THE NAHY AT FORT FISHER.

659

lay signal to move in three divisions, and eachship took its prescribed place as previously indi-cated to her commander; consequently there wasno disorder.

All felt the importance of this bombardment,and while not too rapid to be ineffective such astorm of shell was poured into Fort Fisher, thatforenoon, as I believe had never been seen beforein any naval engagement. The enemy soon ceasedto make any reply from their heavy guns, exceptingthe “ Mound Battery,” which was more difficult tosilence, while those mounted on the land-face wereby this time disabled. [See note, p. 658.]

Before noon the signal was made for the assault-ing column of sailors and marines to land. Fromthirty-five of the sixty ships of the fleet boats shovedoff, making, with their flags flying as they pulledtoward the beach in line abreast, a most spiritedscene. The general order of Admiral Porter re-quired that the assaulting column of sailors shouldbe armed with cutlasses and pistols. It was alsointended that trenches or covered ways should bedug for the marines close to the fort and that ourassault should be made under the cover of theirfire; but it was impossible to dig such sheltertrenches near enough to do much good under firein broad daylight.

The sailors as theylanded from their boats were aheterogeneous assembly, companies of two hundredor more from each of the larger ships, down to smallparties of twenty each from the gun-boats. They hadbeen for months confined on shipboard, had neverdrilled together, and their arms, the old-fashionedcutlass and pistol, were hardly the weapons toeope with the rifles and bayonets of the enemy.Sailor-like, however, they looked upon the landingin the light of a lark, and few thought the sunwould set with a loss of one-fiftli of tlieir number.

After some discussion between the commander,Lieutenant-Commander K. R. Ilreese, and thesenior officers, it was decided to form three divi-sions, each composed of the men from the corre-sponding division squadrons of the fleet; the firstdivision, under the command of Lieutenant-Com-mander C. H. Cushman, the second under Lieuten-ant-Commander James Parker (who was Breese’ssenior but waived liis rank, the latter being in com-mand as the admiral’s representative), the thirdunder Lieutenant-Commander T. 0. Selfridge, Jr.;

a total of 1600 bluejackets, to which was added a di-vision of 400 marines under Captain L. L. Dawson.

The whole force marched up the beach andlay down under its cover just outside rifle range,awaiting the movements of the army. We wereformed by the flank, and our long line flyingnumerous flags gave a formidable appearancefrom the fort, and caused the Confederates todivide their forces, sending more than one-lialf tooppose the naval assault.

At a preconcerted signal the sailors sprang for-ward to the assault, closely following the water’sedge, where the inclined beach gave them a

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COMMANDER JAMES PARKER. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH.

slight cover. We were opened upon in front by thegreat mound battery, and in flank by the artilleryof the Iialf-moon battery, and by the fire of athousand rifles. Though many dropped rapidlyunder this fire, the column never faltered, andwhen the angle where the two faces of the fortunite was reached the head halted to allow therear to come up. This halt was fatal, for asthe others came up they followed suit and laydown till the space between the parapet and theedge of the water was filled. As the writer ap-proached with the Third Division he shouted to hismen to come on, intending to lead them to where

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mm .

NORTH-EAST SALIENT OF FORT FISHER, SHOWING ON THE LEFT THE GROUND OVER WHICH THENAVAL COLUMN CHARGED. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH.