Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-05-15
HOW FORT FISHER FELL.
One OF the Great Achievements OF the
Great War Gallant Conduct and
Thrilling Episodes.
copyrighted, 1851
STEERING SCENES

Thrilling Episodes.
Copyrighted, 1861
STEERING SCENES
Never, from the time when Capt. Newport
sailed up the James to the present day of grace,
did Hampton Roads so many vessels an
chored in its fair waters at one time as in the
autumn of 1851 The forests of masts re-
minded an observer of the busiest of CONNER
cisl ports; but commercial vessels were
among those there lying, unless we call COM
mercia such as had been chartered for the
transport of COAL provisions, and powder, and
of troops some ofwhon were to be food for
powder. Armed vessels of all kinds were there.
from the great steam frigate to the monitor;
transports from the two-thOusand-ton steamer
to the coal schooner; and lOokers-on, in the
shape of French and English men-of-war.
River steamboats, were busy, too, for Grant was
besieging Petersburg, and the traffic up the
river to supply the needs of his army was I'm.
meuSc.
Grim and black, in the midst of this crowd OF
shipping, lay the Ironsides, vessel Whlch
had made a name at Charleston, and was
looked upon with curiosity by every one who
passed her.
A huge mass of wood and iron, she was not
handsome, from a nautical point oil view, al
though Jack" often quoted, in regard TO her,
the old saying, handsome is as handsome
does" She mounted, in broadside, fourteen
Carriages beside two MISUNDERSTANDING
FOUNDER Parrot rifles, all on her gun-dcck and
inside an IRON c;,seInate; vi very ,snt ut a
terry into water where other large vessels could
not go Her armor was of fourinch iron plates,
with port shutters of the same, all much lI-
den.ct. By shot from the forts at Charleston.
To these latter the lTonSides had been a terror:
Tor. once in position, she could Keep up such q.
stand To their guns against her. Her ends were
not lrmored, and were again and again pene-
tr1ted by hostile shot, but no one had ever
beer killed by hostile shot, between her decks,
during the many engagements through wnlcn
she had passed.
Twice whIIe off Charleston she narrowly es-
capped destruction. During one of the attacks
upon the forts there she lay Tor more than an
hour light over an immense submarine mine
containing two thousand pounds of powder
which had been sunk in the main shipchannel.
IL was in tended TO explode 1t by electricity AT
the tine when bearings showed that the vessel
1t; but, most fortunately, something
was wrong with the wires, and the charge could
not be exploded.
On another occasion, when lying off the bar,
the vessel was approached by 4 ciSaT-Shaped
torpedo boat, which was discovered through
the darkness running straight for her at right
angles with her length. The officer in charge
IL the watch jumped on the rail TO hail the
stranger, Ghen he was shot with u muSket In
the hands of the person directing the torpedo
boat Immediately the torpedo exploded
alongside, shaking the snip very much, and
no material damage. The torpedo boat sank,
but the person conducting her. an ex-lieutenant
made prisoner. ON this occasion the IronSides
was saved from destruction By having the great
hole unde- water for the "Outboard delivery"
on the port side instead of the starboard, rs is
usual in s;eainers And if the torpedo had been
inserted into that, as was intended, the vessel
would probably have been destroyed and sunk,
with all on board.
The engines and boilers of the vessel were
very fine. but had not power enough to drive
the greet mass in which they were placed at
more tran six knots at the best. Her steering
apparatus was curiosity, the rudder being
-itIrff init f6d
u double upon Itself, something like fiSh'S
tail. II gave much trouble, but her crew man.
aged % get into position whenever fighting was
goine on in spite OF such drawbacks.
