Fort adds new gun replica to the site

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Fort Anderson added a new addition to the historic site today.

After almost a decade, a replica of a 150-year old cannon is now on display at Fort Anderson.

Site Manager Jim McKee has been a part of the project since 2008.

“It’s been like Christmas, It’s been like Christmas for two weeks to me, the anticipation leading up to this day,” says McKee.

He says this type of gun is a “32-pounder” and was used during the 1800s.

McKee explained, “32 pounder, what we are talking about is size of the solid cannon ball fired.”

McKee said he was able to find a handwritten inventory listing all the guns used during that time of the Civil War. The list was dated December 1864.

“To have an actually inventory of during the war that tells you that much details… That’s rare,” McKee says.

Organizers said it took about 9 years of research, 2 years to construct the gun, and about 40,000 dollars in donation for this gun to finally be here Friday.

The gun was manufactured in Georgia and was delivered early Friday afternoon.

Once the gun is moved to its permanent location within the fort, they will be able to fire it.

McKee says, “We know very little about the fort, but what we know is key to understanding some of what happened here in the Cape Fear during the war.”

If you would like to visit Fort Anderson, admission is free and open Tuesday through Saturday 9-5pm.