12-Pounder Confederate Napoleon at the American Civil War Museum in Richmond
12-Pounder Confederate Napoleon at the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Virginia
A 12-Pounder Confederate Napoleon is displayed in front of the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Virginia. The “Confederate Napoleon”, a bronze smoothbore gun-howitzer, is designed to fire the same shot, shell, canister, and case as the US Army 12-Pounder Napoleon (Pattern 1857). However, given the pressures on Southern industry, most Confederate Napoleons lack the the visual refinements of the US Army model. The Confederate Napoleon typically does not have any muzzle swell. The tube likely was turned on a lathe only enough to function, so it will have a rough appearance. This particular example was cast at Tredegar Foundry - the site of the museum where it is presently displayed.
The left trunnion reads “186_” - the final year of the date is unreadable. The right trunnion reads “J.R.A. and Co” for Joseph Reid Anderson, the proprietor of Tredegar Iron Works.
The left trunnion
The right trunnion
12-Pounder Confederate Napoleon at the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Virginia
