Field artillery in the American Civil War
The Model 1857 12-pounder Napoleon with its green barrel made up 40% of the cannons on both sides. It was the most commonly used cannon. They were heavy at  making them hard for the six-horse team to pull. The gun crew of the Napoleon was made up of six men. It could fire a ball, shell or canister shot out to a range of  at a speed of 1,440 feet per second (or 439 meters per second). It used a charge of  of black powder. The Union made 1,156 units while the Confederacy made 501. Because they did not have the manufacturing capacity of the North, Confederates attempted to capture as many Union-made Napoleon 12-pounders as they could. The Model 1857 was made to replace the Model 1841 6-pounder but both were used during the Civil War out of necessity.