Civil War Artillery Portfire (SOLD)

Being offered is an original long pattern example of an Artillery Portfire. The portfire was the replacement for the slow match, a piece of treated hemp or twisted cotton that burned very slowly and was kept close by an artillery piece for igniting the short powder train to the cannon vent. In my book “Civil War Artillery – A Pictorial Introduction”, I show some of these portfires (see pictures).

The portfire was a flammable composition packed in a paper case, burned slowly but intensely, and could only be extinguished by cutting the burning end with portfire cutters. These portfires were kept on hand during battery firing as an emergency when a friction primer failed to ignite. This example is in excellent condition and measures 12 ½” x ¾”. It is a great piece to go with an artillery display.