Union Admiral, LS, May 5, 1858, to Captain John Pope as Commandant of the Portsmouth Naval Yard asking for his opinion on Porter’s design of a quoin for gun carriages. Porter would have the invention patented a few months later. The 3 page letter explains why Porter thinks his invention is so superior to the quoin and beds currently being used with naval guns. Porter rose to the rank of Admiral during the Civil War with significant service around New Orleans and on the Mississippi. This is an interesting glimpse at how naval weapons were modernized and improved around the time of the Civil War. [#4963]
