Fort Fisher has Reopened!
Fort Fisher State Historic Site has reopened! The newly constructed visitors center and museum is magnificent. The fort itself has two newly reconstructed gun emplacements “armed” with replica banded and rifled 32-Pounders and two field pieces in front of the fort. It was a beautiful day for a visit. More posts will follow in the future which will try to tell something of the history of the fort and its people, but here are a few photos.
The Naval Cannons of Fort McClary, Maine
Three US Navy cannons are displayed at Fort McClary near Kittery, Maine: a 9-Inch Dahlgren Shell Gun, a Bureau of Ordnance 8-Inch Shell Gun of 6,500 Pounds, and a 32-Pounder of 57 Hundredweight. Fort McClary shows several stages of US Army seacoast fortifications and is beautifully situated overlooking Portsmouth Harbor.
The Dahlgren Guns of the United States Naval Academy
Among the historic cannons preserved at the United States Naval Academy are a Dahlgren Rifle and a 12-Pounder Dahlgren Boat Howitzer. This post also looks at a Civil War era photo of heavy cannons at Annapolis.
32-Pounder Rifle of CSS Teaser - Then and Now
A 32-Pounder of 57 Hundredweight which was banded and rifled by the Confederates is preserved as a trophy at the Washington Navy Yard. This cannon was captured aboard the converted tug boat CSS Teaser. The cannon was photographed after CSS Teaser's capture - allowing a "then and now" look at the cannon as well as the cannon's carriage, sights, and other accessories.
USS Constellation - Sloop of War of the United States Navy
USS Constellation is the last sailing only ship designed for the US Navy in 1854. She is also the only intact US Navy ship which saw active cruising service during the American Civil War. She is preserved at Baltimore.
The Naval Cannons of Exeter, New Hampshire
Four US Navy Cannons are displayed in Exeter, New Hampshire: an 11-Inch Dahlgren, a 32-Pounder of 57 Hundredweight, and two 32-Pounders of 4,500 Pounds
32-Pounder of 57 Hundredweight in Hudson, New Hampshire
A US Navy 32-Pounder of 57 Hundredweight cast by Cyrus Alger and Company in 1848 is displayed on a naval carriage in Hudson, New Hampshire.
The Naval Guns of Old Fort Jackson
Old Fort Jackson near Savannah, Georgia displays several cannon which were manufactured for and used by the US Navy in the years before the American Civil War.
32-Pounder Rifle of CSS Georgia
A 32-Pounder of 57 Hundredweight, banded and rifled by the Confederates, is displayed at Old Fort Jackson near Savannah, Georgia. This cannon was raised from the wreck of CSS Georgia in 1984.
32-Pounders of 57 hundredweight in Defiance, Ohio
Two 32-Pounders of 57 hundredweight are preserved at Old Fort Defiance in Defiance, Ohio. The two cannons are said to have been captured with Fort Fisher near Wilmington, North Carolina. (Photos in this post are courtesy of William Bechmann.)
The Naval Cannon of Fort Anderson
Brunswick Town and Fort Anderson State Historic Site displays two reproduction guns representing US Navy Cannon from the Civil War era. Also on display are 18th century Naval Guns related to the town’s early colonial history.
The 32-Pounders of Fort Fisher
Three United States Navy 32-Pounders are on display at Fort Fisher. These guns illustrate the kind of ordinance in naval use prior to the Civil War and the ways in which these guns were used by North and South during the war.