US Army 42-Pounder, Pattern 1831, at Fort Pulaski
A US Army 42-Pounder, Pattern 1831, is displayed at Fort Pulaski on a casemate carriage
US Army 42-Pounder Seacoast Gun, Pattern 1831, is displayed at Fort Pulaski near Savannah, Georgia. It was cast in 1836 at the Columbia Foundry and is mounted on a casemate carriage. According to Olmstead et al., this cannon is registry number 19 and weighs 8,700 pounds.
The 42-Pounder Pattern 1831 has the same loop above the cascabel as the US Army 32-Pounder, Pattern 1829. The loop could accommodate a breeching rope - perhaps allowing these guns to be transferred to the US Navy if circumstances required. (A rifled example of the type is aboard USS Cairo.)
The interpretive sign at the fort notes that the US Army besieging Fort Pulaski in 1862 used rifled 42-Pounders (sometimes called 84-pounders) to great effect.
The Columbia Foundry is one of the earliest American gun founders. It was active from 1800 to 1854, and it produced many cannons for both the US Army and the US Navy during that time.
The right trunnion is marked “J.M., C.F.” for James Mason, Columbia Foundry (James Mason being the proprietor.)
The left trunnion bears the date “1836”
