I've put a slide show together showing a pair of Spanish 4-pounder guns displayed in front of the US Naval Academy Superintendent's Quarters. This pair of guns is listed in the 1995 USNA "Monument Survey" as "Facility No. 769."
Unfortunately these guns seem to have deteriorated quite a bit and the given names in the banners on their respective chases can no longer be read. However the names were recorded by earlier scribes as EL DROMEDARIO and EL GALLARD (spelling?). Fortunately the important engraved inscriptions on their breeches are still legible, showing that they were cast by Joseph Barnola in Barcelona, Spain ca. 1766. The guns were captured from the Mexicans in California in 1847. The first gun pictured in the slideshow has a unique iron or steel sighting arrangement, which I'm guessing was added early in the 19th C., since none of the other guns of this model in American collections have this feature. If anyone is aware of another weapon of this model with iron or steel sights, I'd appreciate knowing where it is.
There are a number of Spanish 4-pounders of this particular model in US collections, including a few at West Point, two at the Jackson statue in Lafayette Park, Washington DC., and one on private property in the northeastern US. The two at the Jackson statue were among the number of Spanish guns captured by Andrew Jackson in Florida. The guns at West Point, if I'm not mistaken, were mostly if not all captured during the Mexican War.
Sidney Brinckerhoff, in the book he co-authored entitled SPANISH MILITARY WEAPONS IN COLONIAL AMERICA 1700-1821 (Stackpole, Harrisburg, 1972) describes this type of gun on pp. 126-127:
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"Field Cannon, 4-pounder. (1773) plate 236. One of two of the same pattern captured in Florida by Jackson in 1818, this bronze piece shows the later refinements in cannon design, based on the French influence. Of particular interest, dolphins are not provided on this tube, a practice not uncommon on Spanish light cannon cast during and after the 1770's. In addition, the coat of arms of Charles III is not engraved on the breech as found on regulation pattern cannon and mortars beginning in the 1760's. The extremely long breech area is also noticeable on this piece. Trunnions on the low line, without rim-=bases (sic) are not common on light artillery of the period. Stylistically, the cannon is typical of the period, but it is generally different in design from the regulation pattern adopted in 1756. These field pieces are known as 'canones de campana.'
Since it was cast by Josephus Barnola, it is safe to assume that this was one of the non-standard design of light 4-pounders purchased by the Crown during the 1770's. Cannon of this type certainly saw service during the American Revolution, and throughout the Colonial area in the later years of the North American empire..."
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Does anyone know where I can find a list with descriptions of the Spanish 4-pounder guns captured by Jackson in Florida? A little side story about those comes via the National Park Service. The Jackson equestrian statue was originally to have been cast of the bronze from the captured cannons. The guns were sent to whatever foundry (I can't seem to find out which foundry that was) was to cast the statue, and rejected because the bronze was for some reason found unsuitable for statuary.
When Sid Brinckerhoff wrote "Cannon of this type certainly saw service during the American Revolution,..." does he mean they were used by Galvez in Florida only, or is he implying they were used by Washington's army? I'd ask Sidney myself but somehow I misplaced his contact infomation.
Here's a slideshow with many photos of these two guns at USNA:
http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b62/cannonmn/miscforumsetc/forums17/?action=view¤t=f5c8b5cd.pbw
