Progress on Fort Fisher Visitors Center-- Part 3: Road Construction and World War II

The new visitor center and archaeology facility carry a price tag of $2.5 million, funds primarily secured through state  budget appropriations.

Nearly $3 million more is needed to complete the overall site improvement project, which includes reconstruction of a series of Civil War-era mounds.  To clear the site for a runway, the Army bulldozed  three of the mounds after activating Fort Fisher as  a training base during World War II.

A fourth mound was taken out by the construction of U.S. Highway 421 before the war.  US-421 ends at the "Rocks" by Battery Buchanan.  Also, North Carolina's Fort Fisher Ferry is located there (where people can go across the Cape Fear River to Southport.

The idea is to tell a complee and inclusive story of Fort Fisher.

Construction of the Fort Fisher visitor center is expected to be complete by mid-to-late May 2024.  Once the building is up and operating, the current visitors center will be torn down.

--Old B-Runner

Report of Albert M. Blackman at Fort Fisher-- Part 2: Received the Confederate Surrender

"In marching to the rear, I met Major General Terry who ordered me to proceed to his headquarters, and await further orders.  At a quarter before 10 o'clock I received orders to march to the fort.

"On arriving I was informed that the enemy had evacuated and was ordered to join in the pursuit, which order I promptly obeyed, and  on arriving at this place (Battery Buchanan) was first to receive the surrender of the enemy.

"The losses in my command  were 1 enlisted man killed and 4 wounded.

"After this fort (Battery Buchanan)  was taken, I was placed in command by Major General Terry in person."

(Sounds like there was quite a bit of confusuion among Union forces after they got inside Fort Fisher. So, did the garrison of Fort Fisher surrender to a black regiment?)

--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

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

Confederate Navy Officers: Richard Fielder Armstrong (At Fort Fisher)

Born in Georgia.  Appointed from Georgia.

Resigned as Acting Midshipman, U.S. Navy, January 30, 1861.

Midshipman April 17, 1861.

Acting master September 24, 1861.

Lieutenant for the war, February 8, 1862.

Second lieutenant, October 23, 1862, to rank from October 2, 1862.

First lieutenant Provisional Navy, June 2, 1864, to rank from  January 6, 1864

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Served on the CSS Sumter 1861-1862.  (He probably would have been there when J.T. Hester murdered William Andrews.)

CSS Alabama, 1864

Assisted in the defense of Battery Buchanan in the Union attack of Fort Fisher, December 23-25, 1864; gallant conduct commended.

--Old B-Runner

The Sidney Stockbridge Letters at Fort Fisher-- Part 2: Colonel Lamb's Dog

The letter was dated January 16-18, 1865 and had information about the torpedoes at Battery Buchanan, a sketch of the fort done from the USS Pawtuxet and another from inside the fort.  In addition, there was a gruesome post-battle description of the fort.

Apparently, Mr. Stockbridge had also been involved in the capture of Col. Lamb's dog.

No one on the Fort Fisher staff was aware that Lamb had had a dog.

With the assistance of Christian Edwards from the NCDNCR Archives and History Collection Branch in Raleigh an agreement was worked out to obtain the entire collection of approximately 30 letters. All of them will be scanned and transcribed on a one-year loan.

An exhibit at the museum is being planned.

--Old B-Runner