The First Battle of

Fort Fisher Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865. The fort was located on one of Cape Fear Rive ...

was a naval siege in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

, when the Union tried to capture the fort guarding

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is t ...

, the South's last major Atlantic port. Led by Major General Benjamin Butler, it lasted from December 24–27, 1864. The Union navy first attempted to detonate a ship filled with powder in order to demolish the fort's walls but this failed; the navy then launched a two-day bombardment in order to demolish the fort and compel surrender. On the second day, the Union army started landing troops in order to begin the siege. But Butler got news of enemy reinforcements approaching, and in the worsening weather conditions, he aborted the operation, declaring the fort to be impregnable. To his embarrassment, Butler was relieved of command on January 8, 1865, and was replaced by Major General

Alfred H. Terry Alfred Howe Terry (November 10, 1827 – December 16, 1890) was a Union general in the American Civil War and the military commander of the Dakota Territory from 1866 to 1869, and again from 1872 to 1886. In 1865, Terry led Union troops to vi ...

, who led a follow-up expedition that captured the fort one week later.

Background

After the failed Bermuda Hundred Campaign, Major General Benjamin Butler and his

Army of the James The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia. History The Union Departme ...

were assigned to an amphibious expedition against Fort Fisher. Lieutenant General

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union A ...

had originally designated one of Butler's subordinates, Major General

Godfrey Weitzel Godfrey (Gottfried) Weitzel (November 1, 1835 – March 19, 1884) was a German-American major general in the Union army during the American Civil War. He was the acting Mayor of New Orleans during the Union occupation of the city and also capture ...

, to lead the expedition, but Butler, as the commander of the

Department of Virginia and North Carolina The Department of Virginia and North Carolina was a United States Military department encompassing Union-occupied territory in the Confederate States during the Civil War. In 1863 it was formed by the merging of two previously existing department ...

, demanded that he lead the troops himself and Grant acquiesced. Units for the expedition were selected from the Army of the James and included the 2nd Division of the XXIV Corps and the 3rd Division from the XXV Corps, along with two battalions of heavy artillery and engineers. Colonel Cyrus B. Comstock from Grant's staff went along to serve as chief engineer. The Union naval expedition under Rear Admiral David D. Porter comprised the largest Union fleet of the war, nearly 60 warships along with the transports to carry the army troops. Butler also planned to bring the , which had been packed with 200 tons of powder and disguised as a blockade runner, down to Fort Fisher, run it aground about a hundred yards from the fort's seawall, and blow it up, hoping the explosion would demolish the fort as well. Although many in the Union high command (including Grant and

Gideon Welles Gideon Welles (July 1, 1802 – February 11, 1878), nicknamed "Father Neptune", was the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1861 to 1869, a cabinet post he was awarded after supporting Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 election. Although opposed ...

) doubted the plan would work, it was approved by Lincoln. The final Union plan was for the ships to gather at

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James, Nansemond and Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point where the Chesapeake Bay flows into the Atlantic ...

, where the army troops would board the transports. Because the monitors used in the attack had to be towed to Fort Fisher, the navy would leave with a twelve-hour head start over the transports. The warships would refuel at Beaufort, then meet the transports at Fort Fisher, when the ''Louisiana'' would be detonated and the troops landed under the fire of the warships. Fort Fisher, on Confederate Point, nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the Confederacy", was a formidable target commanding the

Cape Fear River The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The river is formed at the confluence of the Haw River and the Deep River (North Caro ...

. It encompassed 14,500 ft.² and was surrounded by a 10-foot parapet and a network of bombproofs, most of which were 30 feet high. Many obstructions were laid around it, including land mines (called torpedoes in this era), abatis, and deep ditches. There were more than 50 heavy cannon, including 15 Columbiads and a 150-pounder Armstrong gun, behind a 60-foot mound of earth near the sea, named the Mound Battery. The fort's garrison of 1,400 men was commanded by Colonel William Lamb. Additional reinforcements were available from General

Braxton Bragg Braxton Bragg (March 22, 1817 – September 27, 1876) was an American army officer during the Second Seminole War and Mexican–American War and Confederate general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, serving in the Wester ...

at Sugar Loaf, 4 miles away. This force consisted of Major General

Robert F. Hoke Robert Frederick Hoke (May 27, 1837 – July 3, 1912) was a Confederate major general during the American Civil War. He was present at one of the earliest battles, the Battle of Big Bethel, where he was commended for coolness and judgment. W ...

