The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-21
Evidence That The Disaster Was Not Due to
the Garrison's Faults.
GALLANT DEFENSE OF THE FORT.
The Facts in Regard to the Fighting at the
Critical Moment--Some Surprising
Errors Corrected.


could have moved from point to
point behind the works n hills,
unobserved by the enemy. 1t was
the opinion of Whiting, Beauregard,
and Lopgstreet that a landing
south of Masonboro Sound was
impracticable in the face OF a Well
handled force on shore. The fleet IN
the day could not have fired over their
friends so effectively as to have eilenc-
ed the sharpshooters, and the few who
landed, without works to defend them,
would have been at the mercy OF our
troops at night. The fact that not a
single gun on our sea face was dis
mounted and very few of our soldiers
killed and wounded at the guns show
hat a direct fire of the fleet could not
have done much damage among sharp
shooters behind the works and sand
hills lying parallel to the sea beach.
And yet not one gun was fired upon
these invaders Of the soil of North Car
Dina. Admiral Porter says the land
ing was effected without opposition.
General Terry says:
cat o'clock p. m. (13th.) nearly 5000
men with three days rations in their
haversacks and forty rounds of ammu-
milton in their boxes, six days supply
of hard bread in bulk, 300, 900 addition
al rounds of small arm ammunition and
a sufficient lumber of intrenching
tools had been safely landed. The surf
on the beach was still quite high, not
Withstanding hat the weather had
become very pleasant, n owing to 1t
! some Of the men had their rations and
ammunition ruined by water. With this
exception no accident of any kind oc-
Cured"
Captain H. C.. Lockwood, aide-de-
camp to General Ames, says:
'The first troops were landed on the
beach about four miles north of New
Inlet. Pickets were thrown u in
| every direction. The enemy did not
make any opposition to this movement.
In fact not a single shot was fired at
| our troops at this time. The landing
was accomplished amid the greatest
| enthusiasm of the soldiers. Cheer upon
cheer went up, clearly indicating
their splendid morale. The sur gave
some trouble at first, u it seemed to
| subside as the day progressed"
The officer who a command of the
picket line on January 18th, wrote that
the landing of the troops was exciting
and amusing sport" All this in the
face of the army commanded by Cen
eral Bragg, who c%ensures my garrison
for not holding the fort.
General Bragg's letter proceeds:
EAlyW1SIe OSyOIO IL 1duSS VI OOA
heavy guns on the fort our land force
could not approach him. Once landed
u only chance was to keep hi, if
possible from the fort"
When the enemy got within the
range Of the heavy guns of the fort,
why did he not make the effort to keep
him from the fort? General Bragg
says:
I'VE hen confronted him as closely
I o~ - -yoAoI hs1
and endeavor to strike if he moved
from under his shipping. A dense
swamp lay between is and extended
three miles towards Fort Fisher. In
this position I found the two forces
when I reached General Hoke and took
the command just at night on Friday.
cavalry was on our extended right to-
wards Fort Fisher and occupying
ground entirely to the sea-, placing us
between the enemy and the fort. for
observation. These were to report any
movement and the troops lay upon
! their arms all night, ready to move to
the attack or towards the fort if the
enemy did so. My knowledge of the
| ground was good, as I knew General
Hoke's to be, both of us having been
over it. I fully approved his DISPOSE
tions. We stayed in our. camp under
the heavy Smelling of the enemy's fleet
for the night"
How did he expect the enemy to
move from under his shipping? At
night, however, the shipping could not
cover him and he did move towards
the fort, but General Bragg did not
follow. Cavalry on the beach at night
to watch the enemy! A reconnaissance
that an officer could have made on foot
within an hour. To those familiar
with the Carolina sea coast at night
and how a man on horseback looms up
like a dromedary in the desert, will not
be surprised that these horse marines,
not wishing to become targets for the
federal sh~arpshooters, followed the ex-
ample OF General Bragg and his army
and retired for the night. The General
+, proceeds:
! "No report Of any movement having
been made we moved out early to re-
connoitre, Hoke towards the fort and
/ to our left. I found the enemy in
strong force in front OF our left, as
we'll as could be seen across the
swamp. But to our great surprise
Hoke found him extended beyond our
right and entirely across the peninsu-
lar between us and o Fisher
and strongly entrenched, having no
doubt been there most of the night.
Not a word had been heard from our
cavalry and they had evidently with
drawn from their position in the night
and did not themselves know what
had occurred, for they fired on Hoke
and his staff who got in front Of them
in reconnoitering."
While General Bragg and his army
slumbered the Industrious federals
cody and deliberately, after much
marching and countermarching, chose