Tech WI: Stoles-Brandt, Model 1858 In The ACW?

I am pretty sure both sides used mortars during sieges such as Petersburg and Vicksburg. The difference here is the shell. IMHO (I am not an expert) the technology did exist but what makes people come up with that kind of shell?
 
Well, it's both the shell, it's portability and its ROF. Mortars in the black powder era were basically nearly-immobile siege weapons. The Stokes-Brandt and its descendants are ridiculously lightweight in comparison, and fire faster than most of the infantry weapons on the field at the time. roughly once every 5 seconds in a "surge".

Whatt's more, they are incredibly simple pieces of gear - pretty much any decent rural blacksmith of the time could crank one out without too much trouble.

To my mind, the blackpipe mortar simply overwhelms conventional muzzle-loading cannon, and that brings up some interesting possibilities.....
 
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