Beast Butler Has a Plan to Wreck Confederate Shipping in the Cape Fear River

From the American Civil War High Command January 7, 1864.

NORTH CAROLINA

Union Major General Benjamin Franklin Butler revealed a plan to send  the Army steamer Brewster, Ensign Arnold Harris,  into Wilmington Harbor disguised as a blockade runner.  There they would destroy  the shipping and blockade runners in the harbor.

The plan was abandoned when extent of Confederate defenses were discovered.

Union General Charles Kinnaird Graham reported to Rear Admiral Samuel Phillips Lee that it might be possible to run past Forts Caswell and Fisher by the proposed ruse, but the chain across the Cape Fear River at Fort Lee would halt the ship.

All blockade runners were required to stop there until cleared for further progress upriver by authorities in Wilmington and it was expected that the plot would be detected.

A Thought, Anyway.  --Old B-Runner