24-pdr. Howitzer

24-Pounder Field Howitzer

A howitzer is a short-barreled artillery piece designed to throw large projectiles at high trajectories. In Federal service, nearly all howitzers had been replaced by Napoleons. The Confederates, having a shortage of field pieces, maintained them in their arsenal. Howitzers fired solid shot, spherical case, and cannister. The 24-pounder howitzers used by the Confederates at Gettysburg were of Austrian manufacture, and are easily distinguished by the twin "handles" on either side of the tube.
E. Porter Alexander, chief of artillery in James Longstreet's corps, said that the 24-pdr. field howitzer, was his favorite artillery piece.

Bore Diameter 5.82 in (14.78 cm)

Tube Material Bronze

Tube Length 65 in (165 cm)

Tube Weight 1,318 lb (598 kg)

Powder Charge 2 lb (0.91 kg)

Range (5° Elevation) 1,322 yd (1,209 m)

At Gettysburg 4 (CSA)

Thomas, Dean S., CANNONS: An Introduction to Civil War Artillery. Thomas Publications, Gettysburg, PA, 1985.
Coco, Gregory A., A Concise Guide to the Artillery at Gettysburg. Thomas Publications, Gettysburg, PA, 1998.

Back to the Gettysburg Artillery Park

Photograph by Peter Schwartz
Created 17 OCT 1999; Modified 09 NOV 1999

http://einstein.human.cornell.edu/ACW/arty/24howitzer.html

Bore Diameter	5.82 in (14.78 cm)
Tube Material	Bronze
Tube Length	65 in (165 cm)
Tube Weight	1,318 lb (598 kg)
Powder Charge	2 lb (0.91 kg)
Range (5° Elevation)	1,322 yd (1,209 m)
At Gettysburg	4 (CSA)