davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-14

built for richochet firing. On the line
was a bomb-proof electric battery con-
nected with a system OF submarine
torpedoes. Farther along. where the
channel ran close TO the beach, inside
the bar. a mound battery sixty feet
high was e~recte' with two heavy guns
which had a %plunging fire on the chan
mel: this was connected with the bat
terry north of it bv d light curtain.
Following the line of works. it was over
one mile from the mound to the north
east baStion ~ th- angle Of the sea
and land faces o~d upon this line
t~wentv-four heavy suns were
From the mound for nearly one mile
20 the end of point. was a level
sand-plain scared three feet above
high tide. and much of it was sub
merged during gales. At the point
was battery Buchanan. four guns IN
the shape OF an eclipse commanding
the inlet, its W 11-inch guns cover
ing the -proa"h by land. An advanc-
cd redOubt with a 2~4-pounder was add
ed after the attack by the forces on
Christmas, 1864. A wharf for large
steamers was in close proximity to
these works. Battery Buchanan was
a citadel to which an OVer-pOWered
garrison might retreat and with prop
err transportation he safely carried off
at night. and to which achievements
could b Sent under the cover Of dark
ness
THE FORT FISHER FIGHT.
General Whiting. in his official report
of the taking of Fo~+ Fisher on the
night of the 18th of January 1865. after
an assault of unprecedented fury. both
by sea and LAND. lasting f~--1 Friday
morning until Sunday night. says:
"On Thursday light the enemv's fleet
was reported off the fort. On Friday
morning the fleet opened very eavily
On Friday and Saturday. during the
furious b~ombardment of the fort. the
enemy was allowed to land without
molestation and to throw I'D a light
line of field-works from Battery Ram
seur to the river thus securing his pO-
sition from m~oleStation and making
the fate of Fort Fisher under the cir
cumstances. but a question of time.
"On Sunday. the fire on the fort
reached a pitch of fury to which no
language can do Justice. If was con
centrated on the land face and front.
In a short time nearly every gun was
dismounted or disabled. ard the gar
rison suffered severely by the fire. At
three O'o1"E the enemv's land force.
which hal been gradually and slowly
advancing. formed in two columns for
assault. The garrison. during the
fierce bombardment. was not able TO
stand to the parapets. and many of the
re-inforcements were obliged to be kept
a great distance from The fort. As the
enemy slackened his fire to allow the
assault to take place. the men hastily
manned the rar~---tS and calamity re-
pulsed the right column of assault. A
portion Of the troor~ on the left had
also ~repulsed the first rush to the left
of the work. The reate portion OF
the garrison being. however. engaged
on the right. n not being able to man
the entire work. the enemy succeeded
in making a Judgement On the left
flank. planting W of his regimental
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-14

the peninsula was about half a mIie
wide. This face commenced about n
hundred feet from the river with d
half bas+i~~ and extended with a
heavy curtain to a full bastion on the
ocean side. where it io:~nd the sea
face. The work was built to Wlthstand
the heaviest artillery fire. There was
no moat with roo~~ and cOunterScarp.
so essential for defense against storm
ing parties. the shifting render
ing its construction impossible With
the material available.
The ~"+o~ slope was twenty feet high
and was sodded with marsh grass.
which grew lux~uriar. The narapet
was moi less than twenty-five feet
thick. with an inclination of only one
foot. The revetment was five feet nine
inches high from the o of the gun
and 4 -ese were some twelve
feet or more from the interior plane.
The guns were all mounted in arbet
on Columbiad carriages. there being no
casemated gun in the fort. the
! gun chambers, containing one or two
! guns each. there were twenty heavy
| guns on the land face: there were
! heavy traverses exceeding in size any
known to engineers, to protect from
| an e%nflading fire. They extended out
| some twelve feet or more in height
/ above the parapet. running back thirty
! feet or more. The gun chambers were
reached from the rear nv steps. In
each traverse was an alternate maya
zine or bomb-nroof. the latter ventll-
ated by an air chamber. The passage
ways penetrated traverses in the In
| terror of the wort formino additional
/ bomb-proofs for the reliefs for the
! guns.
! AS a License against infantr- there
was a system of sub-terra torpedoes e.
.o,@l o-D 49, - |, fIyo fn Ely
! hundred feet from the land f""e. and so
disconnected that the explosion of one
would not affect the others: inside the
t~orpedoes. about fit" feet from the
bernie of the work, extending from NV
er-bank to seashore. was a heavy pail
SADIE Of sharpened logs nine feet high.
pierced for musketry. and SO laid out
as to have = enflading fire on the en-
ire. where there vas a redoubt guard
, ing a sally port from which two
i Napoleons were run out as occasion
required. At the river end Of h pail
sade was a deep and muddy slough
across which was a bridge. the en-
trance of the river road into the port;
commanding this bridge was a Napo'
leon gun. There were three mortars III
the rear of the land face.
THE SEA FACE OF FORT FISHER
The sea face for one hundred yards
from the northwest bastion was OF the
same massive character as the lanC
face. A crescent battery intended fol
four guns Joined this. but it was con
verified into a hospital bomb proof. IL
the rear a heav curtain was thrown
up to protect the chambers from frag'
ments of shells. From the bomb proc
a series of batteries extended for three
quarters of a mile along the sea. con
nected by an infantry curtain. Thes'
batteries had heavy traverses. but Wer'
not more than ten or twelve feet ing
| to the top of the parapets. and wer'
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-14

