The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-04-04
COL. WILLIAM LAMB
\ Sketch by Probably the Sole Survivor
OF His Fort Fisher Regiment
{ To the Caucas1an)


In last Sundays Caucasian appeared
a notice OF the death OF Col. William
Lamb. March 3, 1909. at his Norfolk
Virginia. home As probably the sole
surviving member OF his Fort Fisher
Regiment residing III Louisiana. | may
be pardoncd for writing short sketch
of Colonel Lambs life based upon per
son;l contact and knowledge and in
| formation received through authorita-
tive channels
Colonel Lamb wa, born in Norfolk
Va, September 7, 1885. Twenty years
later he graduated from William and
Mary College. having taken the law
course after finishing the academic de
partment Being too young to enter the
! bar. he entered the field of journalism
and continued in that vocation until the
breaking out of the Civil War Head
ing the electoral ticket Of the Breckln-
ridge wing Of the Democratic party i'll
Virginia he was the only electQr on that
ticket that was elected Having ten
dered his services to the Southern
Cause. he took charge of the defenses
at New Inlet on Cape Fear on July 4,
1862 and built Fort Fisher and the ad-
Joining works which were pronounced
the "Malakoff of the South
In the bombardment OF December "A
and Is. 1864 Porter's fleet and Butler
land forces were defeated by the Con
federates led by Colonel Lamb
The fleet sought shelter in the har-
Dor at Ner Bernc and asked the admin
istration at Washington for permission
to make another attack on Fort Fisher.
and before light on Friday morning,
January IS. 1865, this powerful fleet
again opened its guns on the fort. Terry
commanding the cooperating land
forces. Both Dewey and Evans were
young officers under Porter. and the lat
ter was severely wounded in the unsuc-
cessful assault made by the marines on
the right at the mound battery on Sun
day evening, the 18th. The simultan-
eous assault by the land forces led by
General Curtis on the left or land face
was more successful, and late at night,
hem.sssd in on all sides except the bay
the garrison was forced to surrender. /.
Colonel Lamb was seriously wounded
and was on crutches for seven years
thereafter
Among the mortally wounded was
General W. H. c. Whiting. command
er of the Department of North Caro-
lima and Southern Virginia, with head
quarters at Wilmington, and among gal
liant soldiers fell.
a slight error appears in the notice
relative to Lambs regiment joining
General Whiting. The reverse of this
is true Lamb and the greater part of
his regiment, the Thirty-sixth North
Carolina garrisoned the fort, and were
the troops that received the first and
second attacks of Porter's feet. Gen
eral Whiting was ninety miles away at
Wilmington when the fleet returned on
January I3.
The high character, the culture and
kindness of Colonel Lamb were recog-
nized and appreciated by the entire reg
iment. History has given him a place
of honor in civil and military life and
recorded his deeds of heroism But one
unrecorded, unimportant incident will
illustrate his kindness and consideration
for the members of his regiment. One
Sunday mornings regimental inspection
was made by the major in the garrison.
This officer was imperious by nature
and habit, and he ordered soldier from
the ranks to stand at the flag staff for
few hours as a punishment for wear
ing soiled shirt at inspection, The
several companies returned to their re-
spective quarters leaving this soldier
serving an unjust sentence. But very
soon Colonel Lamb was seen to ride
into the garrison by the flag staff and
to turn aside to speak to this soldier,
whose punishment was instantly termi-
mated. No subordinate tyrant could
rule at Fort Fisher
A great and good man has gone to
his reward. W. T. X.
Arcadia, La. April 3. 1000