Civil War Artillery

• This is a photograph of taken near Arlington, VA

• It is the Gun crew of Company K, 2d New York Artillery, in Fort C.F. Smith

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Civil War Artillery

• The type of gun is most likely a Napoleon Model 1857, (named after the French emperor Louis Napoleon who supported development of the design). This gun was effective, reliable, and easily maneuvered. It had a range of around 1,200 yards.

These guns could fire:• Solid shot (like a bowling ball) that weighed 12 pounds• Case Shot – which was designed to explode over the enemy’s head• Cannister – a can the size of a soup can loaded with iron pellets, made the cannon like a shot gun

• Napoleons were made of brass and were smooth on the inside, not rifled or grooved• Click here for a Google Book site about Civil War Artillery

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Fort C.F. Smith

• Fort C. F. Smith was a small fort constructed by the Union Army as part of the defense of Washington, D.C. .

• The fort was constructed by Union troops in early 1863 and named for Charles Ferguson Smith. The fort was part of a series of forts along the Potomac River. Today it is a park

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Civil War Artillery

• It would take a team of 7 men to fire the gun

• Each man would have a specific job such as to load the gun and swab the barrel of the gun

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Limber Chest

• The gun is attached to the limber . The limber was a place for the artillerymen to ride while the gun was being moved.

• The limber also contained 50 rounds of ammunition

• Not show in the picture is the cassion, which would be another type of wagon containing more ammunition and spare parts - such as wheels

• This would all be pulled by a team of 6 horses per gun

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The limber is in front and the caisson behind