8-inch Model 1861 Siege Howitzer - Monmouth, IL
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 40° 54.738 W 090° 38.936
15T E 697998 N 4531682
One of two Civil War era cannon on the courthouse lawn. Besides the muzzle stamps, the only other marking is the “U.S.” acceptance mark over the trunnions.
Waymark Code: WMX8BH
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 12/12/2017
Views: 0
County of cannon: Warren County
Location of cannon: Public Square & W. Broadway, courthouse lawn, behind Civil War Monument, Monmouth
Inscribed in the barrel face:
No 19. C. A. & C. 2552 Lb
B.M.H. 1864
The CA&C part I figured out:
"Cyrus Alger & Co.: Cyrus Alger, who during the War of 1812 furnished the government with shot and shell, in 1817 started South Boston Iron company which at an early date was known locally as Alger's Foundry and later became Cyrus Alger & Co. The Massachusetts firm was a leading cannon manufacturer and when Cyrus died in 1856, leadership was assumed by his son, Francis, who piloted the company until his death in 1864. During the war, both Army and Navy were supplied with large numbers of weapons. The initials "S.B.F." (South Boston Foundry) occasionally may be found on cannon, but the signature is traditionally "C.A. & Co., Boston, Mass." or, rarely, "C. Alger & Co., Boston, Mass."' ~ Federal and Confederate Manufacturers of Field Artillery
"These are 8-inch Model 1861 Siege Howitzer. The howitzer on the was produced by Cyrus Alger & Company, of Boston, Massachusetts in 1864. It weighed 2,552 pounds when inspected by Richard Mason Hill (initials R.M.H.) and granted registry number 19.
"The profile of the guns demonstrates, perhaps to extreme, the 1861 “ordnance department” shape.
Perhaps a cut down, fattened version of the familiar 3-inch Ordnance Rifle? These cannon tubes appear very simple and even whimsical in some ways. But the shape and form are just one aspect which made this weapon effective in its day. Every surface presents a curving, smooth line, save the muzzle face, trunnion caps, and rimbases. The lines were not just for aesthetics, but rather reduced the stress points and potential for casting flaws.
"The third major design change for the Model 1861, not apparent from an external examination, was the use of water-cooled, hollow-casting techniques. The combination of form, chamber, and construction gave the Model 1861 great strength for its size. Yet, these were still too heavy for common field use. The type filled an important niche in the siege batteries used at Petersburg. However, the two howitzers pictured here were produced late in the production run. If records are correct, these examples were accepted for issue in the winter months of 1864-5." ~ Text taken from, and para-phrased from The Sound of Guns by Craig Swain