Ron,

Thanks for the book suggestions. I had suspected that "The Big Guns" would be a good compendium of the weapons themselves--balking only at the price and realizing that it is unlikely to address the tactical side to the desired extent. I hadn't really thought about the other title, but am now.

I've come to the opposite conclusion about heavy artillery in the coastal forts based on Brennan's "Secessionville" and Wise's "Gate of Hell", as well as what I've read about Fort Fisher, etc. Admittedly, it has been awhile and I need to review these thoroughly.

Right now I'm thinking of the damage the 8 inch Columbiad did at Secessionville, as well as the two rifled 24 pounders. The Columbiad seems to have kept the front cleared with canister. As a result the 24 pdr on the Columbiad's left took the brunt of the attack and quickly was put out of action as fighting proceeded along the parapet. A few companies of men were able to repulse two regiments that reached this parapet.

At Fort Wagner on Morris Island the heavy artillery seems to have been quite effective (granted the force was funneled in to a kill zone.) They were sufficient to break up the attack of 5,000 men vs. a 1,600 man garrison--425 of whom (31st NC) were too rattled by the preceeding bombardment to join the fight until very late.

Fort Fisher seems to have been subdued primarily by the breakthrough on its riverside flank, where heavy arty fire would have been severely restricted.

In the cases that I can think of where seacoast batteries of heavy artillery were easily overcome it was typically as the result of early war naval gunnery and often surprise combined with poor placement of CSA guns, logistical problems, lack of proper ammo, etc. In several cases siege was a major component or the battery was essentially outflanked.