There are hundreds of cannons at Gettysburg, many of them flanking monuments and markers. Such is the case with this artillery piece. The carriage, wheels and other tube carrying mechanisms all look well tended to and in good shape, sporting what appears to be fresh paint. The firing tube has a green patina from constant exposure to the elements. I peered into the bore and did not observe any rifling grooves, making this a smoothbore. The muzzle stamp on this weapon is severely worn making it almost impossible to decipher. I was only able to figure out the identity of this cannon as the tube weight was still legible. I matched it up in the database by this identifying number and its location relative to the PA monument. I learned the man who made the tablets which accompany the cannons also had a hand in restoring these cannons as well. Gettysburg National Military Park has hundreds of these historic artillery pieces on its field of battle. Their carriages, sights, and caissons, however, have been restored. Much of the restorative work came from Major Calvin Gilbert who owned the Gettysburg foundry.
Calvin Gilbert owned a foundry which bore his name in Gettysburg. This man was responsible for creating all of the cast iron battery tablets (including this one) at this park. His work did not end there as his foundry created many of the carriages for the historic cannons at Gettysburg. Although almost all of the cannons are from the Civil War, their carriages, sights, and caissons have been restored at his foundry in the early part of the 20th century. GIlbert was in his 70s when he did this work and completed work at other battlefields as well.
The two Napoleons and the Battery C, 4th U.S. Artillery - US Regulars Tablet 
are located directly across from the gigantic Pennsylvania State Memorial/Monument. The cannons are on Hancock Avenue, on the left when traveling north, on Cemetery Ridge. Traffic is crazy-ridiculous here. There is an abundance of parking. I would allow up to two hours to seriously tour this area as this is the most concentrated area of monuments, markers, memorials and artillery. Two cannons flank the monument. The cannon to the left of the monument is a 12-pounder Napoleon manufactured at the Alger Foundry, No. 56, and the cannon to the right of the monument is also a 12-pounder Napoleon manufactured at the Hooper Foundry, No. 8. While the monument faces the PA monument and Hancock Avenue in a northeasterly directions, the Two Napoleons face southwest, toward enemy lines concentrated over a mile away at Seminary Ridge along Southwest Confederate Avenue. Be sure to keep vehicles off the grass or you will be ticketed by park police. I visited this monument on the late afternoon of Thursday, July 5, 2012. I was at an elevation of 571 feet, ASL. I used a Canon PowerShot 14.1 Megapixel, SX210 IS digital camera for the photos.
My SOURCE for all things weapons at Gettysburg provided me additional information about this weapon which did not appear on the muzzle. I used red to designate that data. The rest is as it appears exactly on the muzzle, starting at the top, 12 o'clock position and moving clockwise.
A.M. Co. ......1230 ......1862 ......A.B.D. ......No 56 ......FDY #78
Registry Information Explanation
A.M. Co. stands for the Cyrus Alger Foundry out of Boston, MA and the foundry responsible for producing this weapon. 1230 lbs represents the total weight of the bronze firing tube which was very heavily in comparison to the lighter and newer 3-inch ordnance rifle of 1861 which weighed about four hundred pounds less than the Napoleon and was just as accurate and deadly. 1862 is the manufacture date which means in this year the foundry were still producing the older 1857 design from seven years earlier. A.B.D are the initials of Alexander Brydie Dyer, the Union Ordnance Officer responsible for inspecting the cannon before he Union Army took possession of it. No 56 is the registry or registration number, a way for the army to keep track of its weapons obtained from the foundry's commissioned to do so. FDY #78 is an internal control number specific to the foundry.
About the Inspector
Alexander Brydie Dyer (January 10, 1815 – May 20, 1874) was an American soldier in a variety of 19th century wars, serving most notably as a general and chief of ordnance for the Union Army during the American Civil War. Dyer was born at Richmond, Virginia, and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1837. He served in the Seminole Wars in 1837–38 and as lieutenant of ordnance in the Mexican-American War in 1846–48, being brevetted captain for gallant conduct at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Rosales. On September 13, 1864, he was appointed chief of ordnance at Washington, D.C., with the rank of brigadier general, U.S. Army, to rank from September 12, 1864. Dyer died in Washington and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. SOURCE
About the Foundry
This armory was founded Cyrus Alger (born in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, 11 November 1781; died in Boston, 4 February 1856), Alger was a United States arms manufacturer and inventor. Early in life he became an iron founder, and established his business in Easton, Massachusetts. In 1809 he moved to South Boston, where he founded the works that since 1817 were known as the South Boston Iron Company. He supplied the government with large numbers of cannon balls during the War of 1812, and his works became famed for the excellent ordnance there manufactured. He was one of the best practical metallurgists of his time, and his numerous patents of improved processes show continued advance in the art practised by him. The first gun ever rifled in America was made at his works in 1834, and the first perfect bronze cannon was made at his foundry for the U. S. ordnance department, The mortar “Columbiad,” the largest gun of cast iron that had then been made in the United States, was cast under his personal supervision. SOURCE
About the Gun
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. The Federal version of the Napoleon can be recognized by the flared front end of the barrel, called the muzzle-swell. 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 This bronze gun does not have that flare. Casting of these bronze Napoleons by the Confederacy ceased due to lack of resources and in January 1864 Tredegar began producing iron Napoleons. Just before this in early 1863, resources were so scarce, Robert E. Lee sent nearly all of the Army of Northern Virginia's bronze 6-pounder guns to Tredegar (another foundry) to be melted down and recast as Napoleons. SOURCE
Commonly referred to as the "Napoleon", this bronze smoothbore cannon fired a twelve-pound ball and was considered a light gun through each weighed an average of 1,200 pounds. This powerful cannon could fire explosives shell and solid shot up to a mile and charges of canister up to 300 yards with accuracy. The Napoleon was a favorite amongst some Northern artillerists because of its firepower and reliability. Two Union batteries armed with Napoleons at Gettysburg were very effective in holding back Confederate infantry attacks and knocking down opposing southern batteries. Battery G, 4th U.S. repeatedly slowed Confederate infantry attacks against the Eleventh Corps lines on July 1, while Captain Hubert Dilger's Battery G, 1st Ohio Light Artillery almost annihilated two Confederate batteries with accurate and punishing counter-battery fire at long distance. Most Union Napoleons were manufactured in Massachusetts by the Ames Company and the Revere Copper Company. SOURCE
12-pounder bronze gun, Model of 1857 Specifications
| Tube Material |
Bronze |
| Tube Weight |
1,227 lb (557 kg) |
| Powder Charge |
2.5 lb (1.13 kg) |
| Range (5° Elevation) |
1,619 yd (1,480 m) |
| At Gettyburg |
142 |
The monument, marks the position of the Battery C, 4th U.S. Artillery for the entire three days of the battle and reads as follows:
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Army of the Potomac
Artillery Reserve
First Regular Brigade
Battery C Fourth U.S. Artillery
Six 12 pounders
Lieut. Evan Thomas commanding
July 2 Arrived and took position on crest of hill near General Meade's Headquarters on the left of the Second Corps and was actively engaged in repelling the attack of the Confederates.
July 3 In position near the left of the Second Corps line.
Casualties. Killed 1 man. Wounded 1 officer and 16 men.