bv the final dissolution of the southern
~feder that the great victory was
not fully realized by the American
people. The position COMMANDED the
last gateway between the confederate
states and the outside world. 1ts cap
ture. with the resulting loss of all the
Cane Fear river defences and Of VIII
mington. the great importing depot
of the south. effectually ended the
blockade-running."
Genera Lee fnnling the Importance
of the situation, sent word to Colonel
! Lamb that Fort Fisher must be held
or he could not subsist his army
DESCRIPTION OF SITUATION.
THE indentation of the Atlantic ocean
in the Carolina coast known as OnS-
low bay. and the Cape Fear river. run
ming south from Wilmington. form the
| penire~1a rnOwn as Federal Point.
which during the civil wal was called
| Confederate Point. Not quite seven
miles north of the end Of this PENN
sula, stood a hieh sand hill called the
Sugar Loaf" Here there was an in
! trenched camp for the army of Will
| mington under General BraXton Bragg.
the department commander. that was
hid from the sea by forest and sand
: hills. From this intrenched camp the
river bank. with a neighboring rilge
of sand-dunes. formed q covered way
for troops to within = hundred yards
OF the left salient of Fort Fisher. Be
tween the road and the ocean beach
was an arm of MaSOnbC~" Sound and
where it ended. three miles north OF
the fort. were occasiorn1 fresh-water
swamps generally wooded with scrub
growth. and in many cases quite i'm
Dassable. Along the ocean shore was
an occasional battery formed from a
natural sand-hill. behind which Whit
worth guns We're carried from the fort
to V helated blockade-runners or
to protect more unfortunate ones that
had been chased ashore.
About half a mile north OF the fort
there was a rise in the nlain. forming
a hill some twenty feet above the tide
on the river eide. n on this was a
redoubt commanding the approach TO
the fort by the river road. Thus ma
ture. assisted by some slight engineer
ing work. had given 4 defence to Con-
federate Point which would have en-
abled an efficient commander at the
intrenched ~amr cooperating with the
garrison Of Fort Fisher to have rem
dered the Point u~ntenable for a largely
superior force at night when the COW
ering fire Of the Federal navy could not
distinguish between friend and foe"
The plans or Fort Fisher We're Colo
mel Lambs. and as the work progress
ed were approved by Generals French.
Raines, Longstreet. Beauregard and
Whiting. 1t was styled by Federal en-
gineerS 'the Malakof of the South
1t was built solely with the view of
RESISTING the fire Of a fleet. and II
stood uninjured. except as to arma-
ment. two of the ~fiarcest commandments
the world has ever witnessed. The two
faces to the works We're 1850 yards
long. The and face was 6S2 yards
long. and the sea ace 1898 yards Ions.
THE LAND FACE OF FORT FISHER
AT the land face of Fort Fisher
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-14

