| M1844 32-pounder howitzer | |
|---|---|
 M1844 32-pounder howitzer is located at Petersburg National Battlefield visitor center. | |
| Type | Howitzer |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1848–1865 |
| Used by | United States |
| Wars | American Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Cyrus Alger & Co. N. P. Ames |
| Produced | 1848–1857 |
| No. built | 25 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1,920 lb (870.9 kg) |
| Length | 82.0 in (2.08 m) |
| Crew | 9 |
| Shell weight | 25.6 lb (11.6 kg) shell 2.5 lb (1.1 kg) charge |
| Caliber | 6.4 in (163 mm) |
| Barrels | 1 |
| Action | Muzzle loading |
| Carriage | 1,175 lb (533.0 kg) |
| Effective firing range | 1,504 yd (1,375 m) |
The M1844 32-pounder howitzer was a bronze smoothbore muzzle-loading artillery piece adopted by the United States Army in 1844 and employed during the American Civil War. It fired a 25.6 lb (11.6 kg) common shell to a distance of 1,504 yd (1,375.3 m) at 5° elevation. It also fired canister shot and spherical case shot. The howitzer was originally designed to be used in a mixed battery with 12-pounder field guns. However, at the time of the American Civil War, the howitzer was replaced by the M1857 12-pounder Napoleon, which combined the functions of both field gun and howitzer. Only a few 32-pounder howitzers were produced, and they were used sparingly as field artillery during the Civil War because of the weapon's great weight.