Mike and I last visited North Carolina to see the remnants of the Ironclad CSN Neuse and to check on the full size replica of the same ship. It was not complete in 2006 and was not on display. We stopped in Morehead City, NC to visit with Jim Bircher of Beaufort Naval Armorers to see his shop and talk about artillery. He makes several very nice signal or salute cannon, both muzzle loading and 10 gauge blank guns. He also makes the well known wine cork mortar. You can recognize that it is an eprouvette type instantly by it's unique shape. After an interesting visit we went south to Fort Macon about 20 minutes away.
It was almost 3 PM. so we really had to hustle to see things there. We now have two excuses to go back. The other one is to see all the new artillery pieces the Friends of Fort Macon have added since 2006. At that time the fort mounted only one big gun en barbette and it was a fiberglass replica of a 32 pounder naval/seacoast gun which Confederate gun crews served during the Battle of Fort Macon in 1862.
Today I looked up the friends site and from it I was directed to a facebook page ( you do NOT have to be a member to view the video) which has many comments about what the friends of Fort Macon are doing. You all can enjoy one in particular which shows the Sesquicentennial firing of all three 32 pdrs. they have received as of last year. I believe they have two more on order. These are no reduced sleeve-bore cannon firing 1 pound loads. The movie clip clearly shows earth shaking blasts and clouds of white smoke which can only be produced by 3 to 5 pound blank loads.
Look for the image of a field tent about half way down the right column and click on the play button. It's the best large cannon fire clip we have seen in a long time!! Enjoy.
Here is the link:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-Fort-Macon/170353023022127Tracy
P.S. If you visit North Carolina, don't forget Fort Fisher in the south-east corner of the state. It has by far the best book store of any fort we have visited in the United States and some very interesting artillery as well. I think they shoot 5 pound blanks from their banded 42 pounder.
