McHenry County CWRT Discussion Group: Quiz on Fort Fisher

The McHenry County Civil War Round Table discussion group met December 17, 2022 at Panera Bread in Crystal Lake, Illinois, with "The Beginning of the End: December 1864-January 1865" as the topic.

I made up a list of questions to get us started.  Since the two Battles of Fort Fisher took place in those two months, I made up some questions about you-know-what to get us started.

Answers are below:

FORT FISHER

1.  What was the length of the land face and sea face of Fort Fisher?

2.  Who were the fort's two commanders during the two attacks?

3.  Who commanded the Union Army and Union Navy during the First Battle of Fort Fisher?

4.  What was Benjamin Butler's secret plan to destroy the fort?

5.  Who commanded the Union Army during the Second Battle of Fort Fisher?

*******************************

ANSWERS

1.  Half mile land face, one mile sea face.  (It formed the upside down letter "L".)

2.  Col. William Lamb was the fort's commander, and assisted by General W.H.C. Whiting.

3.  Benjamin Butler commanded the Army and David Dixon Porter commanded the Navy.

4.  Loaded a ship with gunpowder and blew it up.

5.  Alfred Terry

How'd You Do?  --Old Secesh

More Comments On 'Beast' Butler-- Part 5: About Butler's 'Powder Ship' and the Trent Affair

We had one person there who was very knowledgeable about Benjamin Butler and  said he had at one time been gathering information to write a book about said person.

**  Lincoln did not speak with his first vice president, Hannibal Hamlin.

**  Butler's "powder ship" experiment was worth the shot.  The Navy had a ship it was no longer using, plus lots and lots of gunpowder.  It was worth a shot.

**  Of interest, Admiral Porter was sure a backer of this plan until it didn't work.  Then he said he knew it wouldn't work.

**  Butler defended Sutter at Sutter's Mill in California for ownership of the gold found there that sparked all that 49-er rush.

**  In the Trent Affair, former President Millard Fillmore played a huge role in keeping Britain out of the war.  He wrote a letter to Lincoln and Queen Victoria.  The Union paid $50,000 in gold and released the Confederate commissioners.

**  Butler also defended the people arrested in Chicago's Haymarket Square Riot.

--Old Secesh

More Comments on 'Beast Butler'-- Part 4: Hatteras Inlet, Cotton and Lincoln's Secret Visits

The ship Greyhound was owned by Benjamin Butler.  It was a captured blockade runner and very fast.  However, it was blown up in a mysterious explosion believed to be from a coat torpedo in an attempt to assassinate Butler.

**  Union Admiral David D. Porter and Benjamin Butler had worked together earlier in the war at Hatteras Inlet.  A hurricane had made Confederate gunpowder wet and ineffective.  

After the victory, Butler rushed to Washington, D.C. with the glorious news of victory and then went on to New York City to spread the news and take credit there as well.

**  Butler was definitely into getting as much cotton as he could, either legally or under questionable practice.

**  The Red River Campaign in 1864 was all about cotton acquisition for the Union.

**  While he was at Fortress Monroe, Butler reported to no one but Lincoln.  Not even the head of the Union Army, Winfield Scott.

**  Lincoln visited Fortress Monroe and Butler 12 times.  Butler kept those visits secret.

More.  --Old Secesh

About Schofield's Move-- Part 3: Capture Wilmington Then Move On Goldsboro

Continuing with Cox's description of events.

The first detachments of Schofield's 23rd Corps didn't set sail for Fort Fisher until February 4.

"Meanwhile Schofield had joined General Grant at Fortress Monroe and had accompanied him to the mouth of Cape Fear River to hold a consultation with General Terry and Admiral Porter with regard to future operations in the Department of North Carolina, as the new command was designated.

"The result was to make Wilmington the first objective point to the campaign, so that a new base might be secured for Sherman if circumstances should should oblige him to concentrate his army south of Goldsboro.

"The first step accomplished, Schofield's task would be to open the route from Newberne to Goldsboro, rebuilding the railway, and uniting both his corps there in time to meet Sherman for the final operations of the general campaign when the concentration of the grand army should be complete."

