Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-08-25
THE ATTACK ON FORT FISHER.
The Greatest Assault In the History Of
Naval Warfare.

The Greatest Assault In the History Of
Naval Warfare.
At Fort Fisher, just below Whining
ton. on the North Carolina coast. the
survivors Of the long bombardment
that ended on January Is, 1865, are to
gather in reunion. Federals Of the at
tacking force and the Confederate de-
tenders are to meet together there and
talk over the stirring scenes Of war
time. Some writer's have pronounced
the invention" Of gunpowder, but since
the civil war it may have been excelled.
Col. William Lamb, the defender Of
the fort, who still lives in Norfolk, in
his account Of the battle, states that
the fort extended across the peninsula
6S2 yards, with twenty heavy guns
mounted, two mortars and four pieces
of light artillery. The sea face was
heavy guns, and the mound battery
was sixty feet high. The fort was
constructed by General Whiting and
Colonel Lamb and guarded the port Of
Wilmington, where most Of the block
ade-runners carried their supplies to
the Confederates. Defending the fort
were 1,431 men. ..
On December "a, the Federal fleet,
composed of the Ironsides, four moni-
tors and forty-five wooden steam fri
gates, began the assault. For five
hours the fire was terrific, over 10000
shot and shell being poured on the
fort. Only twenty three men were
wounded, however. On Christmas day
Admiral Porter's fleet made a second
attempt, reinforced by another monitor
and several other wooden ships, rain
ing down on the fort $50 shots min
ute. On that day five men were. killed
and thirty-three wounded, while two
guns exploded. Still the fort did not
succumb.
In January the Federals returned to
the attack with what was said to have
been the largest naval force ever gath
cred in one command in America,
nearly sixty vessels. They carried over
600 cannon, and the projectiles in a
single discharge weighed % tons. The
Confederate infantry that had aided
in protecting the fort from assault on
the peninsular side had been with
drawn, General Terry landed $500 Fed
erals and cut Of communication be-
tween the fort and Bragg's army. All
day and all night on the 18th and 14th
Of January the immense fleet kept up
a ceaseless bombardment. Col. Lamb
relates that mo meals could be pre-
pared for the exhausted garrison; the
dead could not be buried without new
casualties. Fully 200 had been killed
during these two days, and only three
of four Of the land guns remained SER
viceable." General Whiting and Col.
Lamb were both badly wounded. Cut
off from their own army, after resist
ing SO long this overwhelming force.
the garrison surrendered on January
Is, having lost about 500 men. The
Federals had lost LAS and had carried
the fort only after the greatest assault
that up to that time had been made in
the history Of naval warfare.
Among the hundred acts Of heroism.
that Of Private Christopher C. Bland is
notable. There were no halyards on
the f1agpole, and he volunteered to
climb the pole and place the e-flag
there. In perfect storm Of shot and
she'll he climbed to the top, and unfurl-
ed the Stars and Bars. A shell cut
loose the top and. with shells bursting
all around him and himself target for
the marksmen Of the fleet, he climbed
it again and fastened the banner firm
ly to the staff. For less than that Ser
geant Jasper at Moultrie won undying
fame.-Baltimore Sun.