New Fort Fisher Museum Underway-- Part 3: Importance To the Confederacy

During the Civil War, Fort Fisher protected the entrance to the Cape Fear River which led to Wilmington, North Carolina, a major port for blockade runners supplying the Confederacy with much-needed supplies.

About a mile near the end of the penionsula originally called Federal Point, but name changed to Confederate Point for the war, became heavily fortified with Fort Fisher which ran roughly a mile along the Atlantic coast on the east side, then stretched for abou a half mile across the peninsula on the north side.

There were no fortifications on the west side along the Cape Fear River and a four gun fortification at the south end by New Inlet called Battery Buchanan.

There were dozens of man-made mounds as tall as 35 feet and topped with powerful artillery to keep Union blockaders at a distance.  These defenses kept the port of Wilmington open until January 1865 when a successful Union attack by sea and land captured the fort and closed Wilmington.  The Confederacy was all but over within three months after that.

Old B-Runner