One of the most notable cannon foundries in the Confederacy, Quinby and Robinson of Memphis was under the ownership of William T. Quinby and William A. Robinson.  The two acquired the firm in 1859.  It specialized in steam engines, saw mills, gin and mill gearing, and a variety of copper, brass, sheet, and iron works.
    By April 1861, Quinby and Robinson had already dedicated a portion of their firm's operation to the casting of 32-pounder seacoast guns, but the project was soon scrapped due to difficulties in the casting process.  Soon after, however, the firm had orders from Mississippi and Tennessee for field pieces, and it began casting 6-pounders and 12-pounder howitzers.  By September the firm was producing several cannon a week.
    On September 30, disaster struck the small firm.  A fire broke out in the engine room located in the basement of the firm, spread to the large supply of coal stored in the basement, and the destroyed the foundry.  The firm's other buildings managed to escape the ordeal unharmed.  Having already arranged with the Confederat Government to fill an order for cannon, the firm immediatey commenced rebuilding the foundry.
    The foundry was soon in working order.  In rebuilding, Quinby and Robinson enlarged the machine shop by one-half, which enabled the increased production of cannon.  The firm continued production in Memphis until the Union threatened to capture the city.  Quinby and Robinson then moved their operation to Cartersville, Georgia, where they set up business as the Etowah Iron Works.

A few Quinby and Robinson cannon survive.  The following table lists the types and places where these pieces can be found:
 
 
 

All of the cannon are stamped on the right trunnion face with the firm name: "QUINBY AND ROBINSON MEMPHIS, TENN."
 
 

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Last update:  June 8, 2000