's division from the

Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most oft ...

, which arrived on December 23.

Opposing forces

Union

Army

Expeditionary Corps (Army of the James) – MG. Benjamin F. Butler, MG

(second-in-command) * 2nd Division (XXIV Corps) – BG.

Adelbert Ames Adelbert Ames (October 31, 1835 – April 13, 1933) was an American sailor, soldier, and politician who served with distinction as a Union Army general during the American Civil War. A Radical Republican, he was military governor, U.S. Senat ...

** 1st Brigade - Brevet BG. Newton M. Curtis *** 3rd New York – Cpt. George W. Warren *** 112th New York – Ltc. John W. Smith *** 117th New York – Col.

Rufus Daggett Rufus Daggett (October 6, 1837 – February 9, 1912) was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War. On February 18, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln nominated Daggett for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general of volunteers, ...

*** 142nd New York - Ltc. Albert M. Barney ** 2nd Brigade - Col.

Galusha Pennypacker Uriah Galusha Pennypacker (June 1, 1841/1844 – October 1, 1916) was a Union general during the American Civil War. He may be the youngest person to hold the rank of brigadier general in the US Army; at the age of 20, he remains the only general ...

*** 47th New York – Cpt. Joseph P. McDonald *** 48th New York – Ltc. William B. Coan *** 76th Pennsylvania – Col. John S. Littell *** 97th Pennsylvania – Lt. John Wainwright *** 203rd Pennsylvania - Col. John W. Moore ** 3rd Brigade - Col. Louis Bell *** 13th Indiana – Cpt. Samuel M. Zent *** 4th New Hampshire – Cpt. John H. Roberts *** 115th New York – Maj Ezra L. Walrath *** 169th New York – Col. Alonzo Alden ** Artillery *** 16th Independent Battery New York Light Artillery - Cpt. Richard H. Lee ** Naval Brigade - BG

Charles K. Graham Charles Kinnaird Graham (June 3, 1824 – April 15, 1889)Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 261. was a sailor in the antebellum United States Navy, attorney, and later ...

* 3rd Division (XXV Corps) – BG. Charles J. Paine ** 2nd Brigade - Col. John W. Ames *** 4th USCT – Ltc. George Rogers *** 6th USCT – Ltc. Clark Royce *** 30th USCT – Ltc. Hiram A. Oakman *** 39th USCT – Col. Ozora P. Stearns ** 3rd Brigade - Col. Elias Wright *** 1st USCT - Ltc. Giles H. Rich *** 5th USCT – Col. Giles W. Shurtleff *** 10th USCT - Ltc. Edward H. Powell *** 37th USCT – Col. Nathan Goff Jr. *** 107th USCT - Ltc. David M. Sells ** Artillery *** Battery E, 3rd U.S. Artillery – Lt. John Myrick

Navy

North Atlantic Blockading Squadron The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading. The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required the monitoring of of Atlantic ...

– Rear Admiral David D. Porter: * Line Number 1 ** USS ''Canonicus'' – Lcdr. George Belknap ** USS ''Huron'' – Lcdr.

Thomas O. Selfridge Jr. Thomas Oliver Selfridge Jr. (February 6, 1836 – February 4, 1924), son of Rear Admiral Thomas O. Selfridge, was an officer in the United States Navy. Early life Born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Selfridge graduated from the United Stat ...

** USS ''Kansas'' – Lcdr. Pendleton G. Watmough ** USS ''Mahopac'' – Lcdr. Edward Potter ** USS ''Monadnock'' – Cmdr. Enoch G. Parrott ** USS ''New Ironsides'' – Cmdr. William Radford ** USS ''Nyack'' – Lcdr. L. Howard Newman ** USS ''Pequot'' – Lcdr.

