46 NortH Carorina Troops, 1861-’65.

yards long, was continuous from ocean to river. The sea
face was 1,300 yards long. Both faces were mounted with
heavy guns, mortars and light artillery, presenting a formid-

able front to the enemy. It was the strongest earthwork .

built by the Confederacy, really, as Admiral Porter said,
“stronger than the Malakoff tower which defied so long the
combined power of France and England. Two miles above
the fort were the Half Moon and the Flag Pond Batteries,
and a mile and a quarter below, and at the extreme end of the
peninsula, Battery Buchanan with four heavy guns.

When Butler’s expedition of 8,000 men set forth against
it, the fort was garrisoned by only 667 men—a totally inad-
equate force for its defence. General Butler, with General
Weitzel and his troops, appeared in transports off New Inlet,
near Fort Fisher, on 15 December. The navy under Ad-
miral Porter, did not appear until the 18th. He had col-
lected the largest and most formidable naval expedition of
modern times. The weather being stormy, prevented any

hostile operations until the 23d. On the night of the 23d,

Admiral Porter anchored a powder ship, containing 215 tons
of powder, about 800 yards from the northeast salient of the
fort. It was anticipated that the explosion of this mass of
powder would greatly impair, if not destroy, the works, and
the least effect expected was that the garrison would be so par-
alyzed and stunned as to offer but small resistance to subse-
quent attacks. The explosion did no more harm than a Chi-
nese fire-cracker. Colonel William Lamb, then in command
of the fort, wired General Whiting at Wilmington that one of
the enemy’s fleet had blown up, so little impression did it
make on him. :
General Benjamin F. Butler, of New Orleans fame, in his
autobiography, gives an amusing account of an interview
with Major Reece, who commanded the Fourth Battalion of
Junior Reserves and was captured at Fort Fisher. Butler
says: “TI inquired of him where he was the night before last
(the night of the explosion of the powder boat). He said
he was lying two miles and a half up the beach. I asked
him if he had heard the powder vessel explode. He said he
did not know what it was, but supposed a boat had blown up,

SEVENTY-SEconD REGIMENT. 47

that it jumped him and his men who were lying upon the
ground, like pop-corn in a popper, to use his expression.” It
is hard to tell which most to admire. Butler’s gullibility or
Reece’s “jollying” extravagance.

The next day, 24 December, was employed by Porter in
bombarding the fort, dropping into it as many as 130 shells
a minute. At this time the three battalions of Junior Re
serves, about 800 strong, were encamped near Sugar Loaf, six
miles up the Cape Fear river from the fort. On the night
of the 24th, the Fourth, Seventh and Eighth battalions were
assembled at Sugar Loaf under Brigadier-General William
W. Kirkland. Major French had been temporarily assigned
to the command of a regiment of Senior Reserves, but at his
request was permitted to return to his own command and fol-
low its fortunes. General Whiting directed General Kirk-
land to send these battalions to Battery Buchanan, there to
take boat for Bald Head and relieve Colonel J. J. Hedrick
and his seasoned veterans, in order that they might reinforce
Fort Fisher. They marched soon after midnight through
Fort Fisher to Battery Buchanan, on the extreme end of the
peninsula. In the darkness, many of the boys while passing
through the fort, stumbled into the holes which were made in
every direction by the shells. All the battalions arrived at
Fort Buchanan before-day. The boat which was to carry
them to Bald Head could not make a landing on account of
the tide, whereupon Captain Bristol early in the morning re-
ported in person the situation to Colonel Lamb, who or-
dered the Juniors into the Fort. This was early Christmas
morning.

Between Fort Buchanan and Fort Fisher is a clear, open
beach, upon which a partridge could not hide himself, over
which they must pass in full view of the fleet. As soon as
the march began the fleet poured upon the command a terrific
discharge of shot and shell. The first one killed at Fort
Fisher was Private Davis, of French’s Battalion of J uniors,
who on this march was cut in two by a large shell. Another
private was severely wounded by the same shell. Nothing
but the poor practice of the fleet saved the boys from utter
destruction on this perilous march. When they reached