The Naval Cannon of Fort Anderson
Reproduction 30-Pounder Parrott of US Navy type on display at Brunswick Town in front of the ruins of St. Philip’s Church. This cannon has since been moved to a different location at the Brunswick Town / Fort Anderson State Historic Site.
Brunswick Town and Fort Anderson State Historic Site has reproductions of two Civil War era cannons on display. One is a 30-Pounder Parrott. It appears to be based on the US Navy version of the gun with its shorter overall length and hole for a breeching rope through the cascable. Though a Navy-type gun it is mounted on an Army siege carriage. The other is a reproduction of a US Navy Pattern of 1846 32-Pounder Gun of 57cwt (hundredweight) - again mounted on an army carriage, this time a front pintle barbette carriage. Fort Anderson was armed with two cannons of this type which had been captured with the Gosport Navy Yard at Norfolk and then rifled by the Confederates. Unlike the guns of this type now displayed at Fort Fisher, the Fort Anderson rifled 32-pounders were not banded with a reinforcing ring of wrought iron - limiting the weight of both the projectiles fired from them and the amount of powder used as propellant.
Reproduction US Navy 32-Pounder of 57cwt as initially displayed at Brunswick Town.
Reproduction 32-Pounder at Brunswick Town emplaced in the earthworks of Fort Anderson - Representing the unbanded rifled 32-pounders deployed here during the Civil War
32-Pounders of 57cwt, banded and rifled by the Confederates, displayed at Fort Fisher (across and several miles down the Cape Fear River from Fort Anderson).
The Reproduction 30-Pounder Parrott as presently display at Fort Anderson with the ruins of colonial Brunswick Town in the background.
A combined US Army and US Navy attack took Fort Anderson in early 1865, following the successful amphibious assault on Fort Fisher.
As well as the reproduction Civil War era cannons, Brunswick Town State Historic Site displays two 18th (or possibly 17th) century cannon recovered from the wreck of the Spanish sloop Fortuna which attacked the English settlement at Brunswick Town during the War of Jenkins Ear in 1748. While bombarding the town, the Fortuna caught fire and exploded.
Six-Pounder from Spanish Sloop Fortuna sunk in 1748.
Possibly 17th Century 8-pounder or Demi-Culverin of English Manufacture recovered from wreck of Spanish Sloop Fortuna.
In particular, the cannon presently unmounted which is missing a bit of its muzzle is a fascinating gun. Visiting the Facebook Page of Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site and searching the term “Fortuna” yields quite a bit about these two fascinating cannons.
The museum on site has a large number of Native, Colonial, and Civil War era artifacts including this collection of Civil War era projectiles.
Model of USS Montauk in the museum.
The ruins of St. Philip’s Church (built 1754-1768, destroyed 1776) are beautiful and are a setting for various events throughout the year - including services near Christmas and Easter.
Excavated foundations of several colonial buildings are on the site - including this home “Russellborough” which was the residence of Colonial Governors Dobbs and Tryon. I imagine that the (relative) grandeur of this existing home contributed to the frustration of the Regulators when Tryon wanted a far grander house built in New Bern - what became “Tryon Palace.”
