Downtown in Raleigh in Wake County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Blakely Cannon
Fawcett, Preston & Company of Liverpool, England, cast this 4-inch, 18-pounder rifled cannon in 1862 and sold it to the Confederacy. It was part of a “flying battery” of field artillery stationed at Fort Fisher that protected Confederate commerce vessels, called blockade-runners, that traded at Wilmington, North Carolina. This cannon participated in the fight for the blockade-runner Hebe, which ran aground near Fort Fisher on August 18, 1863. As the USS Minnesota and other Union gunboats shelled the Hebe five days later, a party of sailors landed and captured the Confederates’ flying battery, including the Blakely cannon. Rear Admiral S. Philips Lee, commander of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, later sent the Blakely to Washington, D.C., as a trophy of the U.S. Navy’s service on the blockade of Wilmington.
Fawcett, Preston & Company cast many Blakely patent cannons. This specific example, however, does not bear the “Blakely’s Patent” stamp. The gun actually resembles a Federal 3-inch ordnance rifle more than a Blakely, even though it is indeed a Blakely model.
The N.C. Museum of History would like to thank the Naval Historical Center, Washington Naval Yard, Washington D.C., for the loan of the Blakely cannon; Joe Schwarzer and Dennis Schurr for locating the gun; and East Carolina’s Constructors, and William Prentice for their assistance in conserving the cannon. Special thanks also go to Ken and Martha Howard for funding the conservation.
Erected by North Carolina Museum of History.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1862.
Location. 35° 46.88′ N, 78° 38.339′ W. Marker is in Raleigh, North Carolina, in Wake County. It is in Downtown. Marker is on East Edenton Street, on the right when traveling west. Marker is located in Bicentennial Plaza, across the street from the capitol. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 15 E Edenton St, Raleigh NC 27601, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. North Carolina State Capitol (a few steps from this marker); North Carolina (a few steps from this marker); Frederick Augustus Olds (a few steps from this marker); Thomas Day (within shouting distance of this marker); State of North Carolina Agriculture Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Medical Society of North Carolina (within shouting distance of this marker); Old Hickory Highway (within shouting distance of this marker); North Carolina Dental Society (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Raleigh.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 11, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 1,110 times since then and 85 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on February 11, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.