The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-21
THE ATTACK ON WILMINGTON.

(IueSQay. Dec. u, 1904
In Mondays paper ISSUED on Sum
day.. we gave all that had occurred up
to Saturday night. We resume with
the operations of Sunday, Christmas
day.
Precisely at ten o'clock, as the bells
began to ring SummOning the Worship
pers to church. the deep booming of
guns from sea announced that the
enemy's fleet had reODened upon Fort
Fisher n the deep. heavy and inces-
san fire was kept up with terrible
rapidity during the whole day. and
away into the night. and all night.
and all day yesterday. with little
abatement until about noon. when it
is probable that the gradually rising
sea compelled the fleet to hau off, or
at least slacken their fire. Up to three
O'Clock OF SUNDAY the casualties in the
Fort We're fOrty-three.
On Sunda afternoon it was ascer-
tanned that the enemy had succeeded
in effecting a landing at a point not
far from the head of the sound and
just below the site of old Camp Wyatt.
say five and a half to six miles above
Fort Fisher and sixteen miles from
Wilmington. They were confronted by
General Kirkland. with such of his
gallant men as were tIen with him,
their object being to interpose between
v ~ anu OIl ISHSI. OuIS "
prevent their doing so. Their force
became swelled by new regiments land
ed from their transports. Ours by ar
rivals of some of the most gallant
veterans on the continent. On yester-
day General Bragg assumed command
in person, and at the date of this writ
ing CMOnday Z p. NJ we have the
qualification of being able to state that
the communication with the Fort is un-
intarrIInfpH with no Nnnl-QpS inrarnnS-
ing TIVE u troops in the field aud
our troops in the Fort: tina the Fort
Is all igh and the men in fine spirits.
The enemy'S proud armada and ter
Hfc bOmbardment have so far been
powerlesS to effect anything against
the"scientific sandhillS' that guard the
e Inlet TO our river. and which
stands a proud monument to the scien-
tif1c genius of the able engineer under
whose eye our defences have been
mainly planned and executed. and who.
himself. was also in Fisher to watch
the performance of his works. Fort
Fisher and its defence will ALWAYS be
associated with the names of Major
General Whiting and Colonel Lamb.
During the night of Sunday and on
the morning of Monday two attempts
were made 10 take Fort Fisher by
storm. but both were CALAMITY repulsed
by our Junior Volunteers. We might
mention many instances of individual
gallantry then and there performed.
but forbear. as We could hardly fail to
do u~nintentiOnal injustice. and We hope
soon TO have full account.
Yankee prisoners say the the land
force with the fleet consisted Of four
brigadeS of four regiments each. each
regiment numbering $50 men. OF
these three landed. all under command
of General Ames. The fourth. COM
posed of negro troops under WetZell
Captured at Plymouth had not yet
landed. Who and what our troops OPP
posing them are. they will soon find
out. They are just the same men that
have been whipping them all along.
We Will be somewhat mistaken if this
does not to prove TO be one of the worst
failures that the united genius of Wells
and Stanton has vet prepared for the
arms of the Tilted States.
The Journal in the same issue. Dec.
9th. says the following report was re-
ceiVed from Colonel Lamb on last Sat
urday night:
Fort Fishers o'clock, D. m.
The enemy's fleet consisting of over
fifty vessels. including two monitors.
several armed vessels and a large pro-