WHAT: A bronze ship gun removed from a burning Confederate ship in 1865 sold for $12,870 at Bonhams San Francisco late last year. The gun clearly spoke to Civil War collectors. More precisely, the boarding cannon with a 24-inch tapered bronze tube and a bore of 1 5/8 inches spoke to collectors of the Confederacy, plus maritime and arms collectors.
MORE: Lacquered onto the piece is a note of provenance written in 1928 stating that โThis small bronze boarding/cannon was taken from the/burning ship CSS Patrick Henry.โ It continues that Nathaniel E. Venable of Texas, a member of the 23rd Virginia Volunteers in the Confederate Marines and a recruiter in Marine service, rescued the gun.
CSS Patrick Henry was once a passenger and freight steamer called โYorktownโ that ran between Richmond, Virginia, and New York. The ship was seized when Virginia seceded, and she figured in the battle of Hampton Roads, Virginia. The vessel was burned in 1865 by Confederates when Richmond was evacuated.
SMART COLLECTORS KNOW: The gun is a crossover collectible, therefore of interest to history buffs, fans of the Confederacy, maritime enthusiasts and Civil War plus arms collectors. Thatโs a large pool of potential bidders.
HOT TIP: Civil War artifacts have become increasingly hard to find intact. With collectors fighting for the rare and finest pieces, prices have zoomed. Confederate items are particularly scarce, as lack of resources meant that fewer goods were made and many were made badly. Items were used until they fell apart, and that makes what remains all the more valuable.
BOTTOM LINE: A catalog note reads that โCasting flaws present on the tube would suggest Confederate manufacture.โ
This gun is a survivor.
