Within the museum is a display of period weapons, including this weird thing: A Pierriere á Boite, or Breech-Loading Cannon. Powder and shot were loaded into a cartridge (which was the size of a beer stein) and screwed onto the rear of this gun. Like a contemporary cannon, the powder charge could then be ignited through a vent hole. While the concept seems kind of forward-thinking, this weapon can't have been particularly effective, in that...I've never seen or heard of such a gun before, have you? If it had worked, it would have been widespread.

This specimen was unearthed at Fort St. Frederic, all the way on the other side of New York State, in 1968.