Cannonball Gallery

Explosion at the King's Bastion, Portsmouth, on Monday last, October 1844

Explosion at the King's Bastion, Portsmouth, on Monday last, October 1844. A fatal accident...As the Artillerymen were re-loading one of the guns...the charge went off, and blew one of them to pieces and the other was so horribly mutilated that he died soon afterwards. The guns upon this bastion are 32-pounders...to fire a royal salute requires each gun to be loaded five times and one six. It is usual to use the worm to clear out the gun, every second charge, and it is supposed some fire had remained in the chamber....Miller was blown into fragments, and Walker had his thigh bioken, his arm blown off into the moat, and his body otherwise disfigured. The remnants of the victims were conveyed instantly to the hospital of the Royal Marine Barracks...An inquest was held on the bodies of the unfortunate men...and the jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death"'. From "Illustrated London News", 1844, Vol I

© The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Napoleon at the Siege of Toulon, 1793, (c1835). Artist: Francois Georgin

Napoleon at the Siege of Toulon, 1793, (c1835). In August the fervently anti-revolutionary port of Toulon was occupied by the Bourbons and a British, Spanish and pro-Bourbon military force, together with naval support. Paris reacted quickly and laid siege to the city on 7 September, with several attempts to recapture it failing through poor leadership by generals Jean Carteaux and Francois Doppet. Their poor performances led to a young Chef de Bataillon Napoleon Bonaparte scheming with political allies to replace them with General Jacques Dugommier. The new commander then agreed to plans put forward by Bonaparte to storm a key fort that would allow French artillery to bombard the British fleet anchored in the harbour. The attack occurred on 17 December, in which Bonaparte was wounded by a bayonet in the leg, and less than a day later the British fleet, under Admiral Lord Hood, sailed away. On the 19th revolutionary troops reoccupied Toulon earning Bonaparte promotion to general of brigade

© Art Media / Heritage-Images

Napoleon at the Siege of Toulon, 1793, (19th century)

Napoleon at the Siege of Toulon, 1793, (19th century). The major port of Toulon was anti-revolutionary and on 28 August 1793, the city turned itself over to the Bourbons and a British, Spanish and pro-Bourbon military force. Paris reacted quickly and laid siege to the city on 7 September, with several attempts to recapture it failing through poor leadership by generals Jean Carteaux and Francois Doppet. Their poor performances led to a young Chef de Bataillon Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) scheming with political allies to replace them with General Jacques Dugommier. The new commander then agreed to plans put forward by Bonaparte to storm a key fort that would allow French artillery to bombard the British fleet anchored in the harbour. The attack occurred on 17 December, in which Bonaparte was wounded by a bayonet in the leg, and less than a day later the British fleet, under Admiral Lord Hood, sailed away. On the 19th, revolutionary troops reoccupied Toulon earning Bonaparte promotion to general of brigade

© Art Media / Heritage-Images