http://www.usregulars.com/IFA/IFA_intro.htm Instructions for Field Artillery <blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">SPIKING AND UNSPIKING CANNON, AND RENDERING THEM UNSERVICEABLE.
142. To spike a piece, or to render it unserviceable. Drive into the vent a jagged and hardened steel spike with a soft point, or a nail without a head; break it off flush with the outer surface and clinch the point inside by means of the rammer. Wedge a shot in the bottom of the bore by wrapping it with felt, or by means of iron wedges, using the rammer or a bar of iron to drive them in; a wooden wedge would be easily burnt by means of a charcoal fire lighted with the aid of a bellows. Cause shells to burst in the bore of brass guns, or fire broken shot from them with high charges. Fill a piece with sand over the charge to burst it. Fire a piece against another, muzzle to muzzle, or the muzzle of one to the chase of the other. Light a fire under the chase of a brass gun, and strike on it with a sledge to bend it. Break off the trunnions of iron guns; or burst them by firing them with heavy charges and full of shot, at a high elevation. When guns are to be spiked temporarily, and are likely to be retaken, a spring spike is used, having a shoulder to prevent its being too easily extracted.
To unspike a piece. If the spike is not screwed in or clinched, and the bore is not impeded, put in a charge of powder of one third the weight of the shot, and ram junk wads over it with a handspike, laying on the bottom of the bore a strip of wood with a groove on the under side containing a strand of quick match, by which fire is communicated to the charge. In a brass gun, take out some of the metal at the upper orifice of the vent, and pour sulphuric acid into the groove for some hours before firing. If this method, several times repeated, is not successful, unscrew the vent piece, if it be a brass gun, and if an iron one, drill out the spike, or drill a new vent. To drive out a shot wedged in the bore. Unscrew the vent piece, if there be one, and drive in wedges so as to start the shot forward, then ram it back again in order to seize the wedge with a hook; or pour in powder and fire it, after replacing the vent piece. In the last resort, bore a hole in the bottom of the breech, drive out the shot, and stop the hole with a screw.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">It becomes obvious that untrained people could, easily and quickly, temporarily spike a cannon, especially with a nail or twig in the "vent." Wedging a shot with felt and wood sounds fairly easy also.
Bursting and destroying a gun by packing mud or sand over a multiple overcharge with shot would be easy, but sounds really dangerous for the guy firing the charge.
In a day when most men were hunters and adept with muskets, so that they understood the principles of firearms, I believe that even teamsters could spike a cannon. They would certainly know not to fire a musket or rifle when the barrel has been fouled with mud. I remember learning that as a child.
I say, "Let teamsters spike cannon." It would be merely about initiative and leadership.
Even a leader unit with a few HQ staff should be able to do it, and quickly.
BG Ross McDaniel
2nd Bde, 3rd Div, III Corps, AoG, CSA
Men stumble over the truth from time to time, but most pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened.
Winston Churchill