Robert Parker Parrott (October 5, 1804 – December 24, 1877) was an American soldier and inventor of military ordnance.
Born in Lee, New Hampshire, he was the son of John Fabyan Parrott. He graduated with honors from the
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...
, third of the Class of 1824. Parrott was assigned to the 3rd U.S. Artillery as a second lieutenant. He remained at West Point as an instructor until 1829, then had garrison duty and served as a staff officer in operations against the
Creek Indians
The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsWest Point Iron and Cannon Foundry in
Cold Spring, New York
Cold Spring is a village in the town of Philipstown in Putnam County, New York, United States. The population was 1,986 at the 2020 census. It borders the smaller village of Nelsonville and the hamlets of Garrison and North Highlands. The cen ...
, with which he would be associated for the remainder of his life. In 1839 he married Mary Kemble, sister of
Gouverneur Kemble
Gouverneur Kemble (January 25, 1786 – September 18, 1875) was a two-term United States Congressman, diplomat and industrialist. He helped found the West Point Foundry, a major producer of artillery during the American Civil War.
Early life and ...
, founder of the ironworks.
While employed at West Point, he and his brother Peter Parrott also assumed management of the operation of the Kemble-owned furnaces in
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 401,310. The county seat is Goshen. This county was first created in 1683 and reorganized with its present boundaries in 1798.
Orange ...
. The brothers purchased a ⅓ interest in Greenwood Furnace from a minority holder in 1837, and bought it entirely from the Kembles in 1839.
In 1860 he produced the
Parrott rifle
The Parrott rifle was a type of muzzle-loading rifled artillery weapon used extensively in the American Civil War.
Parrott rifle
The gun was invented by Captain Robert Parker Parrott, a West Point graduate. He was an American soldier and inven ...
, an innovative rifled cannon which was manufactured in several sizes. The largest weighed 26,000 lb (11,800 kg) and fired a projectile that weighed 300 lb (140 kg). Parrott guns were extensively employed during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
by both the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
and Confederate armies.
In 1867 Parrott ended his superintendency of the West Point Foundry to concentrate on the ironworks in Orange County. However, he continued to experiment with artillery shells and fuses at West Point until his death at Cold Spring at the age of 73.