352 NortH Caroiina Troops, 1861-’65.

James Adger with a tow line towards the Hebe, driving
her back, wounding one of the crew. The Minnesota and

James Sager then opened a frightful fire on the detach-
ment and guns tearing up the beach, killing private Holland
and wounding five others. The detachment barely escaped
capture. They carried off their dead and wounded comrades
but were obliged to leave their guns. The wreck was over
seven miles from Fort Fisher, on the narrow and low beach
between Masonboro Sound and the Ocean, and it was won-
derful that any escaped alive. The enemy after landing
carried off the two guns.*

The Minnesota fired 173 shot and shell consuming 1,977.
pounds of cannon powder. The James Adger fired 163
shot and shell using 958 pounds of powder, or a total of 336
shell and shot and more than a ton of cannon powder, to
drive a detachment of tar heels from two small field pieces.
The Niphon fired 172 shot and shell at the detachment as
it retreated, and claimed to have wounded many, but did
not strike one.

General W. H. C. Whiting in reporting this fight to the
Secretary of War, Richmond, 24 August, 1863, says: “T
have met with a serious and heavy loss in that Whitworth,
a gun that in the hands of the indefatigable Lamb, has saved
dozens of vessels, and millions of money to the Confederate
States. I beg that a couple of the Whitworth guns originally
saved by him from the Modern Greece may be sent here
at once. Their long range makes them more suitable for a
seaboard position. Could I get them with horses we could
save many a vessel that will now be lost to us.”

Wr11am Lamp.

Norroik, Va.,
23 August, 1901.

*See picture in this Vol. of the captured Whitworth Rifle gun, now at
Washington, D. C., Navy Yard.