The brave lads defending the vaunted Fort Fisher were awakened at around 1:40 AM this morning by the explosion of the Union powder vessel USS Louisiana off the fort. It was Gen. Butler's belief that the force of the concussion would knock down the sand walls of the fort. It didn't.
At dawn in a thick fog, the Union fleet of 64 ships begins to take battle positions off the fort.
12:40 PM, the fleet opens fire. The Union Navy's five largest frigates were on hand. The USS Colorado alone, had 52 guns, more than the fort's 47.
Until DUSK, the fleet fires an unprecedented bombardment with around 10,000 rounds of solid shot and shells. The fort's headquarters and barracks set afire.
At dusk, the fleet hauls off for the night.
Day One. --Old B-R'er
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