St. Croix Cannon

Island of St. Croix

First claimed by Spain, the island has had its share of bloody history.  Christopher Columbus can upon St. Croix on November 14, 1493 during his second voyage to the Americas.  He sent a crew ashore at St. Croix’s Salt River Inlet in search of potable water; there followed a brief confrontation with some of the island’s Taino inhabitants resulting in deaths on both sides.

 European Battleground

After Columbus, the island became a battleground for European powers and changed hands many times over the centuries.  The flags of Spain, Holland, France, England, and even the Knights of Malta flew over St. Croix at one time or another.  The Dutch and English were among the first to establish themselves on St. Croix; and both powers had a presence on the island by 1625.  Additionally, smugglers and pirates of the mid-1700s necessitated the construction of Fort Frederik in 1752.

 Denmark purchased the Island of St. Croix from France in 1733.  The Danes sold St. Croix to the US during WWI (1917) to prevent the isle from being used as a U-boat (submarine) base by the Germans.

Cannon History

The cannon barrel was found in the early 1970s.  It was half-buried and being used as a decorative post.  The barrel was restored and placed in a typical ship’s cannon mount.  The cannon was brought to New England after hurricane Hugo in 1989.  There was an interest in bringing it back to life and using it for cannon firing practice.  The barrel was brought to Lawrence E. Cook of Cook’s Arsenal in Meriden, CT in 1992 (Exhibit 1).  There it was given a stainless steel sleeve to allow for corrosion resistance as it can be used for firing.  At the same time, a new touch hole was installed for a percussion cap/lanyard pull.  It was suggested then to mold zinc balls for firing practice (Exhibit 2). 

Since the Danes purchased the islands in 1733, it is likely the barrel is Danish merchant since the practice was to use cannon as ballast on the outward bound trip and return with a ship full of molasses and fewer cannons.  An expert on cannons could zero-in on history by studying the tube’s casting bands (Exhibit 3).  No markings are apparent on the tube itself. 

The wheels and axle are made by International Harvester, 1884.  The date is raised lettering on cast iron casting on the wheel hubs.  The wheels were originally on an ammunition wagon; and when it was purchased, the owner stated it carried ammo in France in WWI.  Eventually, the wagon decayed, but the steel axle and sturdy wheels were salvaged.  The axle was shortened to give better proportion to the gun carriage.  The gun carriage is wood with steel along the top with steel plates on the trunnions (Exhibit 4).

 Cannon Stats