US Army 24-Pounder Flank Howitzers, Pattern 1844, in Danville, Pennsylvania
Four 24-Pounder Flank Howitzers in Danville, Pennsylvania
Four US Army 24-Pounder Flank Howitzers are displayed around a section of Veterans' graves at the Oddfellows Cemetery in Danville, Pennsylvania. Many thanks to friend-of-the-page James Murray for these photos!
The 24-Pounder Flank Howitzer was intended to be mounted in seacoast fortifications to protect the fort against infantry attack at close range. They were typically mounted in counterfire galleries with a field of fire which could sweep a land face of the fort. They were expected to fire cannister or case.
A relatively lightweight howitzer, they were still held in US Army inventories in the 1890s when communities around the country began requesting Civil War era artillery pieces as monuments, and the flank howitzer is one of the more common types to find in communities. Very few of the type would have seen any use in battle.
The four howitzers in Danville are:
24-Pounder Flank Howitzer Number 81 manufactured by Seyfert, McManus, and Co. in 1864. Weight as manufacutred 1503 pounds.
24-Pounder Flank Howitzer Number 82 manufactured by Seyfert, McManus, and Co. in 1864. Weight as manufacutred 1503 pounds.
24-Pounder Flank Howitzer Number 83 manufactured by Seyfert, McManus, and Co. in 1864. Weight as manufacutred 1504 pounds.
24-Pounder Flank Howitzer Number 90 manufactured by Seyfert, McManus, and Co. in 1864. Weight as manufacutred 1498 pounds.
24-Pounder Flank Howitzer at Fort Pulaski
