Fort Fisher's most famous weapon is coming home ... and we need your help.

The Armstrong Gun (a rifled cannon) was manufactured by Sir William Armstrong & Co. in England during the American Civil War. It was imported to the Confederacy in 1864 and found a home at Fort Fisher as the key piece of armament to help guard the entrance to the port of Wilmington, N.C., the last bloackade-running seaport open to the South. This gun was captured when Fort Fisher fell to Union forces on January 15, 1865. It was seized as a war trophy and transported to the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York—where it remains today.

Armstrong Gun Purdie Battery Fort Fisher, 1865

During the battles for Fort Fisher in December 1864 and January 1865, some 40,000 shells were fired at the fort. This was the greatest number ever fired during a single battle until World War I. The final battle for Fort Fisher was the largest joint amphibious operation in U.S. military history until the allied invasion of Normandy in World War II (June 1944).

Armstrong Shell

The Armstrong Gun itself represented leading-edge technology. It was a "muzzle loader" that used a special studded 150-pound shell that could be hurled a distance of up to five miles. The studs on the shell aligned with grooves in the 16,000-pound tube which, when fired, caused the shell to rotate, greatly improving its accuracy. The weapon's massive recoil was absorbed by specially designed clamps that were tightened against the main support rails.

Since 1865, the Armstrong Gun has been the USMA's heavy ordnance centerpiece on "Trophy Point." Now, after 138 years, Fort Fisher's most famous weapon is coming home.

Arranging for its loan has taken the resources of Fort Fisher State Historic Site, the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, and representatives from several historical and preservation oriented organizations. The 16,000 pound-Armstrong tube will be delivered to Fort Fisher in early November 2004 as a focal point for the 140th Anniversary and Observance of the Battle of Fort Fisher. It will remain on display through February 2006. The gun will then be returned to West Point and a reproduction tube will be mounted on the specially manufactured carriage.

Under the auspices of the Fort Fisher Restoration Committee (the site's non-profit support organization), tax deductible contributions are being solicited to properly exhibit this unique piece of heavy ordnance at its original home. Plans call for a reinforced concrete pad to be poured and finished to support the massive cannon, carriage, and chassis. A protective and decorative fence will surround the exhibit, which will be equipped with an alarm system for additional security. Interpretive signage will tell the story of the mighty Armstrong and donors will receive prominent acknowledgment.

The 140th Anniversary Observance and public display of the Armstrong Gun are a joint project of the Fort Fisher Restoration Committee and the North Carolina Division of State Historic Sites. Funds for these special events, and the continued display of the cannon, are being raised entirely from individual and corporate donations.

Armstrong Gun at West Point United States Military Academy

No State or Federal funding is being sought for the 140th Anniversary events. Instead, the Fort Fisher Restoration Committee Board of Directors has authorized establishment of the Armstrong Society, with membership limited to the first 140 contributors of $500.00 or more. Armstrong Society contributions will allow Fort Fisher to bring this special exhibit and anniversary events to the public—beginning in November 2004 and continuing through 2005.

Armstrong Society members will have the satisfaction of having done their part to preserve Fort Fisher's history, while making the 140th Anniversary exhibits and events available for more than 720,000 annual visitors and school groups.

Armstrong Society members will receive these special benefits:

• Distinctive membership certificate

• Recognition on donor plaque at Fort Fisher

• Invitation to unveiling and exhibit opening

• Invitations, recognition, and VIP seating at receptions and dinners with special guests

• Program acknowledgment and quarterly newsletter recognition

• Simultaneous one-year membership and benefits in the 'Friends of Fort Fisher' organization

Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Please help us bring the Armstrong Gun home to Fort Fisher !!

Make donations payable to:
Fort Fisher Restoration Committee
... and please note: 140th Anniversary.

Mail to:
Fort Fisher Restoration Committee, Inc.
P.O. Box 169, Kure Beach, N.C. 28449

Fort Fisher State Historic Site North Carolina Office of Archives & History

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