The semi-weekly messenger., 1901-05-14
HEROIC WOMEN OF WILMINGTON
AN INCIDENT OF WAR TIMES AT FORT
FISHER
In speech at NorfoIk.Colonef William
Lamb Speaks In Beautiful Terms OF
the Inspiration Inspired by Lovely
women-How They Captured Fort.

ticle in the Virginian-Pilot That night
there was a great military bazaar at
Armory hall, so that TO let the people
of Norfolk know that there was to be
an event of extraordinary interest the
Norfolk military in the afternoon went
on a big parade that took in all of the
principal streets Of the city.
The Virginian-Pilot says the bazaar
was a thing of beauty and that when
it opened that night there were a thou
sand people on the floor. Major T. J.
Nottingham inaugurated the pro-
gramme by introducing Mayor c.
Brooks Johnson who made a speech
that opened the affair. Our contempor-
airy then goes on to say that when the
mayor concluded his remarks, he in
troduced Major William Lamb, presi-
dent of the Norfolk Military Associa-
ton. Colonel Lamb said:
My friends it has been my privilege
to visit many Notifications where grim
visaged war showed it's wrinkled front
with bristling cannon, but never but
once before have l witnesSel within
fort such a collection of grace and
beauty as is gathered here tonight. I
was commanding Fort Fisher, NC, in
December 1854 Ben Butler had tried
to blow us UP with 25O tons Of powder
in his famous powder ship, and Admir-
al Porter, with his great armada with
60 men of war with over 600 heavy
guns, had fired 10000 shots and shell
upon our devoted heads, and Wetzel
with 5000 troops, had threatened our
land face; but after two days and
nights fighting, on Christmas day, the
confederate garrison had driven the
enemy off and gained glorious VIC
tory for our southern arms. Three
days after, on a lovely Indian summer
day, such as We sometimes had upon
the Cape Fear river in mid winter,
was reclining on the green turfed par
apet baSking in the sun, watching the
sea waves as they broke lazily on the
beach and wondering when the cruel
war would be over, while the garrison
were busy repairing the damage done
by the hostile fleet, when the officer OF
the day approached and reported that
more than one hundred of the fair and
patriotic women of Wilmington, loaded
with baskets of good things, had done
what the federalS could not do sur
prised the guard and stormed the fort.
You can better imagin than l can
describe the joy of my half-starved
garrison, whose scant provisions had
nearly all been destroyed by fire, when
i had the drums beat for parade, and
our charming captors spread before
my soldier boys a tempting feast, that
filled their bodies and souls with JOY
and their memories with thoughts of
loved ones at home. When the time
for their departure came I promised
those noble women that my garrison
would freely give their lives to defend
their homes from the invader, and my
soldiers ratified the promise with a
rousing cheer. AS the last one passed
the sally port a pretty Carolina girl
dropped her dainty white handkerchief.
and picking it up I handed it to her
and told her that Fort Fisher would
never need a white flag
And nobly did my garrison, under the
inspiration of that visit, redeem their
promise. In the next attack, with that
same armada hurting thousands OF
shot and shell upon us, with ten thou
sand soldiers and sailors attacking my
fort, with it's A guns and 1900 men, we
held our own for three days and two
nights, and after our fort was entered
did not surrender until after a SIX
hours struggle, when, with ammunl-
ton exhausted, we were driven by
overwhelming numbers out of the work
at o'clock at night, having killed and
wounded as many of our foe as we had
soldiers in the fort. Nor did We ever
raise the white flag, but though con-
Quered ourselves, the first rays OF the
sun next morning, as it rose from old
ocean, illumined our confederate flag,
still waving defiantly from our blood
stained ramparts.
Such was the inspiration that lovely
women gave us during our civil war,
and our colonial, continental, federal
and state histories abound in examples
of self-sacrificing devotion and heroic
deeds by the women of America. Only
II ~ tr1n n
tinental fathers were being threatened
by British troops in one of the New
England colonies, when farmers were
rallied to defend the entertainments
guarding the highway. 1t is necessary
to have a flag in battle to give heart TO
the men and let them know that the
struggle must go on; hence, when In
fort or field the colors fall, soldier
freely risks his life to raise them aloft
again. On this occasion the stan and
halyards were there, but the nag was
not there to give courage down the
long thin line, behind fence and tree,
when a heroic woman, who had accom-
panied her husband to the field, slipped
of her petticoat from under her gown,
raised it on the staff and cried, There
is a flag that no man will pull down.
and il didn't come down, for the British
troops were ingloriously defeated.
We need a citizen soldiery, need them
Ilme OI piping pcdOC oS "Si sho AZ
grim visaged war. When the martial
ardor OF a people is aroused it is easy
to get volunteers. They join through
patriotism, though excitement and
from all causes. Two friends, who
hadn't seen each other for some years,
met in different regiments before San
tiago, Cuba, Jones said to Brown.
ssWhat brought you here? I heard
YOU were about to marry lovely girl"
THAT'S the trouble" said Brown. My
girl went back on me, and has sm1ieo
On an ugly cross-eyed, knocked-kneed
fool, and I enlisted, because I want
war. But what brought you here Jones!
I thought you had married SUCH
cf1armine little red-haired girl and was
doing so well?" well, Brown, did
marry, and there's been an arrival, and
my mother-in-law has come to hve
with us. and I enlisted because 1 want
peace."
what we all must encourage is our
citizen soldiery. They are neeoeo every
hour. When conflagration comes ana
suoens whole blocks and the police are