French Artillery Equipment during the FIW (1 Viewer)

RISORGIMENTO

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Due to the JJD Monongahela collection we know something about the British Army equipment during the FIW: supply wagon, powder cart, limber etc. As you know the Ft Ligonier site shows some interesting pictures.

About the French Army what we know respect of this? Apart the garrison life in the forts I'd like to know how the French moved their artillery during the military campaigns.
How the artillery was equipped when Montcalm decided to besiege Fort Henry or Fort Oswego? What used the Marquis to carry guns and mortars by land, excluded therefore the way by water?

I tried to find some informations on internet but all seems to start from the Napoleonic period and Mr Gribeauval.
The Jenkins Valliere Gun is fantastic but I’d like to have a limber (or what else?) to move it.

Someone has any idea about this?
Carlo
 
Where possible, both the French and British used boats to move their artillery, actually the entire force - the French attack at Oswego; the British attack at Fort Frontenac several years later by Colonel Bradstreet (an aggressive, but competent British Officer). Once at the siege location, soldiers literally dragged the guns around.

It is my understanding, the french canadian militia, not the french regulars, literally manhandled the artillery pieces for the siege of Fort William Henry from Fort Carillon on Lake Ticonderoga to the upper end of Lake George --- a portage distance of several miles around the falls between Lake George and Lake Ticonderoga. I would think oxen were used to help, but from my reading, much was done with brute human strength - a herculean effort. Besides the cannon, all the boats used by Montcalm would have to have been moved from Lake Ticonderoga to Lake George by the portage road. Following the portage around the falls and rapids, the guns where then moved by boat to Fort William Henry. Following the battle, the whole cumbersome process would have had to be repeated in reverse.

The french guns were mounted on planks lashed between the hulls of two boats, simlar to a catamaran. But it is interesting to note, that some accounts have the French firing at least some of their artillery pieces from the water during the initial approach on Fort William Henry (sounds unplausible). From my reading, I get the impression the guns were mounted on their gun carriages while being transported on Lake George.

Someone once posted a thread showing how guns barrels were literally "rolled up" hills using ropes and pulleys when the terrain was particulary rough. This is one of the reasons why Braddock was so pleased to have the seaman with him at BoM, very efficient at using block and tackle. The guns captured at the Battle of Monongahela were moved to Fort Duquense by "canoe", presumably even the 12-pounders.

For long distance travel on land, the preferred method was to move the cannon and gun carriages separately, and then re-assemble them at the siege location. Otherwise, the damage done to the gun carriage by the extra weight of the barrel on rough roads would damage and weaken the gun carriage so much, that the carriage was no longer functional as an artillery platform. But I can find no mention of this problem as it regards Braddock's march.

The french gun carriages, ammunition wagons and limbers would have been more bulky and weighed more during the FIW than later in the 18th century or Napolean's day. During the FIW, the french limber would have carried significantly more shot and powder --- essentially, serving the function of an ammunition wagon. The extra weight and bulk of the earlier designs were not necessarily stronger. I believe that wheels on the french limbers would have been a smaller diameter during the FIW than later in the 18th century and not been a match for the wheels on the guns themselves.

There is a photo on page 7 of Osprey's Men-at Arms - 96 (Wise and Hook) that depicts "the older type of ammunition bearing limber" (French).
 
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Thanks Ken for the interesting note,
this explains the great multitude of militia enroled by Montcalm every time he was planning a military campaign.
The heavy movements of such a large army could not easily elude the scouts. Nevertheless it seems that the British were taken aback by the French advance on Fort William Henry.

John will forgive us, at this point a couple of sets of canadian militia pushing a gun carriage would be highly appreciated.
 
From Betrayals by Ian Steele:

"Cannon were recognized by both sides as crucial to an effective siege of Fort William Henry. The previous autumn at Quebec City, there had been experiments with cannon mounted on a platform over bateaux. In May, teams of horses, oxen and men had hauled 36 cannon and 4 mortars, including some pieces captured from Braddock and from Oswego, over the portage at the falls of the Richelieu. As Montcalm army prepared to attack from Carillon two months later, these same pieces had to be hauled up the longer and more difficult portage to Lake George. The horses and oxen were NOT used because there was insufficient food for them to able to do such heavy work and because some of the oxen had been killed and eaten by the Indian allies. The canadian miltia manhandled the artillery as well as the 247 bateux, provisions, and ammunition over four miles of newly cut road that was repeatedly washed out by heavy rains and included the crossing of fast waters between the falls. This frantic work, including night hauling by as many as 500 men ended in July. Bougainville, who had seen all 12 days of it, admitted "the hardships cannot be imagined, and it is impossible to give a fair idea of it." Due to the Indian and Canadian raids, numerous scouts and the decimation of Parker's expedition, the strenuous and vulnerable work of moving the artillery train up to Lake George was accomplished without effective English scouting, to say nothing of disruption."
 
Superb. And as the 'reconstructions' on the page appear to be scale models, even better. Thank you.
 

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