FORT FISHER, in North Carolina, erected by the Confederates on the peninsula between Cape Fear River and the Atlantic to defend the entrance to the port of Wilmington, was one of the most formidable earthworks on the Atlantic coast and was built to withstand the heaviest artillery fire. Its parapets were 25 feet thick, with an average height of 20 feet, and mounted 44 heavy guns. At the close of 1864, when it was determined by the United States forces to reduce it and close the port of Wilmington to blockade-runners, it had a garri son of 1,400 men, under command of CoL Wil liam Lamb. The combined naval and army ex pedition sent against it was under command of Adm. D. D. Porter and Gen. B. F. Butler. Porter's fleet of about 150 vessels, the largest that had ever sailed under the Union flag, left Hampton Roads 13 Dec. 1864 and arrived in sight of the fort on the 20th. As a preliminary to the attack the old steamer Louisiana was loaded with 215 tons of powder which was to be exploded under the walls of the fort, with the expectation that the explosion would dis mount the guns, level the works and demoralize the garrison, thus allowing the troops to land and easily talc% the works. At 1.40 A.M. of the 24th, without notifying Butler of the fact, when the Louisiana was within 300 yards of the beach and 400 yards of the fort, the powder was exploded, but did no damage, scarcely disturb ing the slumbers of the garrison. At daylight the fleet ran in, and at 11 o'clock opened a fun ous fire, which was continued several hours, doing no material damage, and was responded to with spirit and effect. On the 25th the bom bardment was renewed and under cover of it Butler landed 3,000 men two miles above the fort, and was assured by Porter that the navy had so completely silenced the work that all he had to do was to march his troops into it. But Butler and Weitzel, who was in immediate command of the troops, after a careful recon naissance found the fort uninjured, deemed it unadvisable to attack it, re-embarked the men and returned to James River to assist in the siege of Petersburg. Porter's fleet lost 83 men
killed and wounded. The Confederates had 58 killed and wounded. The failure to take the fort produced great disappointment; it is now generally conceded that Butler and Wenzel acted wisely in not making the attempt. A second expedition against the fort sailed 12 Jan. 1865, and on the 13th 8,000 men were landed under Gen. A. H. Terry, who had been designated to command the land forces, which, as before, were under the immediate command of General Weitzel. At 3.30 P.M. the fleet stood in and began a furious bombardment, which was continued next day, causing a loss to the garrison of 200 men, and silencing many of the guns. A combined naval and land attack was planned for the 15th, and 1,600 sailors and 400 marines were landed to co-operate with the army. The fleet opened fire at 9 A.M. and con tinued it until 3 P.M., when 50 steam-whistles from the fleet gave the signal for the land as sault. The naval column, armed with cut lasses and pistols, charged the right flank or sea-face of the work, reached its foot, and those in advance began to climb the parapet, but the Confederates mounted on it repulsed them, and the entire body retreated in disorder with a loss of 82 killed and 269 wounded. The army was more successful; advancing on the left flank or land-face of the work, it forced a lodgment and after a hard struggle, which was continued far into the night, carried the entire work, capturing, as reported by General Terry, about 2,000 men, with a loss of over 900. The Confederate defense of the fort was one of the most pliant of the war, and cost them about 500 killed and wounded. The Union loss, army and navy, was 266 killed, 1,018 wounded and 57 missing. The fall of Fort Fisher closed the port of Wilmington, and was soon followed by the fall of that city. Consult Official Rec ords' (Vol. XLII) ; (Naval War Records' (Vol. XI)) ; Ammen, The Atlantic Coast); Malay, (History of the Navy' (Vol. II) ; The Century Company's (Battles and Leaders of the Civil War' (Vol. IV).