Continued from today's entry in my Saw the Elephant blog. Go to the My Blogs section by scrolling down to the right of this.
The next day, 23rd, and on Christmas Eve, 24th, the Union fleet, largest ever assembled by the U.S. until WW II, pounded the fort mercilessly, expending some 10,000 shells each day.
On Christmas Day, the fleet moved a lot of its fire to the area north of the fort to prepare the way for the landing of Army troops. They did come ashore only to determine that the fort was still, despite that three day bombardment, too strong to be taken.
Most of the troops reboarded their transports and left. Several hundred were left on shore, but later gotten off safely.
The fleet returned in January and this time the joint Army-Navy assault succeeded, closing the Confederacy's last link with the outside world. Lee surrendered less than three months later.
--Old B-Runner
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