The Model 1857 12-Pounder "Napoleon" Light Field Gun, officially called the “light 12-pounder gun” by the United States Army, was the most popular smoothbore cannon used during the American Civil War. The cannon was named after French president and emperor, Napoleon III, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte.
ARTILLERY PROFILE
FOR FURTHER READING
ARTILLERY PROFILE
- In Service With:
- French Army
- United States Army
- Confederate States Army
- Type: Muzzleloading Smoothbore gun-howitzer
- Purpose: Support the infantry and cavalry forces in the field
- Invented By: French Army in 1853
- Patent: N/A
- Years of Manufacture: In the U.S. - 1857 to 1863
- Tube Composition: Bronze or cast iron
- Bore Diameter: 4.62 inches
- Rarity: Common
- Rate of Fire: 3 to 4 rounds per minute
- Standard Powder Charge:
- 2.0 lbs. Cannon Grade Black Powder (Shell & Canister)
- 2.5 lbs. Cannon Grade Black Powder (Solid Shot & Case Shot)
- Muzzle Velocity: 1,485 ft/sec.
- Solid Shot Effective Range (at 5°): up to 1,619 yards (0.91 miles)
- Common Shell Projectile Effective Range (at 5°): up to 1,300 yards (0.73 miles)
- Common Shell Projectile Flight Time (at 5°): 5 seconds
- Projectiles: 12.3 lbs. solid round balls, 11.0 lbs. spherical case, common shell, & 13.5 lbs. canister
- Typical Number of Projectiles Per Gun: 128 - Loaded in 4 - 32 Round / Mixed Ammo Chests
- 2 Limbers, each carrying a Chest; 1 to pull the Cannon, and 1 to pull the Caisson, which carried 2 additional Chests
- Typical US Napoleon Limber Chest Load-out:
- 12 solid shot
- 4 common shell
- 12 spherical case shot
- 4 canister rounds
- Tube Length: 66 inches
- Bore Length: 13.76 calibers, or 63.6 inches
- Tube Weight: Bronze - 1,227 lbs.; Iron - 1,249 lbs.
- Carriage Type: No. 2 Field Carriage (1,125 lbs.), 57" wheels
- Total Weight (Gun & Carriage): 2,350 lbs.
- Horses Required to Pull: 6
- No. of Crew to Serve: Typical - 9, 1 Gunner, 8 Numbered Crew Positions
- Could operate at a reduced rate with as few as 3 Crew
- No. in North America from 1861 to 1865: approx. 1100 in the North and 600 in the South.
- No. of Original Pieces You Can See in the Field Today: ???
- Cost in 1862 Dollars: $ 490 (US); $ 565 (CS)
- Cost in 1865 Dollars: $ 614 (US); $1840 (CS)
- US Casting Foundries:
- Ames Manufacturing Co., Chicopee, MA (103 copies produced)
- Cyrus Alger & Co., Boston, MA (170 copies produced)
- The Revere Copper Co., Boston, MA (461 copies produced)
- Henry N. Hooper & Co., Boston, MA (370 copies produced)
- Miles Greenwood & Co., Cincinnati, OH (52 copies produced)
- CS Casting Foundries:
- J. R. Anderson Co. of Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, VA (226 copies produced)
- Leeds & Co. in New Orleans, LA (12 copies produced)
- Quinby & Robinson, Memphis, TN (6 copies produced)
- Augusta Arsenal, Augusta, GA (130 copies produced)
- Macon Arsenal, Macon, GA (53 copies produced)
- Columbus Arsenal, Columbus, GA (52 copies produced)
- Charleston Arsenal, Charleston, SC (20 copies produced)
- Variants: 3 main versions
- The first two U.S. prototypes in 1857 had "Dolphin" style handles above the trunnions, as per the original French design. That would be eliminated to save weight.
- The second variant is the "Classic" M1857 Napoleon of the U.S. Army, with a slight swell at the muzzle.
- The third is the Confederate copy, with a tapered look and no muzzle swell.
- Special Notes: The French Army officially called this gun, "Canon obusier de campagne de 12 livres, modèle 1853" and named it after French Emperor Louis Napoleon III, who was in power as this piece entered service, and saw extensive service during the Crimean War.
FOR FURTHER READING
- Civil War Artillery at Gettysburg, Cole, Philip M, Da Capo Press, New York, N.Y., 2002.
- Field Artillery Weapons of the Civil War, by Olmstead, Hazlett, & Parks, Univ of Delaware Press, 1988.
- Artillery and Ammunition of the Civil War, by Warren Ripley, Battery Press, 1984.
The Cyrus Alger Napoleon
Generally speaking, the Federal 12-pdr Napoleons, or to be correct the 12-pdr Light Field Guns Pattern of 1857, Modified, were cast to a very consistent form. I’ve discussed the first “…
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The “Western” Napoleon
Continuing with the theme of artillery displays at Petersburg and adding to the discussion of Napoleons, just outside the visitor center is a 12-pdr Field Gun Model 1857 “modified” whic…
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Henry N. Hooper Napoleons
Keeping with a post topic theme – the minuscule differences among the Federal 12-pounder Napoleon – a couple of guns near the High Water Mark at Gettysburg demonstrate one more variatio…
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The Fine Craftsmanship of the Revere Copper Napoleon Guns
Federal production 12-pdr Model 1857 “Light” Field Guns are one of, if not THE, largest group of surviving field pieces from the Civil War. These came from five vendors – Cyrus A…
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Napoleons by Ames
Thus far I’ve discussed Napoleon guns produced by Cyrus Alger, Miles Greenwood (Eagle Iron Works), Henry N. Hooper, and Revere Copper. The only Federal Napoleon source I have not detailed is…
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Napoleons in Gray: Confederate light 12-pdr Field Guns
Thus far most of my “Napoleonic” posts have focused on guns made for the Federal side of the war. But as any student of the war knows, the Confederates made light 12-pdr field guns too…
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