The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-07

| moving, apparently to assault the fort.
Hoke Immediately moved to attack, IN
der my direction. A feeble musketry
fire was heard at the fort. when it
ceased, not lasting over ten
Hoke found the enemy in very strong
position and heavy force. ready to re-
ceive him. He moved in person close
up to the enemy's lines with his Skin
mishers. receiving two balls in his
clothes, between left arm and breast
The enemy's line was im~penetrable for
his small command and I did not hest
tate to recall him.. He could not have
succeeded. When the assault COM
menced On the fort the feet ceased to
fire and in less than half an hour it re-
commenced with great fury. My in
ference was that the enemy was re-
however, from a person across the
river. hat the enemy has the fort"
AS the firing from the fleet on the fort
continued l disregarded the report. At
Z p. m, a dispatch from General Whit
ing reported we still hold the fort but
are lard pushed" Soon after another
dispatch from his adjutant said w
are still in possession OF the fort" My
mind was easy. General CoIquitt and
his reinforcements were hurried for
ward. The bombardment continued
until about 10 p. m, when all became
quiet. Unpleasant reports continued to
reach me, but nothing worthy Of credit
until an escaped officer reported from
across the river by telegraph that the
fort was captured. General Colquitt
soon returned and reported. He land
ed at the point about a mile behind the
fort at 1890 p. m, and found every
thing in confusion, hundreds Of men
without arms. many of them drunk,
and no one apparently in
Colonel Lamb was there, wounded.
General Whiting was also pointed out,
lying on the beach, severely wounded,
but fast asleep. The enemy soon p
preached and Colquitt barely had time
to escape in his small boat.
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, and men being
in the bomb proofs, that after they got
in a small force was rallied and fought
them very CALAMITY, inflicting a heavy
loss, but the enemy sOOn overcome
them and captured most OF our officers
and men without arms under cover Of
the bomb proofs. and with the excep-
ton Of Colonel Lamb all the officers OF
any rank and many men were too
drunk for duty. 1t is known that ZEN
eral Whiting left here for the forts
Friday on a steamer with a large party
Of these money kings, called blockade
runner, and a large supply Of the ma
terial to produce this result. The fight
ing done was no doubt by the veterans
who had reached the fort from HOke's
command. To my mind this is a So
luton Of the whole thing. 1t explains
the otherwise inexplicable dispatches I
received. 1t explains how the enemy
got into the fort, declared by them to
be impregnable, and when it had really
a double garrison.
BLOCKADE running has cured itself.
I knew it's demoralizing influence and
even before I came here had urged on
the president to remove these officers
and troops, replacing them with veter-
ans. All, even to the privates, were
more or less interested in the business.
Under an arrangement with General
Whiting I learn salvage was regularly
allowed on all property saved from
wrecks, which was not stolen, n every
vessels arriving made certain c%ontribu-
tons Of luxuries, whiskey being the
principal. / was at work on these evils,
gradually correcting them, but meeting
with the usual denunciation. Time was
not allowed. The defense Of the fort
ought to have been successful against
this attack, but it had to fall eventual
ly. The expedition brought against it
was able to reduce it eventually in spite
OF all I could do. The fleet, after dis
mounting u guns, could have arrang
ed itself above their Ian forces, and not
a spot OF ground for six miles above
fort Fisher could have been held by
our and forces. Owing to the depth Of
water they could get nearer to us than
they could to fort Fisher and could
sweep everything to the middle Of the
river.
THE same operation, on a much
smaller scale, was entirely successful
against the forts at the mouth Of
Charleston harbor, except they were
we'll defended by sober, resolute men.
until it was necessary to evacuate and
the harbor was closed by the fall Of
Fort Wagner. No one abused General
Beauregard for that. yet he had three
on the weak and nervous"
This place is not now what it was.
The people here are not our people and
having but their occupation, preying
on the yitals OF the country, are clam
Orous for the Yankee to come in. You
hear but that one sentiment, and re-
greet at any intention to defend furth-
err. But enough for the present; / am
both tired and sad. I know my wife
would be welcome with you but / fear
ed it would look badly for me to send
her off in the panic, and knowing there
was no danger in town I concluded fol
her to remain. 1t has had q good effect
on the work and ~veroOns."
General Bragg was in error in speak
ing OF Hoke as a brigadier general. He
was a major general and was the
youngest officer in the confederate
army Of that grade just as Nelson A
Miles was in the federal army. In 1861
Hoke and Miles were desk mates in the
census bureau at Washington
BurHaw Items