to no duty by General Bragg. although
it was his right to la commanded
the supporting troops. He detefnlIl-d
to go to the fort and share It's late.
The commander. Colonel Lamb. Offer
ed to %relinQuiSh the control. but Cen
eraf Whiting declined to take away the
glory of the defense from him. but re-
manned with him and fought as a vol
unteer. 1t is related hat during the
light. when one hundred immense pro-
~jectileS were being hurled per minute
at the fort, General Whiting was seen
standing with folded arms. smiling
Upon a ~4C0-pound shell. as it stood
smoking n spinning like a bllllard-
ball on the sand not twenty feet away
until it burst. and then moved quietly
away During the fight General Whit
ing saw the Federal flags planted on
the traverses. Calling on the troops to
follow him. they fought hand to hand
with dubbed muskets. and one ira
verse was taken. Just as he was climb
ing the other. and had his hand upon
the Federal flag to tear it down., he
fell, receiving two wounds Colonel
Lamb. a half hour later. fell with a
desperate wound through the hip. The
troops fought on. Lamp. in the hos
pital. found voice enough. though
faint unto death. to say: I will not
surrender" and Whiting. lying among
Illc Su1 SOULS l1"I 49,
Lamb. if you die: 7 will assume com
mand. and I will never surrender"
After the fort was captured and Gen
eral Whiting was made prisoner. he
was taken - Fort Columbus. on Gov
errors Island, and there died. March
10th. 1865.
The fearless defender of. the last
stand at Fisher Major James Reilly.
remained not far from the scene of his
exploits until his DEATH. November 5th.
1894.
Colonel William Lamb still survives
and IS present TODAY.
TROOPS ENGAGED.
The forces engaged in the battle Of
Fort Fisher were % follows:
The opposing forces at Fort Fisher
\. c., January 1916, 1865:
UNION ARMY.
+ FIRST BRIGADE Col \. Martin
Curtis, 3rd \. Y. Capt. James H.
Reeve. Lieut.. Edwin A. Benham: 10TH
y. Y. John F. Smith; 117th \. Y.
Lieut.. Col. Francis X. Meyer; 142nd y.
Y. Lieut.. Col. Albert NJ. Barney.
SECOND BRIGADE-Col. Galusha
Pernypacker, Maj. Oliver P. Harding,
47th y. Y, Capt. Jos. NJ. Mcdonald;
4Sth y. Y, Lieut.. Col. VIM. B.. Cohn,
Maj. Mere a. Edwing; 18th Pa, Col.
John 5. Littell. Maj. Chas. knerr; 9th
Pc, Lieut.. John Wainwright; 203rd Pa.
Col. John W. Moore. Lieut.. Col. Jonas
w. Lyman, Maj. Oliver P. Harding,
Capt. Heber B. Essington.
THIRD BRIGADE-CoI. Louis Bell,
Coz. Alo.lzo Alden: 18th Indiana, Lieut..
Col. Samuel NJ. Gent; 4th \. H, John
H. Roberts; 18th N. Y, Lieut.. Col.
Nathan J. Johnson; 169th n. Y, Col.
A!onzo Alden, Lieut.. Co. Jas. A. a
VIII.
SECOND BRIGADE, FIRST DIV1-
SION-(Temporarily attached to second
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-14

flags in the traverses. From this point
We could not dislodge him. though we
forced him TO take down his flag from
the fire Of our most distant unS. u
own traverses protecting him from
such fire. From this time it was a
succession of fighting from traverse TO
traverse and from line to line until
nine o'clock at night. when we were
over-powered and all resistance ceaS-
ed.
The fall both Of the general and
the colonel commanding the fort-one
about four and the other about four
thirty o'clock o. m had a perceptible
effect upon the men. and no doubt has
tened greatly tho result: but we were
overpowered: and no skill or gallantry
could have saved the place after he
effected a Judgement. except attack in
the rear. The enemy's loss was very
heavy. and so. also. was our own. OF
the latter, as a prisoner. l have not
been able to ascertain.
AT nine o'clock o. m. the gallant
| Major Refill who had fought the fort
after the fall Of his superiors. report
ed the enemy in possession of the sally
! port. The brave Contain Van Benthuy-
sen, Of marines. though himself badly
wounded. with a squad OF his men,
| picked UP the general and colonel and
| e~ndeavored to make way TO Battery
| Buchanan. followed by Reilly with the
| remnant of the forces. On reaching
there. it was found to he evacuated
by whose order and what authority. ]
know not: no boats were there. The
garrison of Fort 7 sher had been cool
~ abandoned to its fate. Thus feA
Fort Fisher after three days battle un-
! paralleled ~ the annals of the war
Northing was left but to await the ap-
preach of the enemy. who took US abou'
10 o. m. The fleet surpassed its ire
mendous efforts in the previous at
tack. The for+ + allen in precisely
the manner indicated so often by my
| self. and to which your attention ha:
been so fire. " called. and in tn
presence of the ample force provided by
you to meet the contingency"
Colonel Lamb in his report. says n!
mad half a mile of and face and on
mile of sea face to defend with 1.9V
men. He knew every presen
and it's strength. This number includ
ed the killed. wounded and sick.
To capture Fort Fisher. the ener"'
lost. by their own statement. LAB kill
ed. wounded al missing. Nineteel
hundred Confederates with "A guns
contending against 70. 900 men on shor
and 600 heavy guns afioat. killing am
wounding almOst as many of the enc
my as there We're soldiers in the fort
and not surrendering until the las
shot was expended.
The garrison consisted of two con
panies of the 10th North Carolina un
der Major Reilly: the 36th North Caro-
lima, Colonel William Lamb. ten com
panies:' four companies Of h 4Ot
North Cardinal; Company D of the Is
North Carolina Artillery Battalion
Comparv G. Sd North Carolina Artti
lerv Battalion: Company D 18th Mort
Carolina Artiller- Battalion. and tn
Naval Detachment under Captain Va
RenthuySen.
General Whiting had been assigne
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-14
To-day the Survivors
Will Have Their
Reunion
HUNDREDS HERE

