THE DEFENSE OF FORT FISHER.

647

VIEW OF THE LAND FRONT FROM THE SECOND TRAVERSE OF THE NORTH-WEST SALIENT.

FROM A PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN AFTER THE CAPTURE.

Tlie indentation ot the palisades ip the middle-ground marks the position of the sally-port. Beyond is seenthe north-east salient, overlooking the sea.

of Wilmington , and there had a grand review.The fort was not even advised of the coming ofthe fleet, which should have been seen off Mason-boro’ during the day; and its arrival was reportedfrom Fort Fisher to headquarters iu Wilmington .

The night of the 12th of January, from theramparts of Fort Fisher, I saw the great armadareturning. My mounted pickets had informed meof its coming. I began at once to put my worksin order for action. I had but 800 men,—the36th North Carolina, —at least 100 of whom werenot fit for duty. Sunrise the next morning re-vealed to us the most formidable armada theworld had ever known, supplemented by transportscarrying about 8500 troops. Suddenly that longline of floating fortresses rained shot and shell,upon fort and beach and wooded hills, causing thevery earth and sea to tremble. I had telegraphedfor reenforcements, and during the day and nightfollowing about 700 arrived,— companies of lightand heavy artillery, North Carolina troops, andsome 50 sailors and marines of the ConfederateStates navy,—giving me 1500, all told, up to themorning of January 15th, including the sick andslightly wounded. On Friday, the 13th, in the midstof the bombardment, General W. H. C. Whiting,the district commander, and his staff, arrivedinthefort. They had walked up from Battery Buchanan.I did not know of their approach until the generalcame to me on the works and remarked, “Lamb,

7 I 11 a report to General Lee , dictated at Fort FislierJanuary 18th, 1865, and in another (inclosing the firstone) dated Fort Columbus, New York Harbor, February19th, 1865, General Whiting blames General Bragg forthe loss of Fort Fisher, and asks that the latter’s con-duct be investigated. He says: “ I went into the fortwith the conviction that it was to be sacrificed, forthe last I heard General Bragg say, was to point out

my boy, I have come to share your fate. You andyour garrison are to be sacrificed.” I replied,“Don’t say so, General; we shall certainly whipthe enemy again.” He then told me that when heleft Wilmington General Bragg was hastily remov-ing his stores and ammunition, and was lookingfor a place to fall back upon.JJ) I offered him thecommand, although he came unarmed and withoutorders; but he refused, saying he would counselwith me, but would leave me to conduct the defense.

In the former bombardment the fire of the fleethad been diffuse, not calculated to effect any par-ticular damage, and so wild that at least one-tliirdof the missiles fell in the river beyond the fort orin the bordering marshes; but now the fire wasconcentrated, and the definite object of the fleetwas the destruction of the land defenses by en-filade and direct fire, and the ships took positionaccordingly. When attacked in December, I hadhad for my 44 heavy guns and three mortars notover 3600 shot and shell; and for the most effect-ive gun in the work, the 150-pounder Armstrong,there were but 13 shells, and we had no other am-munition that could be used in it. The frigatesMinnesota and Wabash each had an armamentsuperior to ours, and these two vessels alone firedmore shot and shell at the works in the last attackthan we had, all told or on hand, in both engage-ments. During the time between the two expe-ditions we had begged for more ammunition, but

a line to fall back on If Fort Fisber fell.” GeneralBragg was “ charged with the command and defenseof Wilmington, ” by the Secretary of War, on Jan-uary 13th; and General Whiting concludes with afeeling reference to the fact that he was not allowedto conduct the defense of “a harbor on which Ihad expended for two years all the labor and skill Ihad.”— Editors.