Fremont Cannon

[Will Bison]

In another post here a guy purportedly found a US Mt Howitzer in a creek near Reno. So I had to go take a look at the one in Carson City that may be the real Fremont gun.

Here's the specs:

Right Trunnion is marked CA&C which I think is Cyrus Alger and Company, Boston. On rear of breech is 223, below that is the number 3 and below that C T. Left trunnion is marked 1836. That's it for marks, nothing on the muzzle. Bore is about 4.7 inches, hard to tell due to damage.

The gun is in real bad shape with a bulge aft of the trunnions that measures a full eight inches in diameter. I stuck my arm down the bore and there is a definite pressure ring about three inches in front of the chamber. The outside looks like this gun was in every battle of every war since 1836 and lost.

I assume that 223 is the serial number and perhaps some of the Mt. Howitzer experts can trace that number.

John Fremont on his trip to California in 1844, had to leave a howitzer behind in the Sierra Mountains.

[Cpt Ed]

According to the Cannon registry information contained in “Field Artillery Weapons of the Civil War”, by Hazlett, Olmstead & Parks, revised edition, page 294, the barrel in Carson City NV, you are correct was made by Cyrus Alger & Co. stamped 1836, inspected by George Talcott and it has the registry number of 3. The weight in pounds is 223.

[Will Bison]

Thanks, Cpt Ed. Is a registry number one that is squentially assigned or what? I must plead "plumb dumb" on cannon markings.

[Cpt Ed]

Will Bison:

In answer to your question. The inspector at a specific foundry such as Cyrus Alger & Co. sequentially assigned registry numbers, for the type and caliber of cannon he inspected.

You have done a fine job in reporting what you have seen on the Fremont Cannon. I am not the expert, I am only guided by the in-depth works of others and some experience I had back some 30 years ago. The real experts were Dr. James C. Hazlett, Edwin Olmstead, M. Hume Parks and others. Today it is carried on by Mr. Wayne Stark from Pennsylvania. Mr. Stark maintains the current listing of all known surviving examples of Civil War Artillery. A copy of his 75-page listing is in the mail on its way to me now and should be here next week.

[Cat Whisperer]

Will Bison:

In answer to your question. The inspector at a specific foundry such as Cyrus Alger & Co. sequentially assigned registry numbers, for the type and caliber of cannon he inspected.

You have done a fine job in reporting what you have seen on the Fremont Cannon. I am not the expert, I am only guided by the in-depth works of others and some experience I had back some 30 years ago. The real experts were Dr. James C. Hazlett, Edwin Olmstead, M. Hume Parks and others. Today it is carried on by Mr. Wayne Stark from Pennsylvania. Mr. Stark maintains the current listing of all known surviving examples of Civil War Artillery. A copy of his 75-page listing is in the mail on its way to me now and should be here next week.

re: Mr. Stark, this is from one of the links in our REFERENCES sticky: http://www.cwartillery.org/ws-reg.html

[Will Bison]

Thanks guys.

Tim, you have reminded me that one day I must start going through all the info in the sticky section. By the time a person follows all the links it becomes obvious that an enormous amount of info is available.

Bill