The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-03-28


kH~ IT. it's walls pierced
and its armament
in Fart disabled by terrific naval bonn
ba1;lment, the mighty stronghold stood
defiant, garrisoned by 2,000 to 2,500
Confederate soldiers, with more at hand,
when it was CALAMITY assaulted and
carried by less than $500 troops, under
General Adelbert Ames.
The story of the defense was told in
The Century "War Papers" by Colonel
William Lamb, commandant of the fort,
and readers of that narrative cannot fail
to see that the desperate fighting on the
part of the garrison was made necessary
by the gallantry Of the Federal assail-
ants. After waiting more than 80 years,
for reasons of his own, General Ames
has prepared statement Of the assault
and capture, and doubtless the public
will have the privilege of reading it in
an ungarbled form at no distant day.
Next to General Ames, there is no one
better able to speak OF the events of that
day than his assistant adjutant general
and chief Of staff, General Charles A
Carleton. General Carleton was beside
General Ames all through the fight and
was the only one out of five members of
his personal staff spared by Confederate
bullets to enter the fort with him at the
head of the conquering column.
''Since the days of the peninsular
war, when the soldiers of France, Eng
land and Spain stormed the fortified
towns of the peninsula, there has not
been more bloody and desperate assault
on fortified place than that led by
Ames at Fort Fisher" said General
Garlic ton in recent interview. "Ames'
fight was a desperate and murderous
hand to hand assault, lasting from 8 80
i'll the afternoon until nearly 10 at
night, and he won the battle. The brunt
of the assault upon the giant stronghold,
from the initial charge of Curtis brigade
"a decisive achievement, which gave
us an entering wedge-all through the
fearful hand to hand combat on the
walls and inside the Enclosure, was
borne by Ames' division, and he was
himself at the head of it every moment,
leading a charmed life that day.
Curtis was struck down at Ames'
feet the last of three brigade command
ers to fall, and that in the very heat of
the crisis. Then there was no one left
to lead the troops, except Ames, his staff
and the regimental commanders.
Games was West Point graduate,
and at the outbreak of the war was a
lieutenant in one of the regular batter
les At the first battle of Bull Run he
xx,1
gallantry in action. He next appeared
in the field at the head Of the Twentieth
Maine volunteers, which he led in the
bloody assault on the stone wall at
fredericksburg. A generals star was
given him, and his followers say that he
made an ideal leader of troops. He never
hes1tated to take desperate chances, and
under the hottest fire, when officers and
nell were falling on all sides, he sat on
his horse coolly watching; the course of
the battle and calmly delivering his or
ders. When the assault commenced on
Fort Fisher walls" continued General
Carleton, Games advanced at the head
of the brigades of Colonels Bell and
Pennypacker. Curtis brigade, one of
three in the division Numerically the
First), had already gained an out
work, and it was ordered by Ames to
push forward to within 200 yards of the
walls of the main fort. This advance of
Curtis summoned the Confederate garri-
son to the parapets, and stinging fire
greeted the assaulting columns.
"Ames was at the front, and every
time that he and his staff group appear
ed together they became targets for
sharpshooters stationed along the para
pets or in the palisading. The general
wore full dress uniform that day and
could easily be distinguished by the enc
my's marksmen. During the entire bat
tie OF seven hours General Terry, the
commander Of the army, gave Ames but
two orders, and these 1 heard and re-
corded at the time. Before we left the
rear lines upon this assault General
Terry was located at an advanced and
abandoned Confederate redoubt, outly-
ing and somewhat less than half mile
from Fort Fisher proper, and he there
remained until summoned to the fort by
General Ames after dark.
81 heard General Terry say to Ames,
General Ames, the signal agreed upon
for the assault has been given. Have
you any special orders in regard to it?
inquired Ames. 'Nu, replied Terry.
You understand the situation and what
it is desired to accomplish. leave ev-
erything to your discretion.
81 went to the rear at least twice
during the battle and saw Terry, report
ing to him the condition of affairs as
, they were, and he told me he had no
instructions for Ames, thus intimating
that he left everything to his Judgment.
"The second order received by Ames
during the battle was this, General
Terry orders you to make one more effort
to capture the fort, and if you fail to
retreat. This came to Ames by staff
officer some hours after the first and