Short cannon

major bill

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Forum Host
Joined
Aug 25, 2012
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Nice 12lb howitzer. From the looks of the carriage it has cheek pieces on the sides. The mountain or prairie carriage had the wood hogged out instead of the side cheeks that held the trunions.

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The gun is common enough, but how's about those red leathers on the gunner? Gucci?*

I'm doubting the provenance on those red leathers as something that would have been used in the field. Parade gear maybe.

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* Reminds me of how my brother purchased a genuine pattern artillerist's haversack with strap some years ago. A garage sale seller's teen daughter had been using it as a purse! It was that clean and supple, despite being an actual wartime artifact. It was stamped "PATTERN" in white on the interior of the flap so was never employed in combat, but only rather something provided to leatherworks contractors or armory as a pattern for manufacture. At least my bro was in a position to recognize it and have it properly identified and confirmed, or it might still be found swinging from the shoulder of another teen girl in Michigan.
 
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Nice 12lb howitzer. From the looks of the carriage it has cheek pieces on the sides. The mountain or prairie carriage had the wood hogged out instead of the side cheeks that held the trunions.

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View attachment 290763

As I remember it, this is a Type 1 Prairie Carriage... very similar to the French version from which our 12lb. Mountain Howitzer is derived. The later version with more traditional cheek plates (Type 2 Prairie Carriage) is most often associated with the WBTS, though I'm sure both styles saw service.
 
Whats the range on the short cannon?

The Mountain 12 pound howitzer I believe had a range of 1,005 yards Weight 220 lbs
The standard 12 pound howitzer was like 1072 yards. Weight 788 lbs

i am no expert and might have the range and weight wrong.
 
What about the red leather gear (or reddish brown if you will)?
Depending on their position on the crew, they would have either had a Gunner's Haversack (for transporting the rounds from the limber to the piece) ,a Friction Primer Box or a Gunner's Pouch (used to carry various small items needed to sight and fire the piece), all of which would have been made of brown or reddish brown leather.
 
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