The Confederate defenders of Fort Fisher, besides being extremely outnumbered by their Union foes (just the Naval Column had more men than the entire fort), they were ourgunned by the Union Navy. Just one ship, the USS Minnesota, mounted more cannons than the entire fort.
Another Union advantage was that seven of their regiments were armed with the new Spencer repeating rifles which could fire seven shots before reloading, plus, they were breech-loading.
How hot was the action? Seventy Medals of Honor were given out afterwards for heroism. The USMC received 17.
The highlight of the tour was when the guide looked at us when we were at Sheppard's Battery and said "This will be loud.!" A bunch of re-enactors dressed in Confederate artillery uniforms were on top of the battery preparing to fire off the fort's 32-pdr cannon (not an original one). The guide said it was a $30,000 gift from Canada .
Now, I've been at a lot of re-enactments and there is always field artillery firing, but I had the idea that this much-larger cannon would be much louder. It was!! Considerably louder and we were standing way below the battery and behind it.
It takes a five-pound charge of powder to fire it each time, about $60. Obviously, they rarely fire it, but always do on a Second Saturday program which was why I was so glad to be there. They've had the gun for quite a few years now, but I had never seen it fired.
Had they been firing a real 32-pdr. shell, it would have taken 10-12 pounds of powder in the charge.
I'm Still Walkin'. --Old B-Runner
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