The Guns of the 5th Ohio Reenactors
The cannons of our unit are individually owned by our members. Let us introduce you.
"Exodus"
Specifications:220 pounds (barrel weight only), 500 pounds (227 kg) with carriage Bore: 4.62 inch - smooth bore
A 12lb Mountain Howitzer. The mountain howitzer was designed to be lightweight and highly portable. Because of this, and its ease of disassembly, it did not require roads for transportation making it well suited to rough and mountain terrain. In addition to the pack carriage, a prairie carriage was also created for traditional draft pulling using only two horses. This versatility permitted their use with mounted forces in areas where roads were little more than paths. These small howitzers provided artillery support for mobile military forces where it would otherwise be unavailable. However, their shorter range made them unsuitable for dueling with other heavier field artillery weapons.
Range - 900 yards Tube length - 38 inches
"Ulysses"
A Parrott Rifle . Parrotts were manufactured with a combination of cast and wrought iron. The cast iron made for an accurate gun, but was brittle enough to suffer fractures. Hence, a large wrought iron reinforcing band was overlaid on the breech to give it additional strength.
Model - 2.9-in (10-lb) Army Parrott
Barrel length - 73 inches
Ammunition - 10lb shell
Range - 5,000 yd at 20 degrees elevation
The Wiard
The six-pounder's tube is 53 in long, weighs 725 pounds and had an effective range (at 35°) of 7,000 yards with a standard powder charge of 0.75 pounds and a 6 lb. Hotchkiss bolt-type projectile.
The 6-pdr Wiard (pronounced WEE-ard) rifle was cast in puddled wrought iron (semi-steel) and was mounted in a special Wiard field carriage that was unique in its design. The rim base was spaced farther apart than any diameter of the tube, permitting unrestricted rotation on the trunnions without interference from the undercarriage. Wiard altered the shape of the carriage's cheeks, relocated the axle and provided a long elevating screw; this made firing at elevation of up to 35 degrees possible.Reportedly, three artillery batteries associated with Union Major General Daniel Sickles' "Excelsior Brigade" were armed with 6-pdr and 12-pdr Wiard guns, possibly as a result of a friendship between Wiard and Sickles. Two batteries of six 6-pdr guns each were ordered specifically for that brigade in 1861. None of Wiard's weapons were widely adopted, and few survive today.