The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-09-01

heEctS
Like vessel divided into bulkhead
commandments, Fort Fisher is divided 4
into many separate compartments by
traver~es These are earth walls stand
ing at right-angl.s With the fort, anu
i>iu. some eight feet or more higher
than the parapet. heir object i To
protect the gunner- from flank ilrc
Between the trayer-cs are the gun Plat
form. and guns, with separate rHmpS
and stairs from the parade ground 10
lie. Each compartment mounts one
or two large burLcHt guns. heslGes holt
iug two or three hundred irt,utryrnen
he assault was directed only aSaln.t
:he two cOmpartmCnt> nearest tLe river +.
end OF the for, hut the Rebel ire VA
delivered not only from the troop ~
rhese compartments, but from all the
rest in range, and from the tops Of the
rIaverseS on the LETT
The >oldiclly ambition Of one or tw"
eo.ur !, aiers IS the cause Of their dis
cayery of ragged hollow, on the tops OF
he two nearest traye,Sc., and, with
.inultaueous rush, they push upward,
me plaut their flags above the heads Of
ne Rebel troops dozen or more
ueu follow them, and fill the shell hol-
lows, from which they open fire down
ward upon the Rebels III the two com
p.rtmcn's. This was the grandest and
most stirring moment ofthe tight. The
rcgirnental flags floating in the battle
smoke close above the heads OF the
Rebel garrison and the daring of the
men, who, though few ii numbers, were
bic to disconcert the defenders with
the plunsing fire from the elevated TO
. -tion on the travcrses it was alnos
hand to-hand business This new fire
. from above checked the direct fire OF
tbc Rebels; and the .lackening was at
: once taken advantage Of by the assault
! ING troops, who sprang on the pararet,
| with ringing cheers, and poured over IL
+ 10 the gun platforms, among the now
passive Rebels The first two compArt
nents were thus surrendered. And
/ presently. one or two hundred unarmsd
Rebels came filing down the outer slope
Of the fort, through the ditch and stock
. ade, and across the sandy plain, run
/ ming and crowding, under the whlzzlng
J, Of shells and bullets, back toward the
= sandy road-two or three armed FEEDER
/ ais in charge These were prl.oners OF
e war-the garrison of the captured com
. partmcnts. The garrison Of the third
4 compartment, which soon fell into our
II hands, escaped into the fourth.
le Hitherto the attack had been agains,
/. small part of the fort, but directed fu
j IN front. The capture Of the first three
,e commandments changed the direction o.
n attack toward the left, and still more
~ narrowed the objective to the depth o
). the traverse.. In an ordinary case The
g - Govt ~o, la ha v
4 given the yictors command of the who'll
90 iut.rior-in other words, would hay
Il been its immediate fall unless, indeed
- the garrison was strong enough to re
il, take it. Here, however, the victor
- fund the interior intenabls, both be
ot csuse of FIRE opened from an lntsrlo
h.. rife pit line, and because the grea
AZ seige-guus mounted on the other fac
Il of the fort we're reserved and brough
:, into play against the captured flank
O. And this fire grew more effective,
nj further captures unnaskcd more guns
j. As fast, then, as our troops capture
u my part of the wall, they had to abar
BIZ, don 1t. interior themselves. and, stl
to clingine with insecure foothold on til
m outside of the slope, to edge their wa
No along, delivered left oblique fir
or scramblins over on reaching the sheltt
oh of a traverse, climbing UP this high'
perch. and, at last, delivering over it
my downward and direct fire tha, was bea1
3eu tifully effective.
III Slowly and obstinately the R.b
'hu Welded traverse after traverse, compar
y" ment after compartment. to the das
On. enthusiasm and soldierly spirit Of the
lef enemies. The courage Of the first a
ION saut was admirably supplemented
hc the persistent, buil-dog tennacity of Il
a1Ey assaulting troops all through the lol
'he afternoon. Wounded men only can
erT struggling back over the sands; al
:ai these spoke e1ultingly, in spite Of the
ny ~ pain and loss Of blood.
lhe The roar Of naval fre-as it's area
Ia, la' action became lessencd by the continu
seo success-gradually gave way to {
d.adlicr crash Of mu>ketry. The shot
ety ing, too. lessened, a. the work becar
ort hotter, and side. settled to the bu-lne:
Its With the slackcning of the naval fl
the the great bastion at the angle grew fre
It 70 offer resistance: the reversed guns
was the inlet face of the fort, and the rit
llng line inside, found more area to pl
upon So the work grew harder. a
cry the progress slower. The Rebels gam
ana pv the concentration-thel artlllt
red swelling a louder and louder roar, as @
heir naval fire grew faint. Then they tul
arm ed aSsaulters and dashed at the near
1t traverse in our hands. Then came
ntal time. when, for hours, the battle ma
.lrlt no progress either way. Here, perhal
ken the wayering balance might have be
up turned against the iadcd assaulters b.
rer> leader Of nerve. with soldlerly eye
tirot The supreme moment. The ring of t
old Rebel yell with an attack of r
eted force aud obstinacy, might have thro
eve back the a.saulter> with an impetus u
ana should carry them entirely away ir
into the fcrt-into defeat But II was
ain to be, though anxiety and doubt clol
,tec ed the b-lliancy OF the first success
cur tue, and the soliiers lost their e
the tion. AID with it not a little ct III
apet sighting force.
hev Somewhere about four o clock IN
each afternoon. when the obstinate 81
lold, looked dubious. distant sound oi~tf
the ing omen came to my ears: SOUND
the firing from the north. Absorbed a
Glib was in the terrible game III front,
,tion alive enough to the responsibility OF
and position. as commander of the plcl
the line, to hear this sound, which
urn probably inaudible to all other ear