Report of Gen. Terry on Capture of Fort Fisher and the 27th USCT

Major General Alfred H. Terry's official report of the battle, Jan. 25, 1865.

He directed General Paine (commander of the USCT troops):  "to send me  one of the strongest regoments of his own division.  These troops arrived at dusk and reported to General Ames.  At 6 o'clock Abbott's  brigade went into the fort.

"The regiment from Paine's division, the Twenty-seventh U.S. Colored Troops, Brevet Brigadier-General A. M. Blackman commanding, was brought up to the rear of the fort, wheren it remained under fire for some time and was then withdrawn."

Then, the 27th was highly regarded as a fighting unit.

Also, Terry reported that the 27th USCT was part of the Union troops sent against Battery Buchanan to force its surrender.

--Old B-Runner

Report of Albert M. Blackman at Fort Fisher-- Part 1

From Official Records War of the Rebellion page 425.

Report of Bvt. Brigadier General Albert M. Blackman, 27th USCT, 3rd Brigade, of operations January 15, 1865.

From Federal Point, Fort Buchanan, N.C., January 16, 1865 to Capt. C.A.  Carleton, Assistant Adjutant General.

"I received orders from Brigadier-General Paone about 7 o'clock last evening to proceed to Fort Fisher and report to General Ames.  (The 27th was in entrenchments opposite Sugar Loaf to the north of the fort.)  I proceeded as rapidly as possible, but on arriving at the bridge (at the west end of the land face) near the fort I found the way obstructed by troops.

"I ordered the men to lie down, and proceeded in person to General Ames within the fort and reported.  From him I received orders to retire beyond the range of sharpshooters, stack arms, and return with my men and proceed to the construction of covered ways to enter the fort."

(I'm not sure, but did this mean Ames wanted the 27th to be on a construction detail?)

--Old B-Runner

The 9th Maine in the Wilmington Campaign

As I wrote in an earlier post on February 22, 2022, I found that the 9th Maine was not at the the first two battles of Fort Fisher, but was transferred from the Army of the James and joined the other regiments of its brigade at Fort Fisher February 11, 1865, and then participated in the remainder of what is called the Wilmington Campaign or Battle of Wilmington.

This is where the 9th served in the Union Order of Battle for that campaign.

It was in TERRY'S PROVISIONAL  CORPS, commanded by  Major General Alfred H. Terry, Brig. Gen. Joseph R. Hawley.

SECOND DIVISION (XXIV CORPS)  Brig. Gen. Adelbert Ames

3RD BRIGADE   Lt. Col. Nathan J. Johnson (until  14 Feb.), Col. George F. Granger

13th Indiana

9th Maine

4th New Hampshire

115th New York

169th New York

--Old B-Runner

Adelbert Ames, Rockland's Medal of Honor Winner-- Part 2

During the rest of the war, he commanded both artillery and infantry regiments. One of these was the famous 20th Maine. He also was on staff duty and was continually promoted until he held the rank of major general at the end of the war.

In case you're wondering why an Army man would be in this naval blog, Ames commanded troops of his father-in-law, General Benjamin Butler, at Fort Fisher.

In 1868, he was appointed governor and later US senator from Mississippi and in 1876 began his business career. On occasion, he exchanged heated words with another Fort Fisher veteran, Gen. Newton Curtiss.

In 1898, he was appointed brigadier general of volunteers in the Spanish-American War and fought in Cuba. He died in 1933, the last surviving general of the Civil War.

Quite the Interesting Life. --Old B-R'er

Adebert Ames, Rockland's Medal of Honor General-- Part 1

From the February 21, 2012, Knox Village (Maine) Soup.

The Union Historical Society held its first-ever meeting and Rockport's David Sulin gave a presentation on Rockland's favorite son: sailor, soldier and politician Adelbert "Del" Ames.

Born in 1835 and the son of a sea captain. He spent much of his early life at sea and then went to the US Military Academy at West Point where he was still a cadet when the war began. On May 6, 1861, he graduated fifth in his class and was commissioned second lieutenant in the artillery.

Eight days later, he was promoted to 1st Lt. in another artillery regiment.

In July, he was at the Battle of Bull Run and breveted to the rank of major and was awarded the new Congressional Medal of Honor which read, "Remained upon the field in command of a section of Griffin's Battery directing its fire after being severely wounded and refusing to leave the field until too weak to sit upon the caisson where he had been laced by the men of his command."

More to Come. --Old B-Runner