Artillery question?

[Pvt. Sweetey]

Hey, this question is for all you artillery boys. I know very little about artillery in the Civil War, and it surprised me at Gettysburg to see a cannon with no paint on it on display in Sutler Row. I am soo used to seeing the green-and-black painted cannons, which leads me to ask the question: Were cannon frames in the Civil War painted or were they all the natural wood color? Thanks!

Cody

[FranklinGuardsNYSM]

The manuals specify "liquid olive," one coat of primer and two coats of color.

[Rob Weaver]

Carriages are painted to preserve the wood. I know of no major instance where gun carriages used by either army weren't painted. That was standard practice. The lesson learned here is not to trust everything you see at the sutler.

[moconfed]

I know of at least one business that has produced a carriage sans paint- 2 reasons.
1.- what better way to show off quality and type of worsmanship!
2.- customers who would rather show off that much oak.

BUT- Originally, all were painted, to the best of my knowledge.