The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07
v WAR HISTORY
Some interesting Facts and Incl
dents concerning the Capture of
Fort Usher

tain historical events are OF such
transcendent Importance that they i'm
pose a duty Of perpetuatiOn which
cannOt be justly ignored We have
had n the storming OF Fort Fisher
one OF the leading events OF modern
history. Not to keep alive public IN
teTest in il. is a breach OF duty not
only to the stalWart spirits VINO DC
ser. |
The Messenger recently published a
resume Of the events OF the oOmDard-
ments and capture of the fort. TINS L
very carefully prepared, ana II mas
been ccura in every
particular. That article served TO re
vive much interest in the subject. sec
sonding. as it did. the efforts in this
direction of the survivors of the fierce
conflict. There are certain facts
and incidents which may also be OF
interest.
"The federal fleet opened fire on the
for at s o'clock Friday morning, San
uary 18th. 1865; and, with the excep-
tion IF Al intermission OF the tight
of that day, the deadly bOmbaTd5nent
continued until 3 O'Clock Sunday zfter-
noon. when it sIackeIed to allow the
assaultiuS columns, x hich had been
forming under the crver of the fire
from the fleet, to atta-k the fort First
came the bold dast Of the federal
troops and marines at the northeast
salient. This was ~r.pulsed with Sc
we're lGx 5 to the fedeT ais: but was fol-
lowed Nv a more formidable attack to
the LEFT at the main ~Sally-pOrt on the
north ide of the fOrT. when tn guns
had al been disnantied and the para
pet almost destroyed by the frs of the
feet. General whiting and Colonel
Lamh were both at the head of their
men II the very centre of the conflict.
The former was carried to a bomb
proof nearby severely at 4
O'clo%y,, and the latter wos also
brought in wOundeC at 4:30. The COM
mand was then taken by Major James
ReilI9. who rallied the men To stand
their ground. This they did uHil after
nighTIaIl. While this officer was tenn
poraTlly absent. another (who5e name
SeeTn- to be withheld in the repOrtS)
surrendered 800 Confederate troops
and admitted a federal regiment into
the SaIly-pOrt- TITS practically sealed
the late of Fort FiSher: for. while an
entra nee had been effected on the river
side it was not II a very " al part
OF tie fOTtificatiOnS. General Whiting
then ordered Major Saunders chief or
artifi Try. to hasten to Battery Buch-
anaI and bring up the reinforce
mems from HdgOOd's brigdGe. which
had Deen held there against an emer-
gene. The troops We're not found.
however. but Il re-embarhud and
left the garrison at Fort Fisher with
out the DOSSibiIiry of re-enfOrCementS.
- iAJ'A NNAA-r
reported to General Whiting M the
enemy was practically in possession of
the Tort. and further resistance SEEM
ed useless. Captain a B~enIhuySen.
of tn Confederate marines. then took
hare of General Whiting anO Colonel
Lamb and carried them to Battery
buchanan; and ali the force in the
fort repaired Their also. d~isUrganiZed
and careless. AT 10 o'clock. General
Whit ng the fort and gar
rfcr- 2 q C1n+a5p Z .nI-u-n1I a-+ 1afnr
to General Terry ut about Midnight.
The Confederate prisoners were
marCf ID back toward the beach under
guard of a Connecticut regiment, and
resteu after the intense struggle. New
or had men stood their ground more
s~trenHDusly or fought with .poIder
heart Fatigue aud danger were ut
terly ignored. and no idea of defeat
was entertained Unit the very last
moment. when they were entirely over
WhelHtd. they had' brave command
ers to Iead them. but lacked not them
selves the spirit ana courage which
have marked the bra1est soldiers L all
the age.
General Bragg SEM General col
Quit AID come ~~rr1berS of his staff
TO recounoitre and ascertain the con-
ditiOn o affairs. late on the night Of
the surrender. He aTri.ed at BatUer-
Buchanan, and. finding Colonel Lamb.
learned from him the fate of the fort.
&TfIlttt " IlIjlllE was 1pIIlU lying III
the ground asleep with other wound
ed men. \ detachment of fedora
troops th-n arriving. General COlquiIt
FASTENED 10 his boat and returned.
"On ia, morning OF January 18th.
the Confeierates blew dp Fort Cas-
we'll and Fort Campbell. and abandon
ed their stations at Smiths island,
SmithVille Southport AID Reeves
Point. Tn Federal navy at once took
possession of them.
'On tho lame morning the terrible
explosion Ct the powder magazine oc-
CURED at Fort Fisher. killing and
~wOunding between 125 and 80 men. a
court Of inquiry was AZ one" instiut-.
ed by Genersl Terry to ascertain the
cause of the disaster. After three
days deliberation. it was t%djudged
that the acci5ent occurred b> reason
Of careless conduct of SON. Intoxicated
Federal soldiers and Marines. in run
ming about with lights search ng for
plumber in The magazines. / was
th-ught that u secret Wirt' ha5 been
connected with Fort Anderson. across
tn" river. but that theory was aban-
dou-d. largely through the ass, rance
Of the captured Confederate officers
tha- such was ne the case.
The Federal commander reEarted
having in custody as prisoners OF war
90 officers and 1.1S4 enlisted men I'M
hurt and 5 Ofhcees and 21S eultaZed
men wounded. The secretary OF var
ordered that the captured officers Oe
sent 10 Washington. D. c. the RI
wounded men to Point Lookout. Nd.
and the wounded men to Beaufort y.
-. For Monroe and New York. THIS
MAS largely accomplished by Friday.
10Th.
"Ou 1SCn. General Waiting. suffering
from his wound dicU&ted TO Major
Hill. his chief of staf and a fellow
prisoner. 4 report to General Lee. At
Ter detailing the events he said:
The fuII has fallen in precisely
the manner indicated SO often by my
self. and TO which your attention has
been 50 frequently called. and in the
presence OF thu ample force provided
2y YOU 10 meet the contingency. The
fleet never attempted TO enter until at
te the lane force had done its work.
aLI. OF course. unless the supporting