The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-09-05
FORT FISHER
HOW THE KEY TO THE SOUTH"
WAS CAPTURED.
An Assault by a Combined Federal
Force of the Army and Navy
The Fort taken After a Des-
pevate Resistance.

federate stronghold, commanding one
entrance to Cape Fear River, is described
BY writer in the Chicago Inter- Ocean,.
The combined assault by the Federal
army and navy force took place January
IA, 1866, and was witnessed by the writer
from one of the attacking vesseh. He
says:
The 18th of January broke clear, and
with smooth beach and light westerly
wind. The ironclads went in closer than
ever, 50 that their keels were close to the
sand impossible except with perfectly
smooth water-and the bombardment
commenced il quite bu'incss-like way.
Some re -inforcunents were observed to
be thrown into the fort by river steamer
which had come down the Cape Fear
River from Washington, and to-day the
combatants were girding ther loins for
the final strugge which every one felt to
be near. By II in the morning the troops
were all landed and intrenched among
some scrubby woods about mile and o
half to the northward of tie fort. South
of this, toward the huge earthwork, there
was an opcn space of sand and sedge for
near a mile. At this time storming
party of sailors and marines pulled on
shore from the feet, and were soon
landed; about $3.50 the nava' column
was ready to advance along the beach,
and at given signal the fire of the feet
suddenly ceased, the quiet after such
continuous uproar sc,ming quite un-
natural.
The naval column moved close along
the beach by the left flank, with the in
tention of assaulting the face of the angle
or main work, which was about forty
feet high and about like railway en-
bankment. In addition to these difficult
ties there was very strong stockade,
bolted and battened and strapped to-
gether. Well, it was not very pleas
ant job, but the sailors and marines
marched down to try it. eco -
As the fire from the fleet ceased, the
garrison came out of their bomb-proofs
and manned the parapet of the sea-face
of the fort, shooting at the sailors and
marines from the "coign of vantage" as
if the seafaring people were a covey Of
partridges. To looker-on the people
who manned the parapet appeared only
to fire the loaded pieces which were
handed them by the people in the rear;
and the fire was not only rapid but ac-
curlte. The beach was soon full of dead
and wounded, for there was no protec-
ton from the fire. Some of those
wounded when very: close to the water
staggered into the slight surf, and had
to be assisted out. So heavy and fatal
was this small-arm fire that few of the
assaulting force actually reached the
foot of the mound which formed the
northeastern angle of the fort. They
could 60 no farther, and having reached
a place OF partial shelter at the foot of
the sea-face of the fort, inside the stock
ade, they were obliged to stay there un-
til the approaching darkness, and the
hard fighting on the northern facs of the
fort, drew the garrison of, to the last man,
and enabled the navy people to get away.
In this foolhardy attempt twenty-one
officers of the navy were killed and
wounded, and the loss among the men
was proportionate. As far as the assault
went it was perfect failure; but the
lives lost were not entirely thrown away,
as the naval attack created diversion,
drawing the garrison off the sea-face,
distracting their attention, and allowing
the preparations for the real assault tc
go on unmolested.
About the time that it was evident that
the naval attack was not to succeed,
there emerged from the scrubby wood
north of the fort the troops destined tc
assault the place. These were veterans
from the Army of the James. Rough
looking, with frowsy clothing and di
sheveled hair and boards, after their long
and hard experience in the transports,
these soldiers had their arms clean and
bright, and cartrid ge.boxes filed with
forty rounds, while they aligned and
dressed in line of battle as coolly and
precisely as if on ordinary parade. Prob
ably there was not a man among them
who had not been Sin" dozen times be-
fore. There was little fuss about it. and
no noise of either bugling or verbal com
mand. Then suddenly, at a "right
shoulder shift" and 'double-quick,
the line swept across the sandy plain
which extended from the place Of start
ing to the base of the huge mamelon'
which, running from scar to river, formed
the northera side of the fort.
Some patches of rushes and dried sail
grass were dotted here and there over
the plain, but there was nothing else tc
obstruct the view from the Ironsides
Nearly all the guns upon the northern
face had been di>mounted or disabled by
the severe bombardment; but when the
assaulting line came near enough the gar.
rison opened on it with musketry and
howitzer, which was run out from 6
sally-port, cut great gaps in the ad'
vancing line with grape and canister.
Two tield-pieces at the northwestern
angle also began to fire, but were very
quickly silenced by shell from the iron.
clads; but the one at the sally-port,
which was drawn into covered way tc
load, could not be hit, and continued tc
do execution. The assaulting force did
not return a shot, and the onward sweep
never ceas ed, although it swayed at times
when the gaps were cut in it. On such
occasions we could see the officers spring
to the front, and then the line would
straighten out again, leaving many a
Door fellow behind with the salt sand
drinking in his hearts blood.
Such a charge soon carried them to
the palisade at the foot of the great
earthworks, and the pionee:s' axes bfgan
to CLEAN in the western sun, as they
chopped away at the palings, already
shattered in some places by the lombard