A fine quality bronze cannon with desirable features, the most unique element of this barrel and carriage is its signed affidavit that establishes its historic provenance through three owners to direct use onboard President Abraham Lincoln's dispatch boat, RIVER QUEEN. In February 1865, President Lincoln and several generals and statesmen met onboard to discuss peace terms at the Hampton Roads conference near Fort Monroe. Lincoln was again onboard when Richmond, Virginia fell in April, and he toured the victory from the steam launch.
An impressive presence, the bronze signal cannon barrel is 27½ inches long with a 1¾ inch bore. It has an unusual "fly-over trip hammer" to carry and impact a percussion cap firing trigger. The carriage is hard mahogany with iron wheels and brass fittings, while the bronze gun is smooth polished with reinforces, but no markings of any kind. A near perfect gun with an important provenance, it is quite an impressive piece of nautical artillery.
