US Army iron 6 pounder cannon -- US 281, Cameron Co. TX - Static Artillery Displays on Waymarking.com

In a small roadside park east of Bluetown Texas stands a grouping of two historic markers and this 6 pound cannon. The cannon is marked "No. 23, L. A. B. W." which indicates that it was inspected by Lewis A. de Barth Walbach, a US Army Officer serving as an inspector in the Ordinance Department from the late 1830s-early 1850s. Walbach died in 1853.

From the "To the Sound of the Guns" website: (visit link)

"6-pdr Guns in the “Iron Age” [heavily edited by the BMB]

At the close of the War of 1812, the U.S. Army had on hand a wide array of cannons, both in terms of caliber, design, and origin. Gun-making at that time had emerged from an “art” to a “science.” In Europe, all combatants in the Napoleonic era adopted “systems” of artillery which standardized calibers, gun forms, ammunition sizes, carriages, implements, and other associated equipment. And the Americans would soon follow suit.

While Europeans preferred bronze for field pieces, at least in those early decades of the 19th century, the Americans opted for iron. Lacking large sources of copper or tin (which were discovered later as the new nation expanded), Americans opted to use the very plentiful iron ore. Therefore this period of American gun-making is often known as the “iron age.”

. . .

In 1834 the Army asked West Point Foundry to produce four bronze 6-pdrs for testing. Three of the lot exhibited casting flaws and cavities, a common problem with bronze. Later in 1835 the Army asked West Point to try their hand at cast iron guns, calling for two “long” and two “short” 6-pdrs. This set also failed to meet expectations.

So over twenty-five years, four gun-makers delivered just under 500 iron guns in at least seven patterns. Yet the iron guns failed to meet endurance expectations. While the early “Walking Sticks” certainly lacked sufficient metal at the breech, the chief problem with the later guns lay with the metal. In the 1830s the foundries switched to hot-blast furnaces. Only in the 1840s did Lieutenant Louis A. de Barth determine this technique resulted in low tensile strength guns. But long before the Ordnance Department called for the use of cold-blast furnaces, the Army switched 6-pdr production to bronze. . . ."

The waymarked gun looks authrntic to the time of the Mexican War to us, which is appropriate given the history of this area. It also looks like an iron gun. However, we are not sure if it is original gun or a reproduction. Surely an antique gun would not be left at the side of an often-times lonely road near the boarder.

What type of artillery is this?: 6pdr Army field gun Where is this artillery located?: Park What military of the world used this device?: US Armed forces in Mexican War Date artillery was in use: 01/01/1840 Cost?: 0.00 (listed in local currency) Are there any geocaches at this location?: no Date artillery was placed on display: Not listed Parking location to view this Waymark: Not Listed Artillery is no longer operational: Not Listed Still may work: Not Listed

Visit Instructions:
Two pictures are required for this Waymark. Please take a close up picture of the artillery. Take a second with the artillery in the distance and capture as much of the surroundings as possible. Name the Waymark with first the name of the area and second what the artillery is. An example would be if it were a cannon in front of the Montgomery Armory you would name the Waymark: Montgomery Armory Cannon.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   07/20/2015 Benchmark Blasterz visited it