Confederate Imprints

This is the story of the men, the guns, and the fortifications of the Civil War defenses of the Cape Fear River and Wilmington, North Carolina. It is a chronological presentation of the enlistments, assignments, and transfers of every unit and commander to serve in the Cape Fear during the early months of the Civil War. It is an analysis of the chronological evolution of the Cape Fear fortifications, as well as the technical aspects of their construction. Moreover, it is an analysis of the struggle by the Confederacy to maintain parity with Union artillery. The types of cannon that served in the Cape Fear from the first day of the war to the last are outlined and discussed, as are their capabilities and shortcomings. The evolution of smoothbore to rifled cannon in the river and land defenses is traced, as are the many and varied sources of artillery pieces.