This twelve-pounder gunade, dating about 1800-1820, was deaccessioned several years ago from the Fort Ticonderoga collection of artillery. It is unmarked and likely American. The gunade, or gunnade, was an offshoot of the carronade, which was developed in the 1770s as a short barreled naval cannon with a simplified exterior design featuring a tapered muzzle and using a bottom lug for mounting on a slide carriage. Intended as a close-in weapon for typically short-range naval battles of wooden ships, it was a comparatively lightweight gun capable of firing heavy projectiles that earned it the occasional nickname of “smasher.” It could also be a devastating anti-personnel weapon with grapeshot and canister. By the 1790s the gunade appeared on the scene, essentially a carronade using more conventional trunnions that lowered the barrel’s center of gravity and enabled it to be used on more conventional carriages.

This one is in good condition, full-length, weighing 655 pounds, unmarked and likely American.  Overall length including the carriage is 59”; barrel length is 48”. Width from hub to hub is 30”.  The bore measures 4.52” to accommodate a 12 lb shell. The surface shows pitting from exposure, but not submersion in water, and has been stabilized and painted black. The bore is good. Both trunnions are intact, as is the cascabel and large rope loop at the rear. The light weight, convenient size, ease of loading, and reduced gun crew necessary for these intimidating guns made them favorites aboard private and commercial vessels even after navies had shifted back to more conventional long-barreled artillery.

It is also worth mentioning that they occasionally appeared on land. The British used large bore carronades as siege guns and a 12-pounder caronnade was used on a field carriage by Utah militia in the 1850s. But, our favorite example, and a nice parallel to this, is the twelve-pounder gunade used at the Alamo by its Texian defenders, positioned at the west wall of the fortress in the battle and on exhibit there today. Where it came from is uncertain, but cannon were an international currency of sorts, exchanged by purchase or capture, too valuable to discard, and sometimes used against their former owners.

This one has been mounted on a Stafford Manufacturing Company white oak naval carriage, painted an appropriate red, complete with block and tackle, and comes with a good set of reproduction implements, including wooden sponge bucket, rammer and worm. These carriages were also used as “garrison” carriages and there is some debate about whether the Alamo cannon was mounted on a field carriage or garrison carriage like this.

This looks great, is in good condition and is the perfect size for display indoors, whether as part of naval collection or early western expansion display.  [sr] [ph:M]

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