Artillery ID (Antietam)

[Andrew]

Can someone identify the type of cannon in the photo below? I was told it was Napoleon, but it's a different design than the Napoleons that are commonly seen on battlefields. Is it a Napoleon? Is there more than one type of Napoleon?

The photo was taken on the Mumma farm at Antietam.

 

[Championhilz]

I believe that's a Model 1841 6-Pounder field gun.

 

[kholland]

Can someone identify the type of cannon in the photo below? I was told it was Napoleon, but it's a different design than the Napoleons that are commonly seen on battlefields. Is it a Napoleon? Is there more than one type of Napoleon?

The photo was taken on the Mumma farm at Antietam.

Looks like a Napoleon but what may be throwing you off is that perceived extra band of iron at the barrel of the cannon. I know that Parrot Rifle was made of cast iron (supposedly to improve accuracy) but it was brittle and could fracture. And that was why they had a tougher band of wrought iron at the breech. But that is the wrong end! But the Antietam Battlefield web site has a photo of what they call an "1841 Model Gun" which they described as the "workhorse of the Mexican war, but considered obsolete by the Civil War". It is a small photo but seems to have that band around the barrel.

https://www.nps.gov/anti/learn/historyculture/arty.htm

 

[redbob]

Napoleons came in a variety of barrel shapes, Federal barrels had a "swell" at the muzzle end of the tube while many Confederate made ones didn't. Tubes were also made of both iron and bronze-probably no other gun of the period had as many variations as the Napoleon. You will also find that some Napoleons were even rifled.

 

[rpkennedy]

I was thinking a 6-lb brass field gun.

Ryan

 

[UCVRelics]

Its hard to see in the photo but there is another barrel step-down at the trunnion's which is the tell tell of a model 1841.

 

[Andrew]

Thanks everyone. Looks like it's the Model 1841.