The Veterans Came in by the Hun
dreds Yesterday-Col Lamb and
Acknowledgements Parker of New
Jersey, and Mr.. GOf, of Pennsyl-
yania, Two Federal veterans,
Have COme-History of the Fort
and Its Fall.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-14

CONTINUED on Third Page.)
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-14

THE FIELD.
Among the old soldiers who arrived
yesterday to attend the reunion of the
survivors of Fort Fisher was Mr.. T. J..
Caps. of Onslow county. Mr.. Capps
was a member of Company z, Third
North Carolina regiment, and went into
the var when he was but II years old.
He has the distinction of having taken
General StonewaN Jackson off the field
on the fatal night that he fell at Chan
cellOrsville. He drove the abulance n
carried General Jackson and a Confed-
crate colonel off at the same time. The
next day in the same ambulance he
took DR.. E. Porter, of Rocky Point. off
the battlefield. DIR. Porter was terribly
wounded in the leg and all who knows
that gallant gentleman, know him as
q lame man. The doctor came down
yesterday to attend the reunion and
was glad TO meet up with the man who
hauled him from the bloody battlefield.
HISTORY OF FISFER.
Fort Fisher was named in honor of
Colonel Charles F. Fisher. 9Th y. c.
Regiment killed in the battle of Bull
Run. July 1921. 1861.
Governor Ellis appointed Brigadier
General Theo. Holmes 10 command the
volunteer troops OF North Carolina in
cape rear ClsIr1ct April Il, 1851, ana
Major w. H. c. Whiting corps of en-
glneers c. s. A., inspector general in
charge OF the defences OF Nerth Caro-
lima April u, 1861.
Early after appointment OF General
Holmes. hen he reached his head
quarters at Wilmington. y. c. he ap-
pointed c. P. BolleS, chief engineer,
with the rank of major, in charge Of
Cape Fear river and its approaches eX-
cepting Fort CasweI. Major Bolles
says:
Il was ordered Immediately af-
The Nome nugget., 1903-05-02
NOTICE OF FORFEITURE.

To D. C. Clark. one of the co-CwnerS in the
 placer mining claims described as follows: Fl Regina claim, notice ut location of said claim being recorded i'll Book H9, page lH3 in the rec ordS of the Cape Nome Recording District Terror claim, notice of location of said claim being recorded ill Book 99 page l92. in the rec Blucberry claim, notice of location of said claim being recorded ill book y9, page 2Do. in the rec ordS of the Cape Nome Recording District. La Fiesta claim. notice of location of said claim being recorded in Book 4g, page lg6 in the rec. ords of the Cape Nome Recording district. Anchor claim, notice of location of said claim being recorded in Book yl page l95 in the rec ordS of the Cape Nome Recording District. Fl Corona claim, notice of location of said claim being recorded in book 99, page l9i. in the rec ords of the Cape Nome Recording District. All of the above described claims being situate in the Cape Nome Recording district in the Dis. trict of Alaska.
 You are hereby notified that l, J. T. Hamil- ton, am one of your co-ownerS in the above de scribed mining claims and have performed dur ing the year 1902 SlO0 W worth of labor upon each of the said mining claims for the purpose of complying with Sec. 232i of the Revised Stat uteS of the United States. And you are hereby required to contribute within ninety days after the publication of this notice your proportion of said expend lures or your interest in said claims will become the property of said J. T. Hamilton your co-Owner.
 ]. r HAMILTON. CO-OwNER. Date of first publication, April Is. 1903.
 Date Of last publication, July lS 1903. 5
The Nome nugget., 1903-05-02
GOOD TIME
Had by Nome People in
 Council City.

