Feb. 3, 1865-- Part 4: I Need Monitors More Than You Do

FEBRUARY 3RD, 1864:  In anticipation of the movement on Wilmington, Porter wrote Dahlgren requesting that the monitors he had dispatched to Charleston after the fall of Fort Fisher be returned for duty on the Cape Fear River.

Although each squadron commander wanted the sturdy ironclad warships to spearhead his own efforts, Dahlgren prevailed in his belief that his problem was the greater against the heavily fortified Charleston Harbor.

Thus Porter had to plan on the services of only the USS Montauk, the lone Monitor he had retained.  The other Monitors he had had with him for the attacks on Fort Fisher were the Canonicus, Mahopac, Saugus and Monadnock.  The ironclad USS New Ironsides was also there.

The Montauk arrived after the Second Battle of Fort Fisher.

--Old B-Runner