Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;afantiques, post: 96388, member: 25&quot;]The British captured a number of French ships of the line in the Napoleonic Wars, and any number of smaller vessels where these light cannon were likely to be found, French privateers or small naval communications craft for example.</p><p><br /></p><p>Very often, due to superior hull design these ships were simply transferred to continue service in the Royal Navy, usually under the same name as they had in the French service. If possible they would not be completely refitted, with new guns anyway.</p><p><br /></p><p>If the ships were not pressed into naval service they would be sold off to anyone with the cash to buy them.</p><p><br /></p><p>If they remained in naval service, as the marks seem to indicate, they would have been in small craft. Capture in the war of 1812 might account for their presence in NY state.</p><p><br /></p><p>Unliike later practice where a ship would have an array of different calibre weapons from 12 inch main armament to .50 caliber machine guns, ships of the 1800 period usually had a small range of similar cannon, long guns on the lower gundecks, carronades on the weather deck, often some smaller caliber bow and stern chasers. 3 different size balls would suffice for all. </p><p><br /></p><p>I doubt if even a frigate would have anything as small as a six-pounder, though I suppose it is possible. If you check the armament of a typical brig or even a large cutter of the period, you may find this type of cannon. </p><p><br /></p><p>There is the possibility of military surplus sales after the conclusion of the war in 1815 where such odd and really unwanted weapons were sold off to merchantmen, ships that may have later foundered or been scrapped and sold in America.</p><p><br /></p><p>I&#039;d say the last possibility is the most likely, the things simply traded their way to the USA.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in