Daniel L. Braine Daniel Lawrence Braine (May 18, 1829 – January 30, 1898) was an admiral of the United States Navy. Early life Born in New York City on May 18, 1829, Braine was appointed midshipman in 1846. He served on the and the during the Mexican–Amer ...

** USS ''Pontoosuc'' – Lcdr. William G. Temple ** USS ''Saugus'' – Cmdr. Edmund R. Colhoun ** USS ''Unadilla'' – Lcdr. Frank M. Ramsay * Line Number 2 ** USS ''Bignonia'' – Lt. Warrington D. Roath ** USS ''Brooklyn'' – Cpt. James Alden ** USS ''Colorado'' – Cdre. Henry K. Thatcher ** USS ''Juniata'' – Cpt.

William Rogers Taylor William Rogers Taylor (7 November 1811 – 14 April 1889) was a rear admiral of the United States Navy who served during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War. Biography Taylor was born in Rhode Island. He was appointed as a ...

** USS ''Mackinaw'' – Cmdr. John C. Beaumont ** USS ''Maumee'' – Lcdr.

Ralph Chandler Ralph Chandler (23 August 1829 – 9 February 1889) was a rear admiral of the United States Navy. He saw action during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War, and later served as commander of the Asiatic Squadron. Biography Cha ...

** USS ''Minnesota'' – Cdre. Joseph Lanman ** USS ''Mohican'' – Cmdr.

Daniel Ammen Daniel Ammen (May 15, 1820 – July 11, 1898) was a U.S. naval officer during the American Civil War and the postbellum period, as well as a prolific author. His last assignment in the Navy was Chief of the Bureau of Navigation. Early care ...

** USS ''Pawtuxet'' – Cmdr. James H. Spotts ** USS ''Powhatan'' – Cdre. James F. Schenck ** USS ''Seneca'' – Lcdr.

Montgomery Sicard Rear Admiral Montgomery Sicard (30 September 1836 – 14 September 1900) was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. Biography Born in New York City, Sicard was appointed acting-midshipman on 1 October 1851. After gr ...

** USS ''Shenandoah'' – Cpt. Daniel B. Ridgley ** USS ''Susquehanna'' – Cdre. Sylvanus William Godon ** USS ''Ticonderoga'' – Cpt. Charles Steedman ** USS ''Tuscarora'' – Cmdr. James M. Frailey ** USS ''Vanderbilt'' – Cpt. Charles W. Pickering ** USS ''Wabash'' – Cpt. Melancton Smith ** USS ''Yantic'' – Lcdr. Thomas C. Harris * Line Number 3 ** USS ''Chippewa'' – Lcdr. Aaron Weaver ** USS ''Fort Jackson'' – Cpt. Benjamin F. Sands ** USS ''Iosco'' – Cmdr. John Guest ** USS ''Monticello'' – Lt. Daniel A. Campbell ** USS ''Osceola'' – Cmdr. John M.B. Clitz ** USS ''Quaker City'' – Cmdr. William F. Spicer ** USS ''Rhode Island'' – Cmdr. Stephen D. Trenchard ** USS ''Santiago de Cuba'' – Cpt.

Oliver S. Glisson Oliver Spencer Glisson (January 18, 1809 – November 20, 1890), was a rear admiral of the United States Navy. After commanding a schooner in the Mexican–American War, he was posted to the East India Squadron and took part in the Japan Expeditio ...

** USS ''Sassacus'' – Lcdr.

John L. Davis John Lee Davis (September 3, 1825 – March 12, 1889) was a Rear Admiral of the United States Navy, who served during the American Civil War, and later commanded the Asiatic Squadron. Biography Davis was born in Carlisle, Indiana, one of seven ...

