Private Grogan Goes to Fort Fisher

From same site as the April 12 post.

On December 10, 1864, he was aboard a transport heading for Fort Fisher, North Carolina.

"We were taken from our own boats and and put aboard of the Empire City to load 1600 colored men."  He reports that the transport wasn't very large and it had twelve horses aboard.

On Christmas Day1864, as he was watching the Union fleet, he wrote that he would "have to brag of our fleet for there never was, never a finer fleet.  Together it did us good to see our noble flag float over our noble ships with our brave men to protect them.  It was a noble sight for us."

He continued, "on board of our boat we had tobacco we had to smoke, we had to eat our pork raw, we could not cook our coffee.  But most times there was but one galley for 1700 men so that was too small a pot for so large a family."

He did not write any more about Fort Fisher.

--Old B-Runner

Private Grogan Sees the Brewster Hit by Fort Clifton

From the North Carolina Civil War and Reconstruction  History Center "Thomas E. Grogan, Private, US Army, 162nd New York Volunteer Infantry, 3rd Regiment, Company E."

In March 1864, Thomas Grogan  re-enlisted for a second tour of duty, which eventually took him to Fort Clifton, Virginia.  Federal gunboats attacked the fort and during the engagement, Confederate artillery disabled the army gunboat Samuel L. Brewster with a shot to her boiler.

On May 9, 1864, Grogan wrote that the Brewster was hit "that made her boiler explode and scaled  several of her crew.  The poor fellows could do nothing but jump overboard where there was rebels sharp shooters to pick them down.  This was all in our view but could do nothing for them.  

"We fought them all day but could do nothing, for they had the best of us."

--Old B-Runner

The source says the 162nd New York, but, it was not with Butler in Virginia or at Fort Fisher.  It might have been the 169th New York which was in both places.