Loading the 15-inch (38-cm) Rodman Gun required a team of over a dozen men working in sync on separate tasks, and from start to finish each shot took five minutes. A crew in the front rammed the powder charge down the barrel, followed by the 450-pound (204-kg) cannonball. The gunner called out orders for the crew below to adjust the aim: “Left. Stop. Elevate!” The wheels of the massive gun turned toward its target. Pulling a long lanyard ignited the friction primer. As the soldiers cleared for safety, a flame shot into the powder bag and ignited the powder. The Rodman Guns were the largest weapons developed during the Civil War, and this 15-inch (38-cm) model is one of only 25 left.
