The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-05-01

There is in American history no more
interesting chapter tina that which re-
Iates TO the events Of Fort Fisher dur
ing the last days of its existence. This
interest exists not only by reason of
their transcendaut Importance to both
the Union and the Confederate causes.
but also because thu naval operations
for the capture of the fort has led the
!. T., the number Of guns actually en-
ploy-d in bombarding the fort was the
largest in the history of the world TO
the present time. and the naval display
was the most magnificent in the whole
history Of warfare, the number of ships
employed III the one engagement being
about ffty-fve.
Less than a decade before the attack
ON Fort Fisher by the combined mill
tary and naval forces Of the United
States. the world had gloried in the
stupendous achievement of artillery in
the stOrming of he oGtposts of Sebasto-
pol by the allied French and English
forces. n magnitude OF the enter
prise had added Il lustre to the martial
reputation of the powers participating
in the attack which nothing else in the
record of warfare could have given.
On the 9Th of June, 1855. the great
bombaTdment was undertaken in order
to reduce the White Works. the Name
lon. the QuarTies, the Redan and the
NaIakOff; and there were actively en-
gagged IN storming these works ga guns.
All the works were practically reduced
by this avalanche of o and shell but
the MaIakOff, which alone was able to
return the fire at the close of the day.
When Fort Fisher was captured on
January 18th, 1865, as also in the attack
upon the fort in December 1864, there
We're actually employed in the Federal
fleet more than 600 guns. They repre-
scented the most progressive nation in
the world, and We're. therefore. of the
best design possible, and the most effec-
tive for destructive work that could
have been provided. The worlds rec
ord was thus transferred to Fort Fish
~. which Federal engineers, after the
capture. styled the "MaIakOf of the
south. and Alexander H. Stephens, the
southern statesman and historian,
sparks of Fort Fisher as another Nal
lkof." 1t would doubtless have been the
casc that, if it had not been for the
powerful assistance Of tho stOrming
army which attacked the fort by its
weaker face. Fort Fisher would have
stood after the terrible engagement
more unframed than n Crimean Ma
Idkoff.
Fort Fisher stood at the entrance OF
New Inlet on a narrow tongue OF land
n few miles above the main mouth OF
the Cape Fear river. Its construction
was originally that of Il battery to b,
subsidiary TO Fort Caswen At the
mouth of the river. The battery was
commanded by Colonel John ]. Hedrick
BY the summer of 1862, the need of .
more powerful for~tificatiOn at that point
WIS felt: and Colonel William Lamb
now of Norfolk. Va. was placed il
charge of the work. He was a mos
Jealous engineer and commandant. and
continued in command of the fortified.
ton until its reduction by the fedora
ITruy and navy in January, 1865. Major
General W. II c. Whiting, c. S. \.
formerly of the United States engineer
corps. was in charge OF the military
district, and lent most valuable aid If
the construction Of the fort.
New Inlet became the most active en-
trance FOR blockade runners on ths
coast; and the fort which commanded il
thus protected 4 which wa:
no less important to the Confederacy
than il was precariOus TO those engaged
IN it. The inlet was pen to the sec
more broadly than any other on tn,
southern seacOast; and was easy OF &C
cess in a straight course from Bermu
ia and the port of Nassau, the point:
with which the blockade traffic Wa:
chiefly conducted. 1t was impossible
o effectuaIly close New Inlet. unles:
there should be employed an ImmenS
number of men-of-war TO maintain II,
Blockade. The federal bIOckadinG
squadron standing we'll off the shore [,
Keep without the rang> of the guns o
me fort. and being thus often wideI!
scattered. the swift blockade runners
Piled through the fleet with great regu
-ar.-y. though many met with death o.
capture in the attempt.
The fort consisted OF 4 long. irregu
larry shaped parapet, with frequen
t-avvrSeS. constructed almost 3ItOgeth
er II sand. There were several angu
lar mounds which protected batteries
OF heavier suns. covering differen