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

had the two guns on the mound
and two from. another battery on the
sea face turned on their column. and
these with the two guns from Battery
Buchanan seemed to have a demoraliz.
ing effect, as their fire slackened and
their flags disappeared from the top Of
the traverses. notwithstanding the
loss Of a part of the work and OF the
garrison and the serious effect of the
fire of the fleet among our men rhe
garrison seemed in splendid spirits and
determined, If possible, to di lodge the
foe. Believing hat General Bragg.
with the facilities at his was
thoroughly posted as to affairs in
the fort and would now attack, I felt
that a determined charge on our part
with this threatened danger in the
rear would cause a retreat by the
enemy and we would regain the work.
1 passed down the line. and officers
and men,, with the widest enthusiasm,
promised to follow me. AS I sprang
forward to lead them / was shot down,
several of my most gallant officers
falling with me. The forward move
ment stopped with my fall and after
wards the enemy, having been strongly
reinforced, began an advance, which,
although stoutly and even recklessly
resisted for five hours (until all the
"oS SAPClidCdJ, CoulICu II
the capture of the whole work. Not
only were all the cartridges in the
magazines consumed, but those in the
boxes of the wounded and slain were
gathered up by a detail and given to
the men in action. My appeals to the
officers and men to continue the strug-
gle after / had fallen were not from
any disregard of the lives of my SOL
diers, as some AVE unkindly charged;
hut &c Itnnnra1 VAQn had cnnf y~-nrI TO
me that the fort was necessary to
keep open the gateway to supply his
army with food and clothing from
abroad l desired the resistance pro-
lonSed so long as there was a chance
for General Bragg to come to our as
sistance and recall the enemy to their
own defensive line. That this would
have been the result of a determined
attack upon the part of General Bragg,
I am convinced by my conversations
with federal officers after my capture.
MORE FEDERAL TESTIMONY.
An officer, writing of our attempt to
dislodge the rbesiegers, a
witt the slackening of the naval
fire the great bastion at the angle grew
freer to offer resistance; the reversed
guns of the inlet face Of the fort and
the rifle line inside found more area to
play upon. SO the work grew harder
and the progress slower. The rebels
gained 10y the concentration, their ar
tillery swelling a louder and louder
o as our naval fire grew faint. Then
they turned a~sSaulters and dashed at
the nearest traverse in our hands.
Then came a time when for hours the
battle made no progress neither way.
Somewhere about 4 o'clock in the
afternoon, when the obstinate fight
10~1yn1 III n r. cn1Inl -
startling omen came to my ears-a
sound of firing from the north. Alb
sorbed as / was with the terrible game
in front, l was alive enough to the re-
.spOnsibility of my position, as COM
mander of the picket line, to hear this
sound, which was probably naudible
to all other ears at Fort Fisher. An
outburst of musketry from h north
to me an attack from Wilmington pOn
my northern picket line-an attempt
to force our northern line of works
across the peninsula! And this too,
oming at the critical hour when the
assault at the fort had slackened to a
StandStill, and the exhausted men were
losing heart. Turning to the north
ward with reluctant haste and anxious
fo~reboding, 1 ran ankledeep through
the loose sand, which was dotted and
Spattered with grape shot n bullets;
But no more firing sounded from the
north: it was absolutely still in that
direction. This was so reassuring that
1 slackened my pace as I came among
the pines; and presently coming upon
the ldle groups of negro soldiers lOlling
about the rear of their ~unScathed
breastworks, I knew at least that Gen.
eral Hoke had made no impression on
Them"
Car any one doubt that if at this
- 49,
Bragg had done his duty and fiercely
assaulted the enemy he would have re-
treated from the work to defend his
rear?
REFLECTIONS UPON THE GARRI-
SON.
General Bragg continues in his let
ter:
TT is known hat General Whiting
left here for the fort OF Friday in a
steamer with a large party of those
money kings, called blockade runners
and a very large supply of material to
produce this result"
The facts are: General Whiting
ana his staff arrived in the fort in the
afternoon of Friday in the midst of the
terrific bombardment l did not know
of their approach until the General
came up to me and remarked, Lamb,
my boy, / have come to share your
fate. You and your garrison are to
be sacrificed" / replied: Don't say
so, General, we will certainly whip the
enemy again." He then told me that
when he left Wilmington, Bragg was
looking for a place to fall back upon.
/ ~tendere him the command, although
he lac come into the fort without or
ders and unarmed; he refused it, say
ing he would advise and counsel with
me, but would leave me to conduct the
defense of my fort. General Bragg
adds:
1.-The fighting done was no doubt
by the veterans who had reached the
fort from Hoke's command. To my
mind this is a clear solution of the
Whole thing"
This reflection upon my heroic garri.
son forces me to state what otherwise