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

,EsSE.R \, T%EA hero of Fort Fish
NF7ASzx37aA er. There is also
Mt to be found there
in key to the
misrepresentation which has caused the
Ames-Curtis dispute Notwithstanding
the fact that the records were written
while all was fresh in the minds of the
authors Of the reports and are official,
they contain some errors, and one con-
spicuous error found there is at the bot
tom Of the whole trouble 1 will sepa-
rate the statements into two classes
the true and the false-and the reader
will be able to form his own conclusions
as to the merits of the chief actors in
the affairs of the battle and as to the
merits of the cases presented at this date
by both Ames and Curtis.
Erroneous Battle Report.
Under date Of Jan. II, 1865, two
days after the battle, Secretary Of War
Stanton, who went to the scene as soon
as the victory was announced, wrote a
letter from Fortress Monroe to President
Lincoln at Washington in which were
the following statements. After describ-
ing the general battle and the futile as
sault by naval column upon the sea
front of the fort his report continues:
The assault on the other and most difficult
side of the fort was made by a column of &, 600
troops Of the old Tenth corps, led by Colonel
Curtis, under the immediate supervision of
General Terry.
In a dispatch to General Grant dated
the same day Secretary Stanton said
that he got the particulars of the fight
from Admiral Porter and General Terry
In view of the fact that General Terry
Immediately wrote to Washington re-
commencing Ames for promotion for his
gallantry at Fort Fisher and in his pre-
liminary official report, sent forward
the night of the battle, said that the as
sault was made by Ames' division and
mentioned Curtis brigade, naming each
specifically as Ames' division and Cur
it's brigade, it is not probable that
Stanton received from him directly or
through others anything to warrant the
statement that Curtis led the storming
column. Hence the secretary must have
received that erroneous information
from Admiral Porter, who was on board
the flagship throughout the battle and
unable to know the facts at first hand.
The error published by Secretary Stan
ton evidently became the basis for all
accounts of the affair given by writers
at the time and by historians. The error
was never corrected at Washington and
appears in the official records without
any explanation whatever, a suggestive
circumstance in view of the fact that
| official reports are edited, corrected and
annotated by the compilers of the work
in most cases. This is all the more note
worthy since the official reports follow
ing the war secretary's clearly contra
dict that in this important particular
Here follow extracts from the correct
battle reports.
Correct Battle Reports.
General Terry's first dispatch, sent
the night of Jan. 10, after the surrender
of Fort Fisher, to General Grants head
quarters:
Fort Fisher was carried by assault this after
noon and evening by General Ames' division
and the Second brigade of the First division of
the Twenty-fourth corps, CALAMITY aided by a
DooUoAAOh III duQ SSaDl6u from VD0
navy The assault was preceded by heavy
Commandment from tho Federal feet and was
made at $3.50 p. M, when the first brigade (Cur-
tls') of Ames' division effected a lodgment
upon the parapet, but possession of the work
was not obtained until 10 p. IN.
In his formal report, dated Jan. 25,
General Terry says:
AT BPS p. m. all the preparations were COM
pleted and the order given to move forward.
Curtis (EirSt) brigade at once sprang
from the trenches and dashed forward into
line. When Curtis moved forward, Ames
| directed Pennypacker to move his Second bri-
gade up to the rear of the sharpshooters and
brought Bell (Third brigade) up to Pennypack-
er's last position. and as soon as Curtis got a
Ioothold on the parapet sent Pennypacker to his
support. He advanced, overlapping Curtis
right, and drove the enemy from the heavy pal
lsadlng which extended from the land face to
the river, capturing considerable number of
prisoners. Then pushing forward to their left
the two brigades together drove the enemy
from about one-quarter of the land face Ames
then brought up Bells brigade and NOV, it
between the work and the river. On this side
there was no regular parapet, but there was
abundance of cover afforded the enemy by cav
ltles from which sand had been taken from the
parapet, the ruins of barracks and storehouses,
the large magazines and by traverses behind
which they stubbornly resisted our advance.
Hand to hand fighting of the most desperate
character ensued, the huge traverses of the
land face being used successfully by the enemy
as breastworks. over the tops of which the
contending parties fired into each ether IS face.
Nine OF these were carried one after the other
by our men. have no words to do JUS
tice to the behavior of both officers and men on
this occasion. All that men could do they did.
Better soldiers never fought. OF General Ames
have already spoken in letter recommend
ing his promotion. He commanded all the
troops engaged and was constantly under fire.
his great GOODNESS, good judgment and skill
Werk never more conspicuous than i'll this as
sault. Brigadier General Curtis and Colonies
Pennypacker, Bell and Abbott, the brigade
commanders, led them with the utmost gal
lantry. Curtis was wounded after fighting in
the front rank, rife in hand; Pennypacker
While carrying the standard Of one of his regi'
ments, the first man in a charge over a trav
erse; Bell was MORALLY wounded near the
palisades
The dispatch next in date and impcr-
tance is that of General Grants repre-
sentative on the ground, Colonel O. B.
Comstock, chief of engineers. Colonel
Comstock wrote on the 18th as follows;
After a careful reconnaissance on the l4th