Still Fighting Around Wilmington After Fall of Fort Fisher-- Part 1

From the Feb. 7th Wilmington Star-News "Key battles fought in 11865 led to fall of Wilmington" by Chris Fonvielle.

Fort Fisher fell to a huge Union attack Jan. 15, 1865, but the city it was defending held out for another five weeks before being evacuated by Confederate forces.

At the same time, Fort Fisher fell, all of the coastal and island forts near Smithville, today's Southport, also were blown up and evacuated, including Fort Holmes on Bald Head Island.

Confederate forces retreated to the Sugar Loaf/Fort Anderson line.  Sugar Loaf was on the east side of the Cape Fear River and Fort Anderson on the west.

Fort Anderson was another strong sand fort (essentially a smaller Fort Fisher) built on the ruins of long-abandoned Old Brunswick Town ( a colonial town predating Wilmington).  The massive, 26-feet high parapets stretched nearly a mile. Lt. Thomas Rowland was ordered to begin construction March 24, 1862.  It commanded a narrow part of the Cape Fear River with a strong current forcing enemy ships to come up close to the fort to operate.  There they would be vulnerable to the fort's heavy guns and torpedoes which were placed in the river.

More to Come.  --Old B-Runner