Fort Fisher State Historic Site battleground has three new exhibits with cannons that were once fired there during the Civil War – and a brand new discovery.

Beginning Friday, November 19, 2004, visitors will be able to see the huge Armstrong cannon, smaller Whitworth and Blakely cannons, and an impressive exhibit about the well-dressed and gallant leader, Col. Thomas J. Purdie.

The exhibits are part of the 140th Anniversary observance of the last battle and resulting fall of Fort Fisher on January 15, 1865. Fort Fisher protected the entrance to the Cape Fear River, where ships carried valuable cargo to Confederate armies. The Fort’s fall enabled Union forces to sever primary supply routes, causing the war to end nine months later.

During the takeover, more than 20,000 shells were fired at the Fort. That was the greatest number ever fired during a single battle until World War I. The battle at Fort Fisher was the largest joint amphibious operation in United States military history up to the Normandy invasion in June 1944 during World War II.

In September 1864, two monstrous 8-ton Armstrong cannons arrived at Wilmington. One was transported to Fort Fisher and the other went to Fort Caswell.

The Armstrong had the capability of firing 150-pound shells up to four miles away. Creator Sir William G. Armstrong, in England, reconfigured traditional ignition systems to create one that had more power and accuracy. Studs on the 150-pound shells aligned with groves in the 16,000 pound barrel that caused the shell to rotate, greatly improving its accuracy. The 16.33 inch tall armor-piercing shell contained no fuse, but instead was detonated by friction.

When the Armstrong package arrived, it only included a limited supply of shells. Four were used during the first of the final onslaughts. Several others were fired during the Fort’s fall two weeks later. Union solders seized the cannon as a war trophy and took it to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, where it’s been ever since. The other went to the smelter. Inside the Fort Fisher Museum, visitors see two more cannons. The Blakely and the Whitworth.

Like the Armstrong, these two guns were also used during the war at Fort Fisher. The Whitworth was known for its accuracy, as it had several directional sites for accurate firing.

When the Blakely arrived two weeks ago, the barrel needed to be cleaned. Staff members report is was full of trash. Al Hines, Cameron Miller and Ray Thomas were floored when they dug out a sponge, the wet, wooden end of a ramrod used to extinguish flames and hot ashes before reloading the cannon with gunpowder. In the 1800s, the sponge was a safety device. Staff learned soldiers stuffed the sponges down the tubes to plug the air vent, thus rendering the gun useless after the war ended.

The sponge will not be on exhibit to the public until it has completed its conservation process. The cannons will be on display from November 2004 until February 2006. A reproduction of the Armstrong will then go on permanent exhibit at the Fort. Just inside the Museum front door, visitors will probably be surprised at what money could buy during the war. Col. Thomas J. Purdie, a 31-year old bachelor who came from a very wealthy family in Bladen County, led his men to battle wearing uniforms made of the fine silks and cottons.

Not only was Purdie wealthy, but he was highly regarded as a kind, gallant leader. Even though his assignment at Fort Fisher was short, he made such a significant impression that Purdie Battery was named in his honor. When he died at the battle of Chancellorville, Northern soldiers stripped his body of his uniform, as it was so elegant. He was 33 years old.

The Purdie exhibit is on loan from the Averasboro Battlefield Commission. Visitors will see his uniform, sword, canteen, valise and other items.

Fort Fisher State Historic Site battlefield is located on US Highway 421 South in Kure Beach, North Carolina. The site spans both sides of the highway, from the Cape Fear River to the ocean, but the Museum and parking is on the right (west) – before reaching the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher.

Winter hours (October 1 – March 31) are 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday. Summer hours (April 1 – September 30) are Monday - Saturday 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and Sunday 1:00-5:00 p.m. Guided tours, admission and parking are free of charge. Souvenirs and educational materials are available at the Museum Gift Shop. Most of the facility is handicapped accessible.

Memberships to the Friends of Fort Fisher are $25 for individuals, $40 for families, and $15 for students under 18 years of age. Corporate packages are available. To learn more, log onto www.friendsoffortfisher.com..

For more information, call 910-458-5538 or visit www.fortfisher.nchistoricsites.org.