Napolean M1857 Cannon - Tipton, MO
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 38.749 W 092° 46.617
15S E 519410 N 4277497
A part of a memorial to Ted H. Knipp a local alderman
Waymark Code: WMKT57
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 05/26/2014
Views: 2
County of display: Moniteau County
Location of display: City Park, Tipton
Date display erected: 1991
"The twelve-pound cannon "Napoleon" was the most popular smoothbore cannon used during the war. It was named after Napoleon III of France and was widely admired because of its safety, reliability, and killing power, especially at close range. In Union Ordnance manuals it was referred to as the "light 12-pounder gun" to distinguish it from the heavier and longer 12 pounder gun (which was virtually unused in field service.) It did not reach America until 1857. It was the last cast bronze gun used by an American army. The Federal version of the Napoleon can be recognized by the flared front end of the barrel, called the muzzle-swell. It was, however, relatively heavy compared to other artillery pieces and difficult to move across rough terrain.
"Confederate Napoleons were produced in at least six variations, most of which had straight muzzles, but at least eight catalogued survivors of 133 identified have muzzle swells. Additionally, four iron Confederate Napoleons produced by Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond have been identified, of an estimated 125 cast. In early 1863 Robert E. Lee sent nearly all of the Army of Northern Virginia's bronze 6-pounder guns to Tredegar to be melted down and recast as Napoleons.[19] Copper for casting bronze pieces became increasingly scarce to the Confederacy throughout the war and became acute in November 1863 when the Ducktown copper mines near Chattanooga were lost to Union forces. Casting of bronze Napoleons by the Confederacy ceased and in January 1864 Tredegar began producing iron Napoleons."
~ Wikipedia
Guns Statistics:
Shell: 4.1 kg shell, ball, canister
Caliber: 121 mm (4.62 in)
Muzzle velocity: 439 m/s (1,440 ft/s)
Effective firing range: 1,480 m at 5° elevation (1,440 yd)
Weight: 626 kg (1,227 lb), with carriage: 1,200 kg (2,353 lb)
Length: 1.91 m (66 in)
Crew: 4