The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-12-04

RnOOeS, WnOm L mad never met before,
informed me that he was on the Sus-
quehanna in the first attack on Fort
Fisher; that as they approached every
thing was so quiet in the fort that they
thought Buffers powder ship had lone
some harm, when to their astonish-
ment the fort opened fire and sent a
shot through the smokestack OF the
frigate. This was the first shot, says
Rhodes, fired from the fort" Colonel
Lambs diary, 1919
United States Steamer Susquehanna,
Off Beaufort, N. c.,
December 30th, 1864.
Sir-I respectfully report that during
the attack on Fort Fisher the only cas-
ualty occurring in the engine depart
ment was a damage to the smoke
stack, a round shot having gone COM
pletely through it.
Very respectfully,
John Johnson. Chief Engineer.
Commodore S. w. Godon, command
ing 4th Division N. A. B. Squadron.
Joseph E. Miller, carpenter of the
S~usGuehanna, reports to Lieutenant
Commander F. B.. Blake; The first
cutter and the barge were so damaged
by the ooncussion (caused by fire Of
their guns) as to be unserviceable and
beyond repairs.
He can tell that to the marines, fo-
the sailors won't believe him. The
boatswain's report contradicts other
portions of the carpenters report, and
as to those boats [ distinctly saw the
frigate struck repeatedly by "Cumber-
land" battery that fired most Of it's
half hour guns at this vessel because
anchoring abreast of it, despite the
dense smoke which only occasionally
cleared away. When the tide turned
and put the frigate bow on to the Cum
berland battery and the sea face Of the
main work of the battery served by
C.. S. N. officers and sailors, our artil-
lerists could have disabled her in thirty
minutes, past being towed out, If [
could have spared the ammunition and
given the order. There were one 6 3-4
inch Brooke rifle, 40 inch Columbiads
120 FOUNDER, one ITO lib. Blakely rifle
and a battery of five Brooke guns in
charge of a c.. S. N. detachment. She
was anchored one mile from the works,
our a%rtillerists couldn't miss her at
that distance after getting the range,
and my naval friends will admit, it
would have been another United
States and Macedonian affair as TO
the raking fire. while as l was on terra
firma behind impenetrable r~evetnents,
and she had a rolling swell near the
bar, I wouldn't have had twelve killed
and wounded, as Decatur had, and |
would have finished the work in one
third the time it took him to bring
brave Garden to the humiliation OF
surrender to a foe he had ridiculed and
held in contempt; but Fort Fisher was
not there to sink a few of that mighty
armada and empty its magazines, but
to prevent the passage into the Cape
Fear river of a hostile ship, and this We
did until overwhelmed and our fort
captured, and then we had the glory
Of knowing that the first federal ves-
sci which entered the 10th of January
IN the early morn after the surrender,
passed by the Mound battery with Jul
battle and the breeze, still flying from
the masthead, and not lowered until
after sunrise.
On the 18th OF December, 1854, there
were but $500 shot and shell in the
works On Confederate formerly and
now Federal Point, exclusive Of grape
and canister, py the r0pOfI OF MOnL-
gomery Long. ordnance Sergeant. I
had used a large number in artillery
practice. which / thought necessary for
the efficiency OF the garrison, and my
superiors had inhibited my lib
eral use Of powder end projectles for
this purpose, indeed repeatedly COM
msnded the garrison when it had res
eued a valuable ship, with still more
valuable Cargo, from the blockaders,
the direct result OF regular and pains
taking practice under my personal in
structions. / believe ours was the only
fort on the coast that had regular tar
get practice, and it's results were such
that the splendid gunnery of my men
made our Light battery OF Whitworth
rife guns so famous that General Lee
took two OF them for the Army of
Northern Virginia My artillery prac-
dee with light and heavy guns was
really in defiance Of the general orders
from Richmond. but General Gorgas
was more indebted to the guns Of Fort
Fisher than those OF all the other forts
In the Confederacy Tor the importa-