Fort Fisher Celebrates 153rd Anniversary-- Part 1: Re-Enactors and Cannon Firing

From the December 30, 2017, Wilmington (NC) Port City Daily  "Fort Fisher celebrates 153rd anniversary of the Second Battleof Fort Fisher" by Michael Praats.

The name of the commemoration is "Exploding Shells and a Blaze of Musketry."  This will be held Saturday, January 13, 2018.  And, the best part is that I will finally be able to be there.

There will be outside re-enactors discussing camp life, garrison duty and showing the manual of arms.

There will also be large and small artillery firings throughout the day, including the 32-pdr. rifled and banded cannon atop Sheppard's Battery.

Masonboro Parlor will be playing 19th-century music and photographer Harry Taylor will be demonstrating wet plate photography.

Really Looking Forward to This.  --Old B-R'er

Oneida County's 117th New York Infantry-- Part 2: Trained At camp Huntington

New York Governor Edwin Morgan exhorted his state's people to enlist, "Let the 'glorious example of the Revolutionary period be our emulation."

Rome, New York, had around 6,000 people in 1862.

The volunteers for the 117th were largely from around Rome and Utica, but they had members from every county community.

They were organized at Camp Huntington in July 1862.  This camp was located between Liberty and West Dominick streets, spanning west from Expense Street to Francis Street, about six city blocks.  Vamp Street is named after it and runs through the former camp site.

--Old B-Runner

Oneida County Answers the Call-- Part 1: 117th NY Infantry

From the July 11, 2017, Rome (New York) Sentinel  "Rome Historical Society artifacts and highlight area's Civil War history" by Mac Bullock.

155 years ago, Oneida County answered the call of duty.

The Civil War was in its 15th month and the 117th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment was mustered in in Rome August 1862.    This regiment played a major role in the capture of Fort Fisher.

Many expected the war to be over by Christmas.

Archival documents in the Rome Historical Society give an idea of the situation.

The 117th was also called the Fourth Oneida Regiment.  They were called to duty by New York Governor Edwin Morgan's call for volunteers.

--Old B-Runner

North Carolina Timeline, January 1863: Coastal

These are more the coastal part of what was happening.

JANUARY 5--  Expedition to capture Wilmington pilots.

JANUARY 14--  Loss of USS Columbia off Masonboro Inlet.

JANUARY 17-21--  Reconnaissance from New Bern to Pollocksville, Trenton, Young's Crossroads and Onslow.

