The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-25
INTERESTING WAR "REMINISCENCES
How Fort Fisher Was Captured. The Fierce Fighting at the
Gate. Prisoners of War. The Prison Life.
Told BY One Who Was There.

battalion OF North Carolina heavy ar
tIIlery. He intended being present at
the recent Fort Fisher reunion. but
found at the last moment that he
would not be able TO do so. SO he sent
this letter to Mr. H. c. Mcqueen. chair
man of the reunion committee, to be
read on that occasion. but it arrived
too late:
There is one sufficient reason. If no
other. why there should be preserved IN
permanent form the details of that
part of the Fort Fisher engagement
which took place on the extreme left
or river end of the fort and that rea-
Son is that the report of General Bragg
has misreprented it to the great detri-
ment of the companies of Brady and
McCormac, which defended the en-
france to the works. Colonel Lamb
has in d most effective name yindi-
Gated all the officers and men at Fort
Fisher, and he Will always be held in
grateful and affectiOnate remem-
brance for it. He was thor
Oughly familiar with the smallest
details of all that occurred on the sea
front of the fort and inside the fort
uE 70 the moment when he was shot
down. His statement of what occurred
on the extreme left lacked only the de-
tail which one except Y witnesses
could give. The continued lombard
ma.lt at Fort Fisher, day and night,
from the time the first shot was fired
NJ to the m the whistles of the
fleet gave the SIGNAL for the land forces
to charge. had utterly demolished the
palisades in front, filled up the
trenches with sand and debris and
knocked down every heavy gun from
the land force except two. Upon the
extrepe left and within bOu 100 fee1
Of the rivers edge at low tide was Il
gate. which was the entrance to the
fort from the river side. In this gate
was q piece Of artillery and to the left
of the gate another, but of a different
sort. This point was perhaps the moss
vital in all the fort and upOn this spot
the enemy's land forces first directed
their attention. For q whole day 1t
had been an especial target for thn
SharpshOOters in front and for several
hours before the final attack vas in
charge of art of Capt. Brady's com
pany. consisting of about 10 men under
his personal command. The sand bags
placed there for protection were shat
tered by the fire from the fleet. and the
palisades demolished. There was,
therefore. no protection
When the signal to charge was given
from the fleet McCOrmac's con-
pany-that is all the company not 9th
erviSe detailed. Wen. marched out of
the bOmbprOOf and double quicked 10
the gate. There they found Brady
under a brisk fire-abOut six of his men
in charge of the Napoleon in the gate,
the others with smal arms firing at the
enemy. McCOrmac'S company imme-
dfately took its place to the right Gt
the gate and had no sooner formed
than the a%ssaulting lines approached
down the river road within plain sigh
and good range of their small arms
They Immediately poured a vOlley into
the enemy and II the same time the
Napoleon was fired n the asSaulting
lines then wavered. and then run. z.
mOmentary lull in tn firing from the
front except from SharpShOOterS who
were doing deadly work. At this mo-
ment il was dicOVered that the Parrot
gun between the gate and rivers edge
was not manne and that the enemy
in front had their ey=S on that spot,
A evidently intending to dash through
f opportunity offered. When this was
seen Corporal DOugaId McCOrmac took
eight or ten men and carried them over
to the left of the gate and took posi-
ton. One of his men was killed while
crossing. They had hardly taken posi-
ton when the enemy rallied and again
dashed ut the gate. The firing from
our companies and from the gun in the
gate was even more effective than be-
fore. y bridge some % or ~ yards
in front of the gate was blown up,
whether by a shot from the Parrot gun
or from Battery Buchanan l do not
know. but hen this OCCslrPzd as many
of the enemy as could do SO CrOuChed
in that spOt and began 70 fire. but be-
ing within good range Of the detach-
ment of Corporal McCOrmac they SoOn
ceased firing and hid their heads.
While this was going on the FederalS
were seen dashing in force C~OnCentrat-
inc To the rigH-t II out OF 2 n
Brady'S and all OF McCOrmac'S COM
pany to the right of the gate retired
behind the par.Lpet to avoid being cut
Oft and surrounded. AS an entire
abandonment o. the gate would have
GivG1 the enemy unobStructed en-
trance. Corporal McCOrmac's detach-
men, determined To stay n rlSh the
consequences Il was but a few mo-
mentS. however. until minnie pals
whistrng by theiI heads from the rear.
warned them hist the enemy had a
fCOthOld in their rear. UpOn locking
AROUND they saw The stars and stripes
foatiuE TO the breeze from the parapet,
heard tine demand iOr a surrender. real
lied that they were surrounded and TIE
utter nu-peIeSsneSS IF eight or ten men
resisting a whole brigade. They then
surrendered To the 111th New York
regiment were marched out q
cross fire [rOm Battery Buchanan and
carried q the rear.
About twenty years after h war l
learned through the Southern Historical
Society Papers tina Genera Bragg had
made two reports of this atfalr-one
official. the ether unofficial. The plain
inference from his unofficial report was
lat the Feder1lS met no resistance at
the gate and III the slang Of the day
had 2 walk over In ms official re-
port he said in speaking of the assault
ing columns II the enemy: His army
column. preceded by 4 single regiment,
entered the fort along that nank almost
unOpposed." CWar Serial No. % D.
434). The Federal officer who COM
manded the first brigade that entered
The fort. and who was in front and in
the thick Of the fight until shot down.
was General y. Nj. Curtis. He was in
position TO know more about II de-
tails of how he entered the fort than
any officer living. He was. therefore.
9,-..S-1 - 2, oiyo tho TarrS arH 70