It was 144 years ago today, Christmas Day and the Union attacking Confederates at Fort Fisher, North Carolina.
Again, this is taken from the North Carolina Historic Sites.
http://www.nchistoricsites.org/fisher/battle-1.htm
MORNING-- About 20 Union vessels shell beach north of the fort, specifically Sugar Loaf, Battery Gatlin, and Battery Anderson to pave way for Union Army's landing.
2 PM- Union Navy force under Lt. Cmdr. Cushing look for channel at New Inlet for possible attempt by shallower-draft gunboats to get behind the fort.
2 PM- Union infantry land on beach. Union General N. Martin Curtiss first ashore, followed by 500 men. Fighting with Kirkland's skirmishers. Curtiss and 142nd and 112th NY strike and drive them away.
3 PM-- Union forces advance to within mile and a half of fort. Curtiss pushes to within 75 yards of Shepherd's Battery.
3:20 PM-- Lt. Waller of 142nd NY pilfers the large garrison flag from outside the fort. It had been shot down by the naval bombardment. Lt. George Simpson climbs a telegraph pole and severs the line. Saw the inside of the fort.
Gen. Butler, in overall charge, decides the fort is too strong and his forces are between two strong Confederate positions.
DUSK-- Dark clouds roll in and wind picks up.
NIGHTFALL-- Federal Chief Engineer Comstock, Second Division commander general Ames decide to attack the fort. Curtiss advances a skirmish line of 3rd, 117th, and 142nd NY toward fort.
DARK-- Union Naval bombardment ceases.
Inside Fort Fisher, Lamb and Whiting hurry Confederate troops from bomb proofs to face impending attack. Open fire on advancing troops. Comstock and Ames alarmed by this and decide to follow Butler's orders to withdraw.
Curtiss and his men remain near the fort until a staff officer arrives to tell him the Federal landing force has returned to the transports.
By the time Curtiss gets to the landing site, the weather is too bad to disembark so about 600 men and several hundred Confederates captured earlier are force to remain stranded on the beach for two days.
Will Gen. Bragg Take Advantage of This. Wait and See. --Old B-R'er
The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