Last Friday week A. H. Moore. of the Gold Beach Transfer Co.,, took a party of friends over to Council con- sisting of Mrs. Moore and children. Mrs. Hunter, Mir. and Mrs. G. C. Cham bers, Mir. and Mrs. J. w. Booth and son, Alr. and Mrs. Gibson. Mrs. J. C.. Brown and H. Love. On arriving at Council Nlr. Moore's guests enjoy ed d banquet given by Dr. Hempstead, the well known druggist of that place. the banquet being the payment of a wager made with MT. Moore that he could not drive from Council to Nome in l6 hours. Mr. Moore made the trip in II hours. thereby winning easily.
 The party returned to Nome Thurs day morning and report a fine trip and pleasant visit. Last Monoay evening a dance was given at the A. B. hall, Council, in honor of the visitors. After the dance twenty couples repaired to Hotel Spencer and enjoyed Dr. Hemp stead's hospitality. It was feast of wit and flow of soul, and will not be soon forgotten by the guests.
 The Council visitors went to No. Is Ophir creek, where they were the guests of Mir. and Mrs. West. It is ex- pected that this will be banner year for Council district, and in view of the outlook, many substantial improve ments are being made. Among others are the new three story Marks hotel and several large store buildings. The whole party unite in praise of the splendid meals served at the road houses along the road, especially at Rigley's and Spruce creek: and they also aver that Council has the hand est ladies, best hotel and most hospta- ble citizens of any town in Alaska.
The Nome nugget., 1903-05-02
Camp stoves; cook stoves. Lang Co.
NOTICE or FORFEITURE.

To Mrs. | NJ. Healy. coowncr with the under signed in placer claim known aS No. below discovery on Pine creek. situated in old Buuan. "a mining district but now d part of Cape Nome recording district. Alaska:
 To k. Il. EmDletOn. CO-OWncr with the under signed in placer claim known as No. 6 below discovery on Pine creek, situated in old Bo- nanza mining district hut now part of Cape Nome recording district. Alaska;
 To O. B. Crane, co-OWucr with the undersigned in placer claim known as No. : below diScov. cry on Pine creek, situated in oid Bonanza mining district. but now d part of Cape Nom. recording district, Alaska;
 You and each of you are hereby notified that l. the undersigned, have expended the sum of SlO0 on each of the above described claims in each of the years A. D. 1901 and 1909 according to the provisions of Sec. 233i of the Revised Statutes of the United States and the amend. mentS thereto, approved Jan. 2, 1880. concern. ing annual labor upon placer mining claims. And if within 90 days after last publication of this notice, you fail to contribute your portion as co-ownerS to the undersigned respectively in the above described claims for both years of lH0l and l!W2, your interests i'll said claims will become the property of the undersigned under provisions of said Section 2324 And all settle mentS shall be made with the undersigned at Nome, Alaska.
 First publication February l4, 1903
 DAVID GOODFRIEND
The Nome nugget., 1903-05-02
Notice of Forfeiture.

TO F.. J. MatteSOn.
 You will please take notice that the Solomon River Mining Company. cO-Owner with you O the MattesOn bench placer mining claim on Solo mon river, in the Cape Nome recording precinct Alaska, notice of location Of which claim iS O record in volume 5. Bonanza mining district rec ords. at page 3s. which said record is now in tho office of the recorder of said Nome pr. ciuct, hls during each Of the years of lgUU, 1901 and 100, expended in labor and improvements on Saio mining claim the sum of SlUU; that said expen ditureS were made during each of said years re spectively for the purpose of doing the annual representation work thereon as required by Sec ton 2324 of the Revised Statutes of the United States and amendments thereto, as follows. During the year ending December 3lSt lEDU, as represen tation for that calendar year, SlU: dur ing the year ending December 3lSt, ly0l. as rep reSentation for that calendar year. SO0; and during the year ending December 3lSt, 1902 us representation for that calendar year, 500.
 And you are further notified that unless you, within ninety days after the date of service on you of this notice by publication as required by said Section 2324, Revised Statutes of the United states, contribute your proportionate share of the expenditures so made as aforesaid. as co owner in said mining claim. to the undersigned, at the Bank of Cape Nome, in the City of Nome, Alaska. you will, under said Section 232i forfeit all your interest in said miniug claim.
 Date of first publication Feb 9 1903.
 Date of last publication May 2. 1903.
 SOLOMON RIVER MINING Co.,,
 By C. H. SOULE. w Manager