Having been sent up TO Philadelphia from
Charleston for much needed repairs, when the
lronsides was sent 10 Hampton Roads she was
sentup to Norfolk Navy-Yard to strip for a
figh~ Here the effects OF war were seen in the
destruction by fire OF Large store-houses, ship
houses and shops and the blowing up of splen-
did slone docks, while sunk in the river were
the adjourned Eulks of several fine men-of-
war. Hauling alongside the wharf the Iron
side: put on shore all her Spars but the three
lower masts, coaIed ship, filled the huge maya
zine: with powder and shell, after which she
dropped down to Fort Norfolk. Here two thou
sondfive hundred bread-bagS were filled with
sandand placed upon the spar-deck as pro-
tectisn from pluESing fire, work involving
greatiabor, but which proved most useful in
the nur of need. After this was done the ship
returned To Hampton Roads. where drills of all
kind. target practice and boat exercises were
The Gder of the day.
THE OBJECTIVE POINT.
1t vas Well understood that the powerful
Geetcolllected there destined to attack
some important stronghold, and that could not
be any other than Fort Fisher situated on
Federal Point, and commanding one
entrance OF the Cape Fear river, as Admiral
Porcr's command did rot extend below North
Carolina At that period of the war the most
OF TIE Atlantic and Gulf ports We're either in
Our osSession or enectually closed, SO that the
toob place in the Cape Fear river. To guard
eots eIdr,nces of this river space of sixty
mills had To be patrolled, with the dangers of
shoas and winter gales, IN a VIGOROUSLY I'M
safe ieishborhood for vessels. This was done,
and yell done. too; but, in spite of the large
navd force stationed there, the blOckade-run-
ners swift. low vessels commanded by skilIful
and t,ring men. uotI!d slip by. sometimes, on a
daTsh, n spite Of eGdn hard They
az any time, and in their construction every
thini was sacrificed To speed so THAI they were,
as lick says, like u spider-crab, ali legs and
arm." Generally they made the land miles to
the rortiIwar and, trusting to their color and
IN tine beach until New Inlet was reached.
Once under the guns OF Fort Fisher they were
safe,and could choose their own time for pick
Ing heir way across "a bar which. at the best
tide only gave twelve faIhoms. Yet this place
had been tine entrance and Kit of many mil
lion: OF dollars worth of stores munitions of
war,lud cotton during the years of the war 1t
was therefore, most important to close this
i've, and to do that 1t WAS necessary To capture
FOr4fi>her, after which the other forts and bat
terISs would necessarily DC either captured or
abandoned.
wes her Was becoming more wintry and bad
butsye were still kept waiting, because General
BGi.er mad conceived iuc;, that giant tor
pe''. or powder-boat, might he run in under
CT II IsigeT iu1 There c8piUlicd rs TO destroy
tit- 1rI.uc..tIOns and Kill stun the garrison
rae PREPARATION u; This boat. detained Us Tor
week.
UNDER WAY AT LAST,
Let = last eFerything was announced to be
IN rei.tness- The troops which were to parti-
eipitc b the expedition, under the command
o. t'rUf;I Tut or himself, came down the James
IlNsf ID trans ports. packed like herring in :,
c:t,K. al. 81 tsle 18TH of December, We sailed
from hampton s.odG>-a huge fleet OF i-on-cladS
f1"Eitr. F::s;s.vs, sUOisSy,;.r nd transports:
IL \ LDc extending ior many miles-lhe mos;
IGJscfis ii1et, - Tar guEs went, which Tad
ever sccu seen in American waters.
Ncst Gsy We 90. round HIttcrGS, and bauled
up - cross IA. 5isiit -; OIIsiow Bay To- tar.
bosNoui- Here, under the sandy cape tie
ltFser vessels S2CliUred, while the smaller craft
-s+On!;ofs, transports and otEers-went into
LHuIort.
- the 18th Of December the fIeet 90, of,
asia for their rendezvous. which was indi-
cjeG III genera, orders as twenty miles
ct. of New Inlet In this position literaIiy
: sea, we anchored IL position In when I'm
I-icc tines, Ii wou.d have been Considered
ioiha-dy tor any vessel ~ remain at tina. SEA-
seI .: the year. And here, sure enough We had
sraetk al fOs>. gales and heavy while aims
NTo ctIiIn netting During tine gales the vessels
Specially the monitors were hail ul.der water
nj 81 print OF the latter riding out one OF these
pies tSteainlEg up 10 their anchors, and often
Dinpieieiy submerged by huge seas, except tue