8 pdr's

archieclement

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Was reading an article on the Alamo and it mentions several of the defenders pieces were 8 pdrs. Which was apparently a common French piece, Hadnt ever heard of them being used in the CW, but if it was a common French caliber and in use during Texas war, wouldn't some have still been around and used in the ACW?

 
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I don't know to much of these French pieces, but I do know the vast majority of artillery pieces in the revolutionary Texas arsenal like Mexico's was almost entirely Spanish in origin with some pieces donated by sympathetic American citizens. I think it highly unlikely a French piece would have been in use, though I could be wrong. Plus I don't believe the guns at Palmito Ranch were French, or even French loaned, I believe I postulated my thoughts in one of the threads lol. Put simply, the Trans-Mississippi Department wasn't hurting too bad on artillery, a lot of obsolete M-1841 6-pounders, and other dated smoothbore guns, but for the number of troops out here plenty of guns to go around, sometimes not enough artillerists to crew the guns in Texas, and the other way around in Louisiana and Arkansas other times. This is illustrated by an 1865 report in the OR's on Trans-Mississippi artillery units, whether or not its on the I couldn't say.

Also most guns Texas had were 4-pounders, 6-pounders, oh I think one or two 12-pounders, and guns like the famous 18-pounder of Alamo fame, with the first two being the most common if memory serves, but I don't ever recall reading of an 8-pounder.

As for the Alamo guns themselves being used, big definitive no I'm afraid. Santa Anna's troops disabled almost all the guns by knocking off the trunnions, and cascabels plus spiking them, to prevent them from ever being re-used by Texas, also the guns were buried adjacent to the mission and later found, oh I think it was the 1850's or 1870's I can't recall which decade, but the guns are still there at the Alamo to this day, to my knowledge all or almost all are accounted for, and haven't fire a shot since the Battle.

As for CW use of R. Texas artillery pieces very, very rare. There's a lot written of the famous Twin Sisters being used, but that is suspect, supposedly Louisiana found the famous sisters in an Arsenal after secession and gifted them back to Texas, two bronze pieces, but at the same time there are claims that the guns never left Texas and had been used for celebrations in Houston before the War, and were iron. Its a subject I've only dedicated some research too, but outside of the famous Twins and the arguments over whether they were used or not, I've never heard of a Republic of Texas artillery piece being used in the CW. Too small, old and outdated I reckon.

I'm about 80% sure of this stuff, I'll dig out and go through my Texas Revolution books, but I'm sure anything wrong can be corrected by the great Texas guru @AndyHall.
 
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