The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1865-04-04
Letter from Surgeon LA. Brewer.
Interesling Account Of the Cap
ture Of Wilmington or
HEApouARrrRs, 2d Brig. 2d Div, J.
33d Ala, W ilmingion N. O.,
Eak 81 I9eE

sael ssA IN, Feb "a, 1865
n. Om. command left Alexandria, Va,
on the 18th inst, and came to anchor
opposite Fort Carroll at the mouth of
Cape Fear river, on the morning of the
l4th. The troops on our boat, the Cas-
sandria, were obliged to remain on
board until the evening ofthe 10th inst.
on account of our vessel being so large
that she could not run in over the sand
bars at the entrance of the harbor, nor
could we get boats to take us off until
that time. We landed at the mouth of
the river, at a town called Smithville, q
place of ten or fifteen hundred inhabi-
tants before the war. On the morning
ofthe 18th, our Brigade apd Gen. Cox's
Division of the 23d Corps moved ont
on the south side of the river for Fort
Anderson, eight miles from the eentrance
into Cape Fear river. The troops ar
rived there, before evening, and drove
in the rebel pickets to within ashort
distance of the Fort. Next day, the
18th, the Gunboat fleet, consisting of
the Monitor Montague and about 90.
iron-clads and wooden gunbpats moved
up, and opened fire on Fort Anderson.
The Monitor ran right up under the fire
ofthe Fort, and the other vessels open
ed a half range, and kept up a trcmcn-
doUs cannonading all day, but they on
ly elected an occasional fire from the
enemy IN return. The land forces NOV
ed up also, and made an attack on the
land side of the Fort at the same. time
but found the Fort protected by the riv-
er on one flank, and n. wet, impossible
swamp on the other side, and very heavy
earthworks in front, that they thought
impracticable to assault yoh
Towards evening, Gen. Cox with his
Division moved TO the extreme left,
around the swamp, while Col Moore,
with our Brigade and one of the 3d Di-
vision left to menace the enemy in front,
while Gen. Cox. made his flank move
mont during the night. The distance
Gen. Cox had to march made it impos-
sille for him to get in the rear Of the en-
emy until some time in the forenoon Of
the 10th. Col. Moore of the 25th Mich.
commanding our Brigade, WHO'S always
vigilant and active in the discharge OF
his duties, discovering during the night
that the rebels were unusually busy,
eitherin making preparations 70 mass
their troops on his left, or werp' trying
to evacuate the place, ordered an attack
on the Fort an hour before daylight on
the morning Of ,the 10th inst. He adj
vanced our Brigade, keeping the other
in rescrve.-lrovc in the. rebel pickets
and carried the Fort with. but slight re-
sistance, capturing a few prisoners, two
stand of colors and ten pieces of artille
ry, and planted the American flag upon
the Fort before the gunboat fleet hait
discovered that the rebels had eyacua-
ted the Fort.
The gunboats had kept up an occa-
sional fire or tie Fort during the night,
and when daylight came, they discov-
cred Col. Moore in the act ofputing up
tho flag, they supposed in the distance
that they were off from the Fort-that
it was a rebel flag still dcliantly fiaunt
ing in the breeze, and they opened fire
on it from one ofthe iron -clads, the first
shot passing directly over his head in
uncomfortable proximity, and the next
shell bursting little short of its smark.
During the intervals of firing, the Col.
continued to wave the flag and sounded
the bugle to cease firing, and finally the
gunboat saw the joke and stopped f.
ring.
Our troops passed on in pursuit of
the rebels as soon as they discovered
that they had evacuated the Fort, and
on the goth and 2lst drove them back
to their fortilications around Whining
ton.
Gin the eyoning of the 2lst inst, our
Brigade was ordered back to Fort Ar
derson where our feet lay, and crossed
the river to assist Gen. Terry, who was
operating against the enemy OH the East
or North side of the river
On the morning ofthe 22d, Washing
toms birth day, the Navy was Hecked
ont in their gaycst attire--hsgs, ensigns
or streamcrso fywg from every mast
head. At precisely IL o'clock at noon,
the 'gunboat fired a salute of 80 guns in
honor of the day we celebrated, also III
honor of the capture of Wilmington,
which took place by Gen. Tcrry's fore
es entering the place about o 9o'clock A.
NJ, the 22d Our Brigade marched up
by land, and entered Wilmington about
sundown, and the fleet ofgunboats and
vessels arrived about the same time.
Wilmington, as you are aware, has
been the great port of entry for block
ade runners ever since the war began,
and has done more tn supply the wants
of the Southern Confederacy by impor-
tations, than all other ports put togeth-
err since the establishment of the block
ade. The reason of the success of