The semi-weekly messenger., 1906-11-02
WHO PLANNED FORT FISHER.
Reply to a Former Communication to
The Messenger on This Subject.

In recent communication TO The
Messenger 1t was stated anonymously
that w. d. Pittman. a civil engineer,
planned Fort Fisher. / was satisfied
that the statement was incorrect and
to verify my recollections OF the mat
ter. l addressed a communication to
Major c. P. Bolles, whom / knew was
in possession OF the facts in the case,
and his reply to my inquiry, from
which I qnote the following, verifies
my recollections:
Il respectfully certify In August
IL, 1903 the Veterans OF Fort Fisher
assembled at Wilmington for the pur-
pose OF organizing a Permanent Fort
Fisher Association and a day or two
before or after that date. a communi-
cation similar in matter TO that con-
tafned in the slip You sent me was
published in The Morning Star or
Messenger. / had never heard of Mr.
Pfttman either as a confederate mill
:tary engineer or as one Of the best
engineers in the south I know that
Fort Fisher was gradually developed
by Gordon OF batteries extending
from the first one (planned and con-
structed by me) to the sand dunes: and
that these sand dunes were transform
ed by Colonel Lamb into a grand work
extending across Federal Point from
the sea TO the river. Colonel Lamb
in his address to his old comrades and
the citizens of Wilmington distinctly
stated that he planned and constructed
that grand work: and, in describing
the makeup of the tortifcation named
Fort Fisher, mentions the names of
the constructors Of the batteries ex-
tending from the first battery TO his
grand work. When the first sand
battery was being constructed on Cape
Fear river to command the entrance
Of New Inlet. General Whiting told
me 4 Gordon Of batteries would ex-
tend from it to the sand dunes; and
that those high sand hills would even
tually be utilized in the formation of
a great work extending across Federal
Point from the sea to the river. AS
you and your company; the Whining
tor Light Infantry occupied the First
battery on May 4th, 1861. You, as
captain and your company, the Will
mington Light Infantry inaugurated
the Great Historic Fort Fisher
On the 4th of May 1861 l was or
dered with my company from Fort
Casweu to proceed to Confederate
Point and take charge Of the works
there, for which I found to be bat
terry planned and erected by Major
Bolles. Two 24-pOunders were sent to
me and dumped into three feet of
water at high tide. These with the
earnest force of my men were rolled
on skids at least a quarter of a mile,
up on the parapet and mounted. This
inaugurated, what afterwards proved
to be the greatest fortificatiOnS on the
coast. It was the understanding at
that time that this battery was to be
connected by other batteries, to be
constructed north and south Of that
location, and SO far as known there
was no general plan Of the fort and
there is no doubt that this fort grew
gradually and as necessity seemed to
call for until it reached the sand hills
on the northeast angle of the fort,
thence across the peninsular to the
Cape Fear river. Between Battery
Bolles and this angle. Colonel S. L.
Fremont designed and erected a case
mate revetted at the portfolios by pal
metto logs and this was built and
completed by Colonel Fremont After
wards a very high pile of sand was
put up on the northeast angle which
Colonel Lamb designed and which he
called 'the pulpit On the south Of
Battery Bolles Colonel Lamb also de-
signed g battery which was so built
as to command the channel from the
bar to the river. This battery was
about SO feet high on which ther was
mounted two 10-inch Columbiads and
did effective service in preventing the
entrance Of the enemy and enfilading
the approach Of the line OF batteries
from the sea.
Thus, it will be observed that no one
man was responsible for the planning
Of the entire fortifications, unless per-
haps it may have been designed by
General Whiting, and I believe it was.
WIN. L. DeROSSET.