** USS ''Tacony'' – Lcdr. William T. Truxton * Reserve Line ** USS ''Advance'' – Lcdr. John H. Upshur ** USS ''Alabama'' – Lt. Frank Smith ** USS ''Aries'' – Lt. Francis S. Wells ** USS ''Anemone'' – Ens. William C. Borden ** USS ''Banshee'' – Lt. Walter H. Garfield ** USS ''Britannia'' – Lt. Samuel Huse ** USS ''Cherokee'' – Lt. William E. Dennison ** USS ''Emma'' – Lt. Thomas C. Dunn ** USS ''Eolus'' ** USS ''Gettysburg'' – Lt. Roswell Lamson ** USS ''Governor Buckingham'' – Lt. John MacDiarmid ** USS ''Lilian'' – Lt. T.A. Harris ** USS ''Little Ada'' ** – Lcdr. Benjamin H. Porter ** USS ''Maratanza'' – Lcdr. George Young ** USS ''Moccasin'' – Ens. James Brown ** USS ''Montgomery'' – Lt. Edward H. Faucon ** USS ''Nansemond'' ** USS ''R. R. Cuyler'' – Cmdr.

Charles Henry Bromedge Caldwell Charles Henry Bromedge Caldwell (1823–1877) was a United States Navy officer during the American Civil War. Career Charles Henry Bromedge Caldwell was born in Hingham, Massachusetts on February 24, 1823. He entered the navy as midshipman Febru ...

** USS ''Tristram Shandy'' – Lt. Edward F. Devens ** USS ''Wilderness''

Confederate

* District of Cape Fear – MG.

William H.C. Whiting William Henry Chase Whiting (March 22, 1824 – March 10, 1865) was a United States Army officer who resigned after 16 years of service in the Army Corps of Engineers to serve in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He ...

** Fort Fisher Garrison - Col. William Lamb *** 10th North Carolina - Ltc. John P.W. Read (w), Maj. James Reilly *** 36th North Carolina - Col. William Lamb *** 40th North Carolina *** 1st Battalion North Carolina Junior Reserves - Maj. D.T. Millard *** 1st Battalion North Carolina Heavy Artillery, Co. D - Cpt. James L. McCormic *** 3rd Battalion North Carolina Light Artillery, Co. C - Cpt. John M. Sutton *** 13th Battalion North Carolina Light Artillery, Co. D - Cpt. Zachariah T. Adams ***

Confederate Navy The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American ...

Detachment – Lt. Robert T. Chapman *** Confederate Marine Corps Detachment – Cpt. A.C. Van Benthuysen * Hoke's Division (Army of Northern Virginia) – MG.

** Hagood's Brigade - BG. Johnson Hagood *** 7th South Carolina Battalion - Ltc. James H. Rion *** 11th South Carolina - Col. F. Hay Gantt *** 21st South Carolina - Col. Robert F. Graham *** 25th South Carolina - Cpt. James Carson *** 27th South Carolina ** Kirkland's Brigade - BG. William Kirkland *** 17th North Carolina - Ltc. Thomas H. Sharp *** 42nd North Carolina - Col. John E. Brown *** 66th North Carolina - Col. John H. Nethercutt ** Connally's Brigade, North Carolina Reserves – Col. John K. Connally *** 4th Battalion North Carolina Junior Reserves - Maj. John M. Reece *** 7th Battalion North Carolina Junior Reserves - Maj. William F. French *** 8th Battalion North Carolina Junior Reserves - Maj. James Ellington *** 8th Battalion North Carolina Senior Reserves - Col. Allmond McKoy ** Artillery *** Southerland's Battery - Cpt. Thomas J. Southerland *** Paris's Battery, Staunton Hill Artillery - Cpt. Andrew B. Paris

Battle

The Union forces prepared to leave Hampton Roads on December 10, but a winter storm hit the fleet for three days, preventing the fleet's departure until the 14th. The transports carrying Butler's force arrived at Fort Fisher first, since the navy took longer to refuel at Beaufort than expected. When Porter's ships arrived on the 19th, another storm hit the fleet, causing some ships to scatter and forcing the army transports to return to Beaufort. After the storm subsided on the 23rd, Porter decided to start the attack without Butler, ordering the Louisiana to be blown up that night. Near midnight, the ship was towed close to the fort's seawall and set on fire. However, the Louisiana was farther out to sea than the navy thought, perhaps as far as a mile offshore; as a result, Fort Fisher was undamaged by the blast. Harper's weekly (1865) (14764084792) Federal Point - Centerfold

