D’Annae: A French, Swedish-Sty

<br>In 1777, the Continental Army was in desperate need of more field artillery. When 31 Swedish-style 4-pounders arrived in New Hampshire in April, Commander-in-Chief George Washington directed that <i>&#8220;they will be forwarded to Camp, as fast as circumstances permit.&#8221;</i><br><br>The French welcomed the war between their British enemies and the Americans. To support the rebellion, in 1776, the French royal arsenals released tons of surplus weapons. Their conduit to America was a fictitious trading company headed by the flamboyant playwright, Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais. During 1777, Beaumarchais’ ships delivered 100, 4-pounders to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and another 53 to Charleston, South Carolina. A few of these were heavy, old-fashioned (1732) guns. The rest were the lighter, more mobile, &#8220;Swedish-style&#8221; guns.