Wilmington Comes Under the Gun-- Part 2

JANUARY 2ND, 1864:

On 2 January, Secretary of Navy Welles again proposed an attack on the defending fortifications of Wilmington: "the only port by which any supplies whatever reach the rebels...." He suggested to Secretary of War Stanton that a joint operation be conducted to seize Fort Caswell: "The result of such is to enable vessels to lie inside (the Cape Fear River), as is the case with Charleston, thus closing the port effectually."

However, General Halleck said operations in Louisiana and Texas would not allow the needed soldiers to participate. As a result, Wilmington remained open for another year.

Old B-R'er