Three fired Civil War Artillery Friction Primers, found at Ft. Fisher, NC

Being offered are three fired Civil War Artillery Friction Primers. The primer would be inserted in the vent on the breech of the cannon and a lanyard would be hooked to the wire on the primer. A sharp tug on the lanyard scrapes the wire across the mercury (like striking a match), ignites the powder train in the primer; the flame then ignites the powder bag in the breech, discharging the projectile. The primer is blown from the vent. These primers were recovered at Fort Fisher, NC on the Cape Fear side (see map).

After being informed about the large Union army heading toward Wilmington, General Lee ordered Major General Robert Hoke's Division to Fort Fisher. Also, Hoke took command of all Confederate forces in the Wilmington area.

The Union attack started on December 24, 1864, with a naval bombardment. The firepower of Fort Fisher was temporarily silenced because some of its gun positions exploded. This allowed the Navy to land Union infantry. The landing force was intercepted by the arrival of Hoke's troops.

The Union attack was effectively thwarted, and on December 27 Benjamin Butler ordered the withdrawal of his 1,000 soldiers who were still on the beach. This was in defiance of Grant's orders, which were to besiege the fort if the assault failed. Because Butler disobeyed his orders, he was relieved of command by Grant.

In my book “Civil War Artillery – A Pictorial Introduction”, I go into more detail on these primers and the cannons they were used on (see pictures). A nice addition to any Civil War collection.