The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-01-31

>IS<-lIAI UIH1 ~ ~
%yT ~+ ried by a bold
&1D Union assault on
$saNS&Gt3ax6~ Jan. Is, 1866,
~ ~TE& after a heavy nj
49, - val lombard
*3RRv 3: !; g.: T.: ! :: :: E: 8: :; :: :; :; !:
by Major General
Alfred H. Terry and numbered 5000
men. Terry's orders were sealed and
were to be opened when he was out at.
sea. His destination was not known to
any n in the army or navy, except
those who had to know it. Terry him
self was ignorant OF it until he broke
the seals Of his instructions out at, sea.
In these instructions he was told to COM
municate freely with Admiral D.. D.
Porter and seek to have entire harmony
between the army and navy in the ex-
petition.
Porter had a total Of 4S vessels, which
he formed in three lines, with a reserve.
During the night they anchored off Fort
Fisher, and on the morning Of the 18th
the new Ironsides ran up to within 1, 900
yards. Some Of the ironclads reached as
near as 700 yards and got into position
under a heavy fire. The landing of Ter
rvs men was covered by several vessels
not engaged in the bombardment. The
troops went ashore on the sea beach
about five miles above the fort and be-
tween it and the intrenched camps Of
Bragg's army Of Wilmington. By 2
o'clock p. m. the troops and stores were
safely landed, and General Paine's col
ored division pushed forward to Cape
Fear river, the other side Of the PENN
sula. Here a line Of defenses was begun
in order to repel any advance of the
Confederates from Wilmington. It was
seen that the fire from the navy was do
ing much damage, and all assault was
determined upon for the forenoon Of the
18th. Terry was to send in three bri-
gades, in columns of a brigade front, to
storm the land side, while 2, 900 sailors
and marines should assail the works on
the seaside.
The Confederate garrison Of the fort
numbered !, 500 men. General Whiting
had entered the fort from Wilmington
on the 18th, after the Union armada
and troops appeared, and had told the
commandment, Colonel Lamb, that he and
his command were to be left to their
fate, for General Bragg was looking for
a position to which to retreat. 20.
The preparations for assault were,dis-
covered in the fort, and an attempt was
made to confuse the columns by firing
grape, but the storms Of shot that swept
the works from navy guns cut down the
Confederates' "cannoneers at an appall-
ing rate, and it was evident that the
danger could only be averted by hand
to hand struggles on the walls. At 3
o'clock promptly the signal was given
by the noise Of more than 50 steam
whistles Of the Union fleet, and the land
column sprang forward to the charge.
General Curtis brigade had the lead
and pushed forward to the northwest
bastion, near the river. The Confeder-
ates were seen to man the parapets the
moment the naval fire ceased, which
was done to allow the Union troops to
up. Colonel Lamb judged by the
soul stirring whistles that the hour had
come, and he desired to receive the as
sailants on his torpedoes as soon as they
reached the walls. Leaving instructions
with the commander Of the northwest
front, he went to the angle of the works
where the naval column had been sight
ed, fearing that that was the vital point.
The sailors had landed successfully and
halted beyond rifle range under cover of
the sand hills that formed the surface of
the beach. The men were in one long
line and made a formidable show, de-
ceiving the enemy into the belief that
this was the main assault and dividing
his garrison. At the signal the sailors
moved down the beach, sheltered by a
line Of sand hills, and then turned
squarely upon the fort. But the batter
les farther down the Confederate line
could sweep the stretch Of beach, which
at that point was nearly half a mile
wide, and tho muskets in the fort did
terrible execution. Three cannon in the
fort poured canister into the assailants,
and both General Whiting and Colonel
AoAAO ooooN VII ~ P0A0POo. OuO01A14& Uu0
men at their work.
The sailors were unaccustomed to land
maneuvers and very soon showed the Sc
robustness Of this defect. Their officers,
among them the gallant Lieutenant W.
B. Cushing, rallied and led them as
ell as possible, but the forward COL
umns halted under the walls Of the fort,
lying down to escape the fire from above,
and the rear columns on closing up did
the same. The delay thus caused was
fatal. The Confederates were cheered by
the sight Of 2 sort Of panic that had
seized these novices in wal and turned
away to receive the land column, which
was announced to be close at hand by
the sharp musketry and the booming Of
grape shotted guns on the north front.
simultaneously Whiting and Lamb saw
in that direction three of General Cur
It's battle6ags on the ramparts adioin-
ing the northwest bastion.
Curtis advance had not been without
difficulty. At places the hollows in the
sand were filled with water. and this