December 10-13, 2024 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/10/2024
The opening of hostilities with the American colonists in 1775 led to increased production of cannon for the Board of Ordnance, specifically light field artillery, in anticipation of campaigning within the heavily wooded, hilly terrain of North America. During the French & Indian War, it had been realized that the field artillery taken on campaign against both Forts Duquesne (1755) and Fort Ticonderoga (1758 and 1759) were too heavy and unmanageable for the rigorous service and difficult terrain encountered. Experiments were conducted following the Peace of 1762 by officers of the Royal Regiment of Artillery and a new, lighter version of the light 6-pounder was introduced to replace that used in the late war. In 1775-1776, Captain William Congreve invented a new carriage for this cannon, which was modified by Lord George Townshend and rushed into production. The first of these new-invented carriages with the light 6-pounders, accompanied by their inventor, were sent to Sir William Howe just as he was evacuating Boston in early 1776, but were put into use with great success during the 1776 New York campaign. Burgoyne's expeditionary force to Canada were similarly equipped with guns and carriage of this new design. This appears to be an 18th or 19th century arsenal model for the Light 6-Pounder; it is rendered in meticulous detail and assembled as were the originals, from wheel cooperage and carriage mortising, down to the harness buckle of an implement strap. It may have been originally made for one of the French arsenals or military schools, as its construction details closely mirror style many arsenal models now in the Musee de la Armee in Paris--surviving pieces from the old French Artillery Museum first established in the 18th century. The latter was sacked by the Allies in 1815 following Waterloo and it is possible that this model may have originated from that source. A number of ordnance models from Paris ended up in the Rotunda Artillery Museum at Woolwich, including both French and British patterns from this period. The side boxes are loaded with fixed cartridges of solid shot and canister, along with powder bags and wads. Tools include a leather water bucket, gunner’s priming horn (of real horn) with sling, linstock, fork, and trailspike. Overall dimensions (LxHxW): 14 x 6 1/2 x 9 ½ inches; cast-brass barrel: 7 ½ in. L. CONDITION: very good to excellent overall, some scattered spots of oxidation to iron parts; edge wear to the wood carriage, slight warpage to one of the side boxes; the leather implement straps separated, and a few accessory tools missing (rammer, worm, etc.).