Harper's weekly (1865) (14764084792) Federal Point - Centerfold

The following morning (December 23), the Union navy moved closer to shore and began a bombardment of the fort, hoping to damage the earthworks and forcing the garrison to surrender. Despite firing close to 10,000 shells that day, only minor damage was caused, with four seacoast gun carriages disabled, one light artillery caisson destroyed, and 23 casualties in the garrison. Meanwhile, there were 45 Union casualties from exploding guns aboard ships, and the Confederates were able to score direct hits on three ships. The transports carrying the Union soldiers arrived that evening. Initially, Butler thought that by exploding the Louisiana and starting the bombardment without the army, Porter had given the Confederates warning that the Union assault was coming and would therefore have time to contest the landings. However he was convinced to land a reconnaissance party to determine if an attack was still feasible. The landings started Christmas morning, with Brig. Gen. Adelbert Ames' division the first to be ashore, while the navy continued bombarding the fort. The Union troops captured a battery protecting the beach north of Fort Fisher, and accepted the surrender of the 4th and 8th North Carolina Junior Reserve battalions, which had been cut off by the Union landings. After setting up a defensive line, Ames sent the brigade of N. Martin Curtis towards the fort to see if it could be attacked. Curtis found the land wall lightly defended and was prepared to attack, but was prevented from doing so by Ames. Butler was convinced that the fort was undamaged and too strong for an assault; he had also received word that Hoke's division was a few miles north of the fort, and another storm was forming in the area. All this convinced him to halt the landings and order the troops on the beach to return to the ships; the entire Union fleet then returned to Hampton Roads.

Aftermath

The fiasco at Fort Fisher, specifically Butler's disobeyance of his direct orders—orders which Butler failed to communicate either to Porter or to Weitzel—gave Grant an excuse to relieve Butler, replacing him in command of the Army of the James by Major General

Edward Ord Edward Otho Cresap Ord (October 18, 1818 – July 22, 1883) was an American engineer and United States Army officer who saw action in the Seminole War, the Indian Wars, and the American Civil War. He commanded an army during the final days of ...

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...

, recently reelected, no longer needed to keep the prominent Democrat in the Army and he was relieved on January 8, 1865. To Butler's further embarrassment, Fort Fisher fell one week later when Major General

led a second assault against the Confederate stronghold; while defending his decision to break off the attack before the

Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War The Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War was a United States congressional committee started on December 9, 1861, and was dismissed in May 1865. The committee investigated the progress of the war against the Confederacy. Meetings were held ...

, Butler had deemed the fort impregnable. Confederate losses amounted to five killed and mortally wounded, fifty-six wounded, and six hundred captured, while the damage caused by the bombardment was quickly repaired. Blockade runners continued using the port, the next ships to arrive did so the very night the Union fleet withdrew. Although Whiting and Lamb were convinced that the Union force would shortly return, Bragg withdrew Hoke's Division back to Wilmington and started making plans to recapture New Bern.Fonvielle, p. 178-182.

Notes

References

* Eicher, David J., ''The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War'', Simon & Schuster, 2001, . * Fonvielle Jr., Chris E. ''Last Rays of Departing Hope:The Wilmington Campaign.'' Campbell, CA.: Savas Publishing Company, 1997. * Foote, Shelby, '' The Civil War: A Narrative, Vol. 3: Red River to Appomattox'', Random House, 1974, . * Gragg, Rod, ''Confederate Goliath: The Battle of Fort Fisher''. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1994. * Martin, Samuel J. ''General Braxton Bragg, C.S.A.''. McFarland: First edition, 2011. . . * McPherson, James M., '' Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era'' (Oxford History of the United States), Oxford University Press, 1988, . * Pelzer, John D. "Ben Butler's Powder Boat Scheme." in America's Civil War, Vol. 7, No. 6 (January 1996).
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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fort Fisher I Wilmington campaigns Battles of the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War Confederate victories of the American Civil War Naval battles of the American Civil War Battles of the American Civil War in North Carolina New Hanover County, North Carolina Sieges of the American Civil War Conflicts in 1864 1864 in North Carolina December 1864 events