590 NortH Caroiina Troops, 1861~’65.

ous Confederate departments, made the capture of that port
the object of the greatest interest.

It is not necessary for me to-day to go fully into the story
of the two attacks upon Fort Fisher, to thresh anew the old
straw, or to review the quarrel between Porter and Butler in
regard to the first attack. The battalions which later were
formed into the Third Regiment of Juniors and Millard’s
Battalion formed a part of the garrison who so bravely with-
stood the onslaught of Weitzel’s troops, and drove them back
to the shelter of the fleet 25 December, 1864. French’s and
Reece’s Battalions at the beginning of the fight were posted
some distance from the fort, at Battery Buchanan. When the
order came to repair to Fort Fisher, they ran the perilous
gauntlet under the fire of the entire fleet. French’s Battalion
manned the land face of the fort, and kept that position
throughout a considerable part of the first. One little fellow,
Private Campbell, of Columbus County, I think, too small to
fire over the parapet, jumped upon a cannon, exposing his
whole body to that deadly hail, and fired until he fell. Dur-
ing the whole battle their coolness and courage were worthy of
veterans. As certain companies were passing along through
the fort to the most dangerous portion of the works, they
passed near General Whiting, the officer in command. Turn-
ing to an officer near him, and taking off his hat, he said:
“These are North Carolina’s pets.” Quick as a flash a little
rascal sang out: ‘“She’s got a d—d bad way of showing it!”

The attack was repulsed, and Butler was driven back,
beaten and disheartened to the shelter of his ships.

But a change of Federal commanders followed, and Gen-
eral Terry, with reinforcements of vessels and soldiers, re-
turned to the attack 14 January, 1865, upon the doomed
fortress. The heroic garrison held out for a time, but at last,
overpowered by the fearful bombardmment and the sheer
force of numbers, Whiting was driven from the fort to the
edge of the water, and Colonel Lamb and his troops were
compelled to surrender. A Northern historian well says:
“One does not know which to admire most the heroism of the
defence or the gallantry of the attack.”

Colonel William Lamb, the gallant commander of the fort