Porter Orders a Naval Assault Column on Fort Fisher

JANUARY 4TH, 1865:  Rear Admiral Porter, laying meticulous plans for the second Fort Fisher attack, ordered each of his ship commanders to "detail as many of his men as he can spare from the guns as a landing party."

Armed with cutlasses and revolvers, the sailors and Marines were to hit the beach when the assault signal was made "and board the fort in a seaman-like way.  The marines will form in the rear and cover the sailors.  While the soldiers are going over the parapets  in front, the sailors will take the sea face of Fort Fisher."

I always believed this to be an attempt by Porter to cut into the glory of the capture of the fort.  He probably should have seen if he could have gotten Dahlgren's Naval Brigade which had experience with land operations.

--Old B-Runner