32-Pounder Seacoast Gun

32-Pounder Seacoast Gun. Fort D. , Reportedly Fort D was armed with three 32-pounder smoothbore cannon, Model 1829, and two 24-pounders, Model 1819. A 32-pounder can fire a solid round shot weighing 32 pounds for nearly a mile. Such a shot required a load of 8 pounds of gunpowder. These massive cannon were originally designed for seacoast forts, to protect ports from enemy ships, presumably belonging to foreign powers. Since there was no exterior threat during the Civil War, the cannon were distributed to forts and armories across the country. Many of these forts and armories fell into the hands of the Confederate states, so both sides were well-armed with antiquated, yet powerful, weaponry. , The smoothbore cannon were not as accurate as later rifled cannon such as were made during the Civil War. Still, such cannon could be expected to hit the proverbial “broad side of a barn” at a goodly distance. The cannon were also capable of firing shells, which would blow up in flight after a fuse burned down, or they could fire canister or grape which were smaller sized projectiles contained within a cylinder. Some of these large cannon were mounted on barbette carriages that swiveled, while others were mounted on siege carriages with wheels. Either way, moving the cannon from place to place was an ordeal; the 32-pounder and carriage weighed over 10,000 lbs.