The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-28
FORT
OF Two Participants in That
Fierce Battle - to the Gallant Defense
Made by the Ofacers and Men-Non u
Them Drunk or Drinking

Made by the Omcers and en-No a
Them Drunk or Drinking
Warsaw, N. c., December 20.
Editors Messenger:
Dear Sir:-I have read the articles
which have appeared in your paper with
in the last few days in regard to the fall
OF Fort Fisher January Is, 1865, and being
a survivor of hat memorable and bloody
occasion, 1 wish to d my testimony
to that CT Colonel William Lamb IN
others that the garrison of Fort Fisher
was not drunk, and that ii did not allow
the enemy to march in and take posses
sion without firing a shot. II General
Bragg ever said this, / must say in JUS
tice 10 my dead and living comrades and
for the truth OF history, hat his state
ment was false and without any founda-
ton whatever. L belonged 10 Steven
sons. Company A, Thirty-sixth North
Carolina troops, heavy artillery. / serv-
ed as drummer boy in addition TO my
other duties, and on January ID, 1865, at
about 2 O'Clock a. m. l began to beat the
long roll, going through the entire gar
rison summOniag the men TO duty in tie
deadly conflict that began about sunrise
OF the said day. l was in the garrison
rom the beginning to the end of the
battle and was an eye witness, and /
know OF my own knowledge that the
guns Of the fort were manned and re-
turned the fire of the federal fleet slow
ly, but steadily and regularly, accord
ing to Colonel Lambs orders. He has
fully explained his order to fire slowly
ne was reSerying his ammunition, rot
Knowing how long the fight would last.
yet hoping that General Bragg would
attack the enemy in the rear, as Cen
~eral w. H. c.. Whiting had repeatedly
telegraphed him to do. L had been in
three engagements prior to this one and
L had never seen men fight more des-
D6rately and D9laye themselves better
under fire than did the garrison of Fort
Fisher. The repulse of Porter's sailors
and marines on the sea face of the fort
and the Struggle with Terry's army on
the river beach when he first assaulted
the fort were both desperate and bloody.
We had about 1,50O fighting men in the
garrison at the beginning Of the fight.
1t has always been admitted that the
enemy's fleet mounted 600 guns and Ter
rvs land forces numbered 10, 1000 men.
Now, this being true, it was utterly i'm
possible for Fort Fisher defended by
LOO men, to Withstand the combined at
tack of the federal naval and land forces
for Sky hours if the garrison had been
trunk. Such an assertion hardly needs
any denial, but the survivors of the fighe
are interested and want the truth estab-
lished, and l am glad to say that they
are as earnest in their efforts to clear
away this false charge as they were to
defend the garrison of Fort Fisher. 1
know that these men fought long and
well, and if General Bragg had not dis
played such bad generalship by failing
to attack Terry's army before they were
e~ntrenched across the peninsular or just
before they made the attack on the fort,
the result might have been altogether
different.
1 saw Colonel Lamb three times on
Sunday, January Is, 1865, while the fed
eral fleet was playing coo guns on the
fort and one time while the fight was
going on inside the fort with Terry's
army and the colonel was sober, Cloth
cd and in his riOht mind - win orlor-
and directing the movements Of his
troops against the enemy. 1 saw Gen
eral w. H. c. Whiting encouraging the
troops to fight and too often exposing
himself to danger and death. Yet he was
sober, tOCl and collected and remained in
the fight until he was wounded seriously
and had to be carried to the rear.
l was at Battery Buchanan when the
fort was surrendered and 1 know We re-
tired from the mound and other bat
teries on the right or sea face Of the fort
IN good order. After fighting the enemy
all the way down to the mound, the last
battery on the right except Battery
Buchanan and after we were all captur-
ed and made prisoners and We're being
marched out 10y the enemy, some of
them passed us bearing General Whit
ing on a litter, and although he was Sc
rioulsy wounded, he then and there tes-
titled to the good conduct and bravery of
his men by saying: Good by, boys. they
have got US, but you did your duty"
General Whiting and Colonel Lamb
were we'll liked by all the men and the
troops showed their appreciation for
them by following them to the muzzle
of the enemy's guns where about 500
met death.
L was the first one of the survivors to
write an account Of the fight which was
printed in The Review, Wilmington. N.
c., and afterwards copied by a great
many Of the state papers,. Thai was more
than a dozen years ago, and in that ac-
count 1 threw the mantle of charity
over General Bragg's faults, hoping that
posterity would cherish his virtues. 1
did not know Of the letter that has
brought on the discussion of the last few
weeks, when l wrote the article referred
to above, and l regret very much that
it has found it's way into the papers, but
now L favor the whole truth being told
as to General Bragg's conduct and gem
eralship around Fort Fisher.
Thanking you for publishing this let
ter that justice may be done, 1 am,
Yours truly,
B. L. BLACKMORE.
New York, December %.
Editors Messenger:
1 nave read with much interest the ar
ticlues published by you in regard to the
fall of Fort Fisher and General Gragg's
unjust and unWarranted letter. and as /
participated in that fight and was cap
tured and sent a prisoner to Governors
Island, New York, l would like to say
a word, though 1 can add nothing per
haps to what has already been so we'll
said.
My battery was the second or third.
forget which, from the fort south. from
which I could plainly see the fight, but
a heavy curtain behind the fort pre-
into it. At any rate 1 saw Major Kelley
with a small number OF men fighting
south Of the curtain near the river and
We then opened fire upo the enemy.