MR Cornwell I have studied artillery pieces from the 18th and 19th century for many years as a hobby, after reading one of your books(Sharpe’s Triumph) I was shocked by your description of light guns and Dodd’s dislike of them. In my studies I found that a 4-pounder could fire at least twice as far as a 9-pounder and kill twice as many people in a file( around 14-15 ) it is not until close range when case shot is used that they become more effective. I found that this pattern goes all the way to 12-pounders and that it isn’t until you get the really big guns (18-24 pounders) that you get a more powerful shot. thank you for your time Joe