Field Artillery in The American Civil War

Weapons

The principal guns widely used in the field are listed in the following table.

**Field artillery weapons characteristics**
Name	Tube				Projectile (lb)	Charge (lb)	Velocity (ft/s)	Range (yd at 5°)
Name	Material	Bore (in)	Len (in)	Wt (lb)	Projectile (lb)	Charge (lb)	Velocity (ft/s)	Range (yd at 5°)
6-pounder Gun	bronze	3.67	60	884	6.1	1.25	1,439	1,523
M1857 12-pounder "Napoleon"	bronze	4.62	66	1,227	12.3	2.50	1,440	1,619
12-pounder Howitzer	bronze	4.62	53	788	8.9	1.00	1,054	1,072
12-pounder Mountain Howitzer	bronze	4.62	33	220	8.9	0.5	---	1,005
24-pounder Howitzer	bronze	5.82	64	1,318	18.4	2.00	1,060	1,322
10-pounder Parrott rifle	iron	2.9 or 3.0	74	890	9.5	1.00	1,230	1,850
3-inch Ordnance Rifle	wrought iron	3.0	69	820	9.5	1.00	1,215	1,830
14-pounder James Rifle	bronze	3.80	60	875	14.0	1.25	----	1530
20-pounder Parrott rifle	iron	3.67	84	1750	20.0	2.00	1,250	1,900
12-pounder Whitworth breechloading rifle	iron	2.75	104	1092	12.0	1.75	1,500	2,800
Italics denotes data for shell, not shot.

There were two general types of artillery weapons used during the Civil War: smoothbores and rifles. Smoothbores included howitzers and guns.

“Never had he found himself so close to those terrible weapons of feminine artillery.”
—Stendhal [Marie Henri Beyle] (1783–1842)

“Boys should not play with weapons more dangerous than they understand.”
—E.T.A.W. (Ernst Theodor Amadeus Wilhelm)

Field Artillery in The American Civil War - Weapons