The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-12
WEDNESDAY,, JUNE 12, 1907.
ONE MORE EFFORT

We have an exceedingly hard, time trying to rub The Norfolk Landmark the right way. Our chief difficulty lies in the fact that no human intelligence can tell which is the right way, where The Landmark is concerned. How ever, we are going to try again. Some little while ago, we referred to Colo mel Lamb of Virginia as lone William Lamb" Taken to task by The Land mark, we made matters worse by say ing MT. Lamb" That was a red rag, for fact. In our effort to make amends for temporary forgetfulness of history, we only fell deeper into trouble. Now, in order to get out of the tangle, we propose to copy chapter of history, not only interesting in and of itself, but showing the bravery and devotion of Colonel Lamb. It is from Lees History of the United States, and reads thus:
 Wilmington was the only port left open to Confederate blockade runners, and Fort Fisher, on the peninsula be- tween the mouth of Cape Fear River and the ocean, was its main defense. European powers had threatened to disregard the blockade entirely, unless the Washington Government could en- force it in North Carolina and, there fore, it seemed doubly necessary to capture Fort Fisher.
 "On January G., 1885, another expedi- ton, commanded by General Terry, was sent from Fortress Monroe against Fort Fisher. Admiral Porter's fleet of fifty-nine vessels. five of them iron clads was to cooperate with the in- fantry force-about 10000 strong. 2. On January Is. after a bonn bardment of three days, an attack was made by the fleet and the land forces. from a half mile to mile and a half from the fort, opened a concen- trtc fire from their 413 guns.
 Such storm of shot and shell has scarcely ever been equalled The walls of the fort were much injured, some of the cannon were dismounted. DOW der. exploded, and the interior was made so hot by the incessant shower of missiles that the men could not stand to their guns, first assault of the infantry. was repulsed with severe loss. and after the outer works had been carried, fierce struggle went on within the inner defenses. Notwith- standing the greatly outnumberlng ming and exhausting cannonade. the garrison of 2,500 men kept up a hand to-hand fight until after midnight SeHeTdl W ulllHB was fnOftallN wound ed; Colonel Lamb, commanding the fort. was entirely disabled Further resistance was hopeless, and the Cen eral surrendered himself and some 1900 men. The rest of his heroic com mand had been killed or wounded The Federal loss was nearly TOO.
 We make this rather extended ouo- tation, partly as an act of justice 10 brave Virglnians. and partly because the present generation should not be- come fOrgetful or urmiudful of the kind of men who were such thorough exemplars of Southern courage and pa triotism 'fn the brave days of old !" Although the Confederacy was fast nearing its end. and that end was plain Iy In view at the time this deathlv struggle took place, the result showed that the genius of battle was still In full control of the sons of the South and they fought with the same grim courage and tenacity they had ex- hibited all along, All honor to them. and may their courage and devotion never be forgotten while men and women honor the first examples of chivalric courage and devotion to dutyi