The Fort Fisher gun is one of two presented to the Confederacy by friends in England. The other one was at Fort Caswell and also captured. This one was sent to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It is believed to have been scrapped during World War II.
The 150-pdr at Trophy Point is the most photographed artillery piece there.
The gun tube weighs 15,737 pounds. It was described by one Union officer as "the most elegantly furnished piece of artillery I ever saw..." It was a muzzle-loader, but one of the most advanced weapons of its day and made of steel with iron bands, unique "shunt" rifling system that allowed easy loading, studs on the shell loosely guiding the round on its way down the bore.
When the gun was fired, the shell "shunted" to a set of shallow grooves and tightly nipped on its way out, insuring accuracy.
The gun fired two types of shell rounds; a shell which anticipated the modern "shaped charge" with a heat-activated fuze, and the other a flat-nosed, armor piercing range for short range work against ironclad ships.
Lack of ammunition limited the guns effectiveness.
There are many pictures of the one at Fort Fisher, both in its original position of the fort and at West Point.
There is a photograph of the Fort Caswell one at
www.seacoastartillery.com/photos.php?id=87.
It was picked out of the rubble of that fort after the explosion.
Interesting story. I am not sure of the guns range, but I am sure it was far, perfect for keeping those pesky blockaders at bay. A real friend to blockade-runners.
Glad a Copy at Least is Coming Back. --Old B-Runner
The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
