The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-21

eral Hoke attacked the enemy resclute-
~ at 3 p. m. he would have saved the
fort, and with darkness and the CO.
operation OF the garrison. v cap
tu-ed the enemy. For over Ave
an iucessant musketry fire was kept
up by thousands Of troops, only ending
with the exhaustion OF all the aHmu-
milton of the c~onfederates. The ire
mendous roar OF the b~ombardment
which ceased but for q few mute
as the charge On the fort was hrst
sounded by the steam whistles or n
arms, but h commanding general
seems to have comprehendad nothing.
General Bragg says further:
General CclQuitt coon returned and
reported. He ianded at the point about
a mile behind the fort. al 1880 p. m,
found everything in confusion, hun
dreds OF men without arms. many OF
them drunk. and no one apparently IN
command. Colonel Lamb vas there
wounded. General Whiting was also
pointed out lying on the beach severe
ly wounded. but fast asleep. The enc
my soon approached and ColQuitt
barely had time to escape in his small
boat"
/ do not believe General Colquitt ever
made such a report, for the charge that
my brave men who, for sixty hours
had withstood q furious bombardment.
and who, for six our had engaged In
a hand to hand fight, and who a not
retreated until their ammunition was
| gone and with 1t all hope. were drunk.
is too absurd to require a denial. /
| had no liquor for distribution to the
garrison, and what remained In the
hospital bombproof was captured by
some sailors from the fleet, who, be-
| coming intoxicated with IL. entered the
| reserve magazine the morning after the
| battle, seeking plumber, and causing its
| explosion. which resulted in the death
n wounding of nearly two hundred
brave men. The soldiers who carried
their wounded general and colonel TO
Battery. Buchanan were without their
guns and also some artiflerists VINO
| had stood by their cannon until driven
| away; but those Of the garrison who
| were not captured in the fort were re-
| ported to me as having retired in good
order.
General Colquitt came up to me and
told him even then, If Bragg would at
tack vigorously and he would land a
fresh brigade, that the fort could he
retaken, as the enemy had been more
or less ~demoralized by the resistance
/ lllSy IIlCl. oHC vi H. -
ed that General Colquitt should carry
me off, but I refused to leave. as no
means had been provided for the re-
treat of my men and I wished to share
their fate, but I asked General Colquitl
to take General Whiting. as he was a
volunteer in the fort. But to my as
constituent he left precfpitately. leav-
ing the wounded and bleeding hero to
die in a Northern prison. The Genera
was not asleep. but giving directions
to his adjutant general about meeting
the enemy.
BRACES MOST REMARKABLE
STATEMENT.
Here comes the most extraordinary
portion Of his "confidential' epistle
1t says:
Nov for statements made by the
enemy when meeting us under flag OF
truce. They assert that they walked
into the fort without resistance. not
a shot being fired at them, our mer
all being in the bomb-proofs; that at
ter they got in a small force was raj
lied and fought them very calamity
infiicting a heavy loss, but they soor
overcame them and captured most OF
our officers and men, without arms
under cover Of the bomb-proofs, and
with the exception of Colonel Lamb
all the officers of any rank and many
men We're too drunk for duty"
For General Bragg to repeat the
ISLANDERS, circulated, we presume by
some gossiping subalterns, was adding
insult to injury. My whole command
which, previous to the attacks had ex.
tende from New Inlet to Masonboro
some twenty miles, had been noted fol
it's sobriety. I had been sent to For
Fisher to discipline the garrison
against the temptations cider tC
blockade running. My first act on ia.
king command, July 4th, 1862, was tc
suspend an officer for being intoxicated
and / had him cashiered. The IF.
ficers and men were not allowed the
use of intoxicating liquors. I was anon
them all during bot engagements
and I never saw them drink liquor o,
show In evidence Of it's use. It Is
possible that some of the last rein
fOrcementS may have brought some
with them, but I doubt it. Captain
Mum, who was near me and to whom
1 transferred the command Of the force
with me when I fell, was an officer OF
the strictest sobriety. AS to the gal.
liant Whiting and his staff 1 desire
once for all to repel the infamous
charge that they INDUCED in liquor OF
were under it's influence While in For,
Fisher, and I beg all who know me OF
who cherish the memory of that he
roic officer to denounce as false, upon
my authority, this malicious SANDER.
PREPARING TO MEET THE FED.
ERALS.
When all the guns on the land face
save one were disabled. / required a
full detachment to stand by the re-
naming Columbiad, and ordered all
the men belonging to the other bat
teries to remain in the galleries and
bombproofs in their immediate rear
except so many sharpshooters, who
were to watch n annoy the enemy
on the shore as could be measure
bly, protected from the fire OF the fee,
Thnco 0roodful enroc