Model 1857 Napoleon - Florida, MO
Posted by: YoSam.
N 39° 29.525 W 091° 47.223
15S E 604301 N 4372088
These are scattered all over the country
Waymark Code: WMMH33
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 09/21/2014
Views: 6
County of display: Monroe County
Location of display: CR 528 & CR 543, former site of town of Florida
Wikipedia's complete detail listings
By far the most popular of the smoothbore cannon was the 12-pounder Model of 1857, Light, commonly called "Napoleon". The Model 1857 was of lighter weight than the previous 12-pounder guns, and could be pulled by a six-horse draft, yet offered the heavier projectile payload of the larger bore. It is sometimes called, confusingly, a "gun-howitzer" (because it possessed characteristics of both gun and howitzer) and is discussed in more detail separately below.
'Developed in France for Emperor Napoleon III in the 1850s, the bronze smoothbore 12-pounder became the most popular gun of the American Civil War. The Napoleon was light enough to be easily maneuverable and heavy enough to destroy field fortifications almost a mile away.
"Firing solid shot, spherical case and canister, the Napoleon Cannon was also extremely versatile. By mid-1863 nearly 40% of all field artillery pieces of each army were Napoleons. The Union had over 1,000 Napoleon Cannons in its arsenal and the Confederacy over 600." ~ Model Expo