--Old Secesh

Congress Gives Thanks-- Part 3: Union Naval Officers

Congress also gave its thanks to these Union naval officers:

**  Admiral David G. Farragut

**  Admiral David D. Porter

**  John L. Worden, who commanded the USS Monitor in its epic battle with the CSS Virginia.

**  Captain John A. Winslow, commanded the USS Kearsarge in its battle with the CSS Alabama.

--Old Secesh

Mort Kunstler's July Civil War Calendar-- Part 1: Grant Takes Vicksburg

THE GLORIOUS FOURTH

"General Ulysses S. Grant at Vicksburg

"On July 4, 1863, jubilant Union soldiers marched past the gaunt defenders of Vicksburg and into the city which was the final Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River.

"General Ulysses S. Grant, in his typically informal dress without swordbelt, rode to the Old Landing to meet and congratulate Admiral David Porter, commander of the river fleet, aboard his flagship, USS Benton.  There were more than eight thousand Union troops on hand cheering, waving flags, and celebrating this great victory.

"The fall of Vicksburg placed the entire Mississippi River in Union hands."

There are many Union soldiers cheering Grant as he rides past them.  Grant looks to them and raises his hat.  There are Union ironclads and warships in the river in the background.

Between this and Gettysburg the day before, the real beginning of the end for the Confederacy.

--Old Secesh

Red River Campaign Conclusion

From Wikipedia.

Strength and casualties:

Union--   30,000 with 5,500 casualties
Confederate--  6,000-15,000 with 4,300 casualties.

**  A Union failure and the campaign did not have a major impact on the war.

**  It might have prolonged the war, though because it diverted the Union effort to capture the much more important Mobile, Alabama.

**  It effectively ended Union General Nathaniel Banks' military career.

**  The presence of cotton speculators and use of military boats to remove the cotton plagued his political career in later years.

**  Admiral Porter and the Navy seized a whole lot of cotton and made a lot of money.

**  The Confederacy lost two very able generals in Green and Mouton.

**  The Confederacy suffered casualties it could afford to lose.

**  It really wasn't a pressing military objective because with the fall of Vicksburg and Union control of the Mississippi River, the area was already cut off.

--Old Secesh

MCCWRT Meeting-- Part 8: Red River Campaign-- Bailey and the Dam

On April 23, 1864, there was an engagement at Monett's Ferry and banks was able to get away to safety.

In the meantime, Admiral Porter's Union fleet was in dire straits at Alexandria as the Red River was too low for his ships to pass there.  It was six feet lower than usual and the gunboats were stranded.  The Union faced the serious possibility of having to destroy its entire fleet.

Enter Joseph Bailey who suggested temporary dams to raise the water level and enable the ships to pass over the shallows.  The first dam broke, but the USS Lexington and some ships did manage to get through to safety before the river got too shallow again.

It was rebuilt, along with wing dams upriver.  It was opened May 13 and all of Porter's ships got through this time.

Then on May 20th, the Union Army was unable to cross the Atchafalaya River because of high water.  It was Bailey to the rescue again when he had steamers line up, placed planks across them and a temporary bridge made.

For his efforts, Bailey was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Some Kind of Engineer, That Joseph Bailey.  --Old Secesh

Nov. MCCWRT Meeting-- Part 6: The Red River Campaign Union Wins Battle of Pleasant Hill, Porter Continues Up the River

On April 5, 1864, the Battle of Pleasant Hill was fought.  It was not really a hill, but more of a small rise.  The Union forces won this battle even though they had possibly one of the sorriest defensive positions ever during the war.

Even with the win, Banks did not go on the offensive.

In the meantime, Union Admiral Porter was continuing up the Red River, despite the low water level.  He was still expecting to rendezvous with Banks upriver.  The Confederates had sunk the steamer New Falls City across the channel to impede his progress.Near Shreveport, the Confederates had also blown up a dam and further diverted some 75% of the Red River's flow into a nearby bayou.

--Old Secesh

Nov. MCCWRT Meeting-- Part 3: The Red River Campaign

In early 1864, the Red River Expedition was launched with Shreveport, Louisiana, as its objective.  The overall Union general in charge, Nathaniel Banks, was a political general who had been moved out west after being embarrassed and thoroughly trounced by Stonewall Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.

He was a powerful Massachusetts politician and had been moved in 1863 and made head of the Department of the Gulf.

For the campaign, Banks had a total of 25,000 troops overall along with the Mississippi Squadron under Admiral David D. Porter which consisted of 30 gunboats, many transports and the Marine Brigade.

