The Dictator — Model 1861 13 Inch Seacoast MortarMade from cast iron at the Fort Pitt Foundry,

The Dictator — Model 1861 13 Inch Seacoast MortarMade from cast iron at the Fort Pitt Foundry, Pittsburgh, PA, the Model 1861 13 Inch Seacoast Mortar would become the terror of the Union Army during the American Civil War.  The large 200 pound project it fired (using a 20 pound blackpowder charge) could level almost any wall, bunker, or fortification known at that time.  At 17,120 pounds in weight, the Model 1861 was so heavy that it could only be transported by railway.  It had a range of 4,325-4,752 yards, or 2-3 miles. As well as its incredible destructive power, the Model 1861 offered a huge psychological advantage, as enemies quelled in terror at its long range, power, and the whistling noise made when its shell came screaming from the sky.“The Dictator” was one such gun, famous for its use in the siege of Petersburg, VA.  St. Petersburg was a city north of Richmond, the capitol of the Confederacy.  Thus capturing Petersburg was the last step in capturing Richmond.  The Confederate Army heavily fortified the city, and Union forces laid siege.  They war shifted from a set piece “Napoleon Style” type of warfare to the trench fighting that would be seen over 50 years later during World War I.  “The Dictator” and other large Union guns were pivotal in breaking up Confederate defenses and bombarding the city. -- source link

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