Colonel William Lamb, Commander of Fort Fisher-- Part 1

From the Salem Street gazette http://salemstreetgazette.com.

William Lamb was born September 27, 1835 in Norfolk, Virginia. He went to several academies before entering William and Mary College in 1852 where he graduated at age 20 with a law degree, but was too young to practice.

His father purchased half interest in a local newspaper, the Southern Argus, which folded in 1861 when most of the staff went off and joined the Confederate Army.

Lamb became captain of Co. C, 6th Virginia and was appointed major and transferred to Wilmington, NC, as head of the Quartermaster Department. He later became commander of Fort St. Phillips, below Wilmington.

When the 36th North Carolina was formed in 1862, he was chosen as its colonel. The 36th became the garrison of Fort Fisher and Lamb was appointed the fort's commander July 4, 1862, a post he retained for the duration of the war.

Under his command, the fort became the largest man-made earthen fort in the United States.

More to Come. --Old B-Runner