Vive l’Empereur

During the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815) French field guns like this inflicted heavy casualties on British officers and men.

Made in 1813, ‘L’Avocat’ (The Lawyer) was captured by the Duke of Wellington’s troops at the battle of Waterloo in 1815.

This gun was captured by British soldiers at the battle of Waterloo in 1815. During the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815) British soldiers – officers included – suffered heavy casualties from French field guns. 6-pounders like this were used by Napoleon’s famous Imperial Guard.

Trained as a gunner, Napoleon’s skill and leadership made the French artillery truly a battle-winner. He had inherited excellent guns and this six-pounder was a simplified version, produced in large numbers during the French Revolution. It combined excellent mobility with deadly fire power, causing many Allied casualties at Waterloo.

Cast at the famous Strasbourg foundry by J G Maritz, the barrel is engraved with an ‘N’ for Napoleon in a wreath of oak leaves and is named L’Avocat, (lawyer). The carriage is a replica.

‘Hard pounding, this, gentlemen, try who can pound the longest.’
The Duke of Wellington, Waterloo, 1815