbyhisdirectiontillhecatchestheobject.
Themenwhoheavethegunforpointingaretostandbetweentheship'ssideandtheir
crowsorhandspecs,toescapetheinjurytheymightotherwisereceivefromtheirbeing
struckagainstthem,orsplinteredbyashotandthemanwhoattendsthecaptainwitha
matchistobringitattheword,"pointyourguns"and,kneelingupononeknee
oppositethetraintruckofthecarriage,andatsuchadistanceastobeabletotouchthe
priming,istoturnhisheadfromthegun,andkeepblowinggentlyuponthelighted
matchtokeepitclearfromashes.And,asthemissingofanenemyinaction,byneglect
orwantofcoolness,ismostinexcuseable,itisparticularlyrecommendedtohavethe
peoplethoroughlyinstructedinpointingwell,andtaughttoknowtheillconsequencesof
nottakingpropermeanstohittheirmarkwhereforetheyshouldbemadetoelevate
theirgunstotheutmostnicety,andthentopointwiththesameexactnessand,having
caughttheobjectthroughtheuppersight,attheword
Anotherhistoricalstepweshouldtakepainstoemulate.Notethetermisnotaimbut
point.Whiletheothercrewmemberstendtotheaiming,thepersonwiththelinstock
tendstothematchatthistimeandcomesuptoareadyposition.
12. FIRE
:
T
hematchisinstantlytobeputtothebruisedpartoftheprimingand,whenthe
gunisdischarged,theventistobeclosedonthewords"
stopyourvents,
"inorderto

smotheranysparksoffirethatmayremaininthechamberofthegunandthemanwho
spongesisimmediatelytoplacehimselfbythemuzzleoftheguninreadiness.
Thisstepistwocommands:FIREandSTOPYOURVENT.

Fromhere,thedrillcontinueswith#5WORMANDSPONGEYOURGUNandloopstillfiringis
complete.Onthelastshot,continuewithalastWORMANDSPONGEYOURGUNforsafety
andtogiveitanominalcleaning,andthenasbelow:

13. PUTINYOURTOMPIONS
:
Thetompionstobeputintothemuzzleofthecannon.
Originally,thegunswouldbestoredloaded.Thesafetyconcernhereshouldbeobvious
andsowedonot.Itisagoodpolicytostoreyourgunswithtampionsasaclearsign
theyarenotinuse.Theapronissecuredin#15below..
14. HOUSEYOURGUNS
:
Theseizingistobeputonagainupontheclinchedendofthe
breeching,leavingitnoslackerthantoadmitofthegunsbeinghousedwithease.The
coinistobetakenfromunderthebreechofthegun,andthebed,stillrestinguponthe
bolt,withinthecarriage,thrustunder,tillthefootofitfallsofftheaxletree,leavingitto
restupontheendwhichprojectsoutfromthefoot.Themetalistobeletdownuponthis.
Thegunistobeplacedexactlysquare,andthemuzzleistobeclosetothewood,inits
properplaceforpassingthemuzzlelashings.
Thequoinsaresecuredbypushingthemintothecarriage,andthemuzzlepointed
upwardtillthecascabelistouchingthebed,whereitislashedsecure.Thegunis
squaredofftothegunportandhulloftheship.
15. SECUREYOURGUN
:
Themuzzlelashingsmustfirstbemadesecure,andthenwith
onetackle(havingallitspartsequallytightwiththebreeching)thegunistobelashed.
Theothertackleistobebowsedtight,andbyitselfmadefast,thatitmaybereadyto
castoffforlashingasecondbreeching.
Caremustbetakentohookthefirsttackletotheupperboltofthecarriage,thatitmay
nototherwiseobstructthereevingofthesecondbreeching,andtogivethegreater
lengthtotheendpartofthefall.
Securetheguntotheship.Atthistime,andnotmentioned,youshouldalsosecurethe
apronoverthevent.Alltoolsarestoredintheirproperlocationandalastinspectionis
madetoensurenothingwasmissed.

SHORT VERSION OF THE COMMANDS:

1. SILENCE
2. CASTLOOSEYOURGUN
3. LEVELYOURGUN
4. TAKEOUTYOURTAMPION

5. WORMANDSPONGEYOURGUN
6. LOADWITHCARTRIDGE
7. LOADWITHSHOTANDWADTOYOURSHOT
8. RAMHOMEWADANDSHOT
9. RUNOUTYOURGUN
10. PRIME
11. POINTYOURGUNS
12. FIRE
13. STOPYOURVENT

14. WORMANDSPONGEYOURGUN
15. PUTINYOURTOMPIONS
16. HOUSEYOURGUNS
17. SECUREYOURGUN