I came across an article in the February 11, 1865, Harper's Weekly that featured a picture of Fort Fisher's Armstrong gun on the front page. It was accompanied with an article which I will quote here. It was all one long paragraph. I have added paragraphs to make it easier to read.
"In Fort Fisher our army found a splendid 150-pound Armstrong Gun weighing 15,739 pounds. Upon it was the inscription 'Sir W. C. Armstrong & Co., Newcastle-upon-Tyne. No. 9.' (Does this mean that it was the ninth cannon of this type made?)
This was quite evidently a present to the rebels from some prominent British gentleman if not from the inventor himself. (Ahh, the British supporting the Rebels,)
Great care had been taken of it, and general Whiting gave especial orders that it was not to be fired except under the pressure of necessity. It had the appearance of having been recently mounted."
So, the British More-or-Less Backed the Confederates. Who'd Have Figured That. --Old B-Runner
The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