One of Banks' generals was Andrew W. Smith, who accompanied Porter's fleet up the Red River.  Smith and Banks did not like each other at all.

--Old Secesh

McHenry County Civil War Round Table Discussion Group Meets Saturday

The Discussion Group of the MCCWRT meets tomorrow, Saturday, February 27, 2016, at the Panera Bread Company in Crustal Lake, Illinois, from 10 a.m. to noon.

The discussion topic is "Bad Generals" so it will be of interest.  I am thinking possibly Union Gen. Fitz John Porter who was accused of disobeying orders and cowardice.

He was from a naval family.  His father was David Porter, War of 1812 hero, and brother of Admiral David Dixon Porter and Commodore William D. Porter and his foster brother was David Farragut.

Although his court martial seemed to have a whole lot of political intrigue.

--Old Secesh

Admiral David Dixon Porter Wins!

The last several months, the Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial Blog has been running a Who Was the Greatest Naval Officer During the Civil War contest with weekly voting.

Both Union and Confederate officers were included and this was done in a playoff style.

In order to win, Porter had to defeat the following officers in direct competition:

John Worden
David G. Farragut (a big surprise here)
William Goldsborough
John Dahlgren
William Cushing (in the Union championship_

And finally Confederate Raphael Semmes for the championship.

Hey, he was at Fort Fisher which always gets my vote, but I have to admit I vote for his last two opponents.

Congratulations David D.!! --Old B-Runner

Best Civil War Naval Commander Voting

I went to the http:civilwarnavy150.blogspot.com site today.

Voting continues into the semi-final round and is set up in brackets.

There are seven days left to vote if you're interested.

UNION NAVY:

D. D. Porter-- 83%
William Cushing-- 17% (I voted for him.)

Both of these men were at Fort Fisher. Dixon commanded the fleet during both attacks. Cushing was in the naval attacking column and went on various expeditions in the area.

CONFEDERATE NAVY:

Raphael Semmes-- 75% (Probably because of his mustache.)
Matthew Maury-- 25% (I voted for him.)

Kind of a Neat Idea to get Folks Stirred Up for the 150th. --Old B-R'er

Further Fort Fisher Fighting Flares

You've got to love the way the guys at the Civil War Interactive blog title their headlines on the daily events of that long ago war.

For today's date, they had the above headline.

The first attack on Fisher over Christmas 1864 had been an "unmitigated disaster in the hands of Gen. Benjamin Butler" who had been removed January 3rd and replaced by Gen. Alfred terry who began planning today with Admiral David D. Porter for another assault.

Even though Porter was technically in command of only the Naval forces, Terry deferred to him because of his experience at the fort.

Porter's plans for the second attack called for an army assault along the fort's land face while a second assault took place seaward by a force of sailors and Marines armed with pistols and cutlasses who were to attack in the same manner as if boarding an enemy ship.

And, So It Begins. --B-R'er

Michael Huskey-- Medal of Honor Winner-- Part 1

Efforts spearheaded by US Senator Charles E. Schumer are underway in New York state to have Michael Huskey's unclaimed Medal of Honor found and given to Niagara County for display.

He received it for gallant actions in March 1863 during the Steele's Bayou/Deer Creek Expedition, part of US Grant's attempts to get around Vicksburg's defenses. This involved sending a naval force into bayous and tight waters which ended in defeat.

On November 3rd, a Navy honor guard held a ceremony at the Niagara County legislative session. Senator Schumer wants the Navy and National Archives to search for it so it can be pit on display at the Niagara County Courthouse. I'm sure that if they can't find it, they would be happy to get a new one issued.

Michael Huskey is the 14th known Niagara County resident to receive a Medal of Honor. However, he died in 1864 before receiving it. He helped save the ironclad USS Carondolet and, according to the citation, volunteered to go to the aid of the tugboat USS Ivy which was on fire and under heavy Confederate fire and for "general meritorious conduct during this hazardous mission."

He was a fireman, US Navy who enlisted in NY, NY. By General Order No.:32, 16 April 1864. Only, he died before he could receive it.

Nov. 4th Lockport Union-Sun & Journal "Medal of Honor: Michael Huskey memorialized at Legislative session" by Bill Wolcott.

Here's Hoping They Are Able to Find the Original. --Old B-Runner