The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-11-27
THE CATTLE At FORT FISHER
Col. Lamb Writes the History of
the Monitef CanOnICus
Takes tho Opportunity to Praise the
Gallant Men Who HerOically Worked
in Defense OF the Fort-Story From
an Eye Witness of the Calling Fight
That Occurred-Article to be Con-
Guided Next Sunday.
Norfolk City, Va, Oct. 80, 1906.
Rev. Jas. A. Smith, V. p,
Fort Fisher Survivors Asso..

Norfolk City, Va, oct. 80, 1906.
| Rev. Jas. A. Smith, V. P,
Fort Fisher Survivors Asso.,
Wilmington, N C.
My Dear Comrade: I enclose here
with cut from the Norfolk Landmark,
the first and second article of a series
I am writing in regard to the two bat
ties at Fort Fisher"
AS this is probably the last oppor-
tunity l will have of giving public
credit to the gallant men who tried
SO hard to defend that fort, when Cen
eral Lee had sent them word that if it
were taken he could not hold Rich
mond, l want as many Of the survivors
as possible to see what 1 shall write,
and you would oblige me if you would
ask the editor of the Wilmington Mes
senger, whom O will possibly find a
personal friend Of mine, to publish the
first and second articles that I send you
and the remainder Of the series which
I will send direct to MIN Or through
you, in such installments as will best
suit the columns Of this paper.
If | continue to improve in health as
1 have sence you hole you reunion, l
WILL bO ooIS ~ IL ouk f1fOlS ia
the 18th OF January next; u thirty
first anniversary of the fall of the fort.
I will do all l can &c comply with
your request to get President Roose-
welt to accept your invitation to be
there, but I think if you get the sur
vivors and delegates and congress from
your state you would certainly be sue
cessful.
With kind regards, your friend,
William Lamb.
THE HISTORY OF THE MONITOR
CANONICUS.
To the Editor of The Landmarks:
The Z. S. Monitor "Canonicus' has
arrived at the ~navy-yard in this port
to take part in the great International
Military, Naval, Historical and Indus
trial exposition to be held next year
in commemoration CT the 300th ami
versary OF the first permanent English
settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, in
May, 1907. am glad my friend, Ad-
miral Harrington, persuaded Sec: etary
Bonaparte to send her here from Lea
que Island, as a type of the most formi-
dable class of naval vessels during tie
wal DetWecn the states.
/ have a personal interest in her. and
as the press in announcing her arrival
here, have ascribed her battle scars,
to the shots from the Confederate bat
teries in Charleston, S. c., harbor, I
propose TO give you = correct state
ment Of the facts in regard to her, in
justice to those brave North Carolina
boys, whom I had the honor tc conf
mand and instruct in artillery practice
for more than three years, and whose
devotion to me. makes me unwilling to
have them deprived CT the credit due
them for unsurpassed accuracy of aim
and fearlessnesS under a fire, neve-
equalled in the history Of wal en- land
or sea.
The "Canonicus' outside OF its Fort
Fisher experience had an u%neventful
career. Her first service was in James
river anG she exchanged shots On two
occasions with Howlett's battery, On
the upper James. In tie first engage
ment the monitor was only struck
twice. Nobody was hur. and her in
jury reported slight. which was not
surprising, IS she was Zoo yards from
the Small four gun battery, which had
to tight four war vessels carrying I
guns, besides the "Canonicus'' which
at that distance. presented to the man
behind the Confederate gun, only her
turret.
Commander E. G. PARROT, of the