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

capable Of standing any length Of
seige."
I am at q loss to know what day the
general refers to. No reinforcement
came from aim on Saturday. the 18th.
but during the day, Sunday, the 18th.
Col Graham arrived at Battery Buch-
anan with his brigade. He did not
land all OF them, but telegraphed Cen
eral Bragg from Smithfield at 1 O'Clock
p. m. A instructed by you about
four hundred OF my men landed at
Fort Fisher. The rest were prevented
by the fire OF the enemy. I viii go
there tonight unless otherwise in
Structed." About three hundred and
fifty OF these men reported to me just
previous to the assault, and they were
all OF the one thousand of Braggs best
men," whom he started for the fort,
who got there. General Bragg is not
accurate. Up to the arrival OF the
three hundred and fifty South CAROLYN
ians I had but about fifteen hundred
and fifty lei If there were others
sent to reinforce the fort they never
reported, and IL more prisoners were
captured by General Terry on the
peninsula, than these figures indicate.
after s~ubtracting the killed, they did
not belong and were not properly
c~hargeable to my garrison. The Cen
eral says:
I'VE had steamboat communication
with it which we could keep open at all
times during the night"
How d then not to have sent the
reinforcements at night when the en-
envy could not have seen them entering
h fort. The letter continues:
THE reports from the fort were of
the most favorable character up to
Sunday evening. Not a gun reported
injured, the for not damaged and our
loss three killed and ~thirty-two wound
ed in nearly three days."
1t is painful to read this statement.
I reported at 6 p. m., on Friday, the
18th, h a Our casualties were two killed
and forty-one wounded I have re-
covered the original report, a copy of
which was sent to General Bragg.
The list killed and wounded on the
14th vas very large-more than double
hat Of the previous day. / have been
unable to recover this report, but I re-
member very distinctly the proportion
of killed was very great, detachments
being kept at each gun to fire at long
intervals and deliberately until it was
rendered unserviceable by the fire Of
the feet. More h a ten per cent of my
garrison were killed and wounded by
2 o'clock on Sunday, the 18th, n the
land face was in the condition in which
4 AA4NS ~ oAAu Gull lCN bOSA IL.
ported to Genera Bragg. The only
favorable report sent on Sunday was
concerning the undiminished courage
and endurance of the troops.
GENERAL WHITING WRONGED.
General Bragg says:
During Sunday I was greatly dis
turbed by the tone and phraSeolOgy of
General Writings dispatches and by
reports of others received from him in
| town."
Here is the dispatch which disturbed
but could not arouse the apathetic
| Bragg:
Headquarters
Third Military District,
Fort Fisher, 1870 p. M,
| January 18th, 1865.
| General Bragg, Commanding, etc.:
| General:-I send this boat (Cape
Fear) to town for coal and wood, with
the request that she return at once.
She is necessary here for our commun-
ication. The game of the enemy is very
plain to me. They are now furiously
bombarding my land front. They will
continue to do that, in order, if posi-
| sible, to silence my guns, until they are
satisfied that their land force has
securely established itself across the
neck and rests ON the river. Then Por-
ter will attempt to force a passage by,
to cooperate with the force that takes
the river bank. I ave received dis
patches from you stating that the
| enemy had extended to the river bank.
| This they never should have been al
lowed to do, and if they are permitted
to remain there the reduction of Fort
Fisher is but a question Of time. This
| has been notified heretofore frequent
ly both to yourself and to the depart
ment. I will hold this place till the last
extremity, but unless you drive that
land force from it's position 1 cannot
answer for the security of the harbor.
| The. fire has been and continues to be
exceedingly heavy, SURPRISING not so
much in it's volume as in it's extraordi-
nary concentration, even the fire of
Christmas. The garrison is in good
spirits and condition. I am, General.
very respectfully your obedient ser
want, w. H. G. WHITING,
Major General.
General Bragg goes on to say:
AS a good officer had been sent in
command of the reinforcements 1 or
dered General Whiting on Saturday
evening to report to me in person.
This order he declined to obey, as h
had done once before about moving
troops. My mind was now made up as
to his condition and I felt that the safe
ty Of the fort required his prompt re-
lief. Brigadier Genera Colquitt was ac-
cordingly sent to relieve him."
This remarkable letter is dated five
days after the fall Of the fort. The
above statement shows one of two
things-that his defeat had seriously eff
fected his mind or that he distorted the
facts to justify himself to his brother.
Colonel Graham, who commanded the
reinforcements, was my Junior and had
within thirty days been under my
command by order of General Bragg.
1t was he who failed to bring in the re-
Inducements sent to the fort on Satur-
day. General Bragg never sem the or
der on Saturday; but here is a copy
Of the original, dated on Sunday:
Sugar Loaf, January 18th,
Sen at LIS p. m.
General Whiting:-Colonel Colquitt