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Plate 010 · Field Gun · Napoleonic
Canon obusier de 12
"Napoleon"
The smoothbore workhorse of the American Civil War, named for Napoleon III.
Historical Record
Provenance & Service
Developed in France in 1853, the Canon obusier de 12 — a gun-howitzer combining the roles of field gun and howitzer — became the most common artillery piece of the American Civil War. Bronze-cast and muzzle-loaded, the 'Napoleon' fired solid shot, shell, spherical case, and devastating canister at close range.