As I do every year at this time, I'll be following the anniversary of the two battles that took place at Fort Fisher, North Carolina.
This fort had a huge impact on my life as it was here that I first got interested in the Civil War and history. You might say it changed my life.
A large part of this blog is dedicated to Fort Fisher, the Confederate Navy and blockade-running.
Earlt this morning, Christmas Eve, the USS Louisiana was blown up. It was General Butler's belief that the explosion of the ship, which was loaded with gun powder, would cause the sand walls of the fort to be knock down. About all it did was awake the garrison who thought a blockade-runner or blockader had run aground and blown up.
It was foggy all morning as the 64 ship Union fleet took up its battle stations off the fort. That must have been some sight from the fort if it could be seem.
Right now, at 12:45 pm E.S.T. the USS Ironsides fired a shot. The whole fleet joined in at 1 pm and one of the heaviest bombardments ever took place until dusk at which time the fleet retired out to sea. Around 10,000 shells were fired at the fort with little damage.
Between 1-4 pm, about 1,300 Confederates under Gen. Kirkland arrived at Sugar Loaf, north of Fort Fisher and joined 1,200 Junior and Senior Reserves.
Late afternoon Confederate General W.H.C. Whiting arrived at the fort to confer with its commander, Col. William Lamb.
And, So it Began. --Old B-Runner
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