I am aware of efforts that armies have made to neutralize their opponents' artillery, if not outright even turn their guns towards them in the course of battles throughout history. Yet, I feel that less heard of are efforts to outright steal such pieces from being deployed by one's opponent in battle in the first place.
A notable example I did find is from the song "Right Hand Man" in Hamilton - where Alexander Hamilton stole cannons from the British down in New York. But, even knowing that they defeated the soldiers protecting these guns, there remains the problem of transporting them out of a hostile camp back to friendly territory.
How exactly did Hamilton steal cannons off the hands of the British and successfully get away with it? (The added weight of those guns would not have helped, I think)
And perhaps more broadly, how were similar operations carried out throughout history?
It likely refers to the events of 23-24 August 1775.
By that point NYC was something of a powder keg. While New York City had a much higher than elsewhere % of Loyalists, the colonial legislature(which had replaced a previous more loyalist leaning body) was beginning to be dominated by Rebels. And as tensions grew Patriot elements in NYC progressively acted more bold, though there was also tension between colonies as there was fear that the more active New England forces might decide to force the issue. Complicating matters was the personally liked and respected Royal Governor William Tryon and a small gaggle of Royal Navy warships in the harbor anchored by HMS Asia a 64 gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line.
As the fighting looked to be expanding, stocks of military supplies became focal points. In April after word spread of Lexington and Concord, a mob broke into the militia armory in NYC and stole several hundred muskets, bayonets, and cartridge boxes. And in June stocks of Saltpeter were removed from the armory at Turtle bay(near the UN Building today), and the colony was further divided when a group of Patriot leaders took much of the rest with the help of men from Connecticut and toke the supplies back with them.
And so a few weeks later in August, as the last shore based garrison of British troops pulls back the focus is now on Battery Park on the Southern tip of Manhattan, and home to 24 guns that are in essence unguarded. An important location securing passage up both the East River and Hudson. And one that had been fortified to various degrees of strength since the days of Dutch New Amsterdam. Patriot leadership, under local leader and new Continental Army officer John Lamb, who had organized the CT Men to act first and secure the supplies at Turtle Bay regardless of local anger, New York Militia units moved to secure them to prevent their removal by the British. Assisting in this effort was Hamilton's new small militia company formed with other students from King's College(now Columbia).
The Smithsonian description of the night and quote from Hercules Mulligan is think is worth quoting here.
At 11 o’clock on the night of August 23, Continental Army Artillery captain John Lamb gave orders for his company, supported by Hamilton’s volunteers and a light infantry unit, to seize two dozen cannons from the battery at the island’s southern tip. The Asia’s captain, having been warned by Loyalists that the Patriots would raid the fort that night, posted a patrol barge with redcoats just offshore. Shortly after midnight, the British spotted Hamilton, his friend Hercules Mulligan, and about 100 comrades tugging on ropes they had attached to the heavy guns. The redcoats opened a brisk musket fire from the barge. Hamilton and the militiamen returned fire, killing a redcoat. At this, the Asiahoisted sail and began working in close to shore, firing a 32-gun broadside of solid shot. One cannonball pierced the roof of FrauncesTavern at Broad and Pearl Streets. Many years later Mulligan would recall: “I was engaged in hauling off one of the cannons, when Mister Hamilton came up and gave me his musket to hold and he took hold of the rope. . . . Hamilton [got] away with the cannon. I left his musket in the Battery and retreated. As he was returning, I met him and he asked for his piece. I told him where I had left it and he went for it, notwithstanding the firing continued, with as much concern as if the [Asia] had not been there.”
Hamilton ’s cool under fire inspired the men around him: they got away with 21 of the battery’s 24 guns, dragged them uptown to CityHallPark and drew them up around the Liberty Pole under guard for safekeeping. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/hamilton-takes-command-74722445/
In part for his growing reputation for coolness in crisis and reliability Hamilton, despite not being a native New Yorker, in the Spring of 1776 was able to leverage connections to become the Captain of the New York Militia Artillery Company. From there he would become swept up in the NY-NJ Campaign. The main Continental Army relocated from Boston in advance of the anticipated British landings. During the fighting in September things were not looking good for the Patriot cause, and the battered Continentals and Militia withdrew from Lower Manhattan when a British force landed at Kips Bay(around modern 34th St), after already barely escaping Brooklyn, an interesting incident occurred.
Major Burr countermanded orders Captain Hamilton's unit had to form a rearguard to try to rally the already collapsed American lines, and had him pull back too. While losing most of their equipment and baggage, the men made it to Harlem still with 2 of their 6 pounder field guns. A major help as the Continentals had no real supply system set up to replace any lost weapons yet. Hamilton's battery would further distinguish itself and its commander in the slogging, dispiriting retreat through new Jersey that Fall and in the Winter Campaign that saw the battles of Trenton and Princeton. It as during the Winter Quarters then at Morristown(a place the Continentals would come to despise over the years) that Washington finally convinced Hamilton to take a job on his staff after refusing several other senior officers and with the support of rising star General Nathaniel Greene, and Chief of Artillery Henry Knox.
Some additional reading you might be interested in that is freely available!
The US Army's history of one Major General Hamilton: https://history.army.mil/books/RevWar/ss/hamilton.htm
The Smithsonian article mentioned above: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/hamilton-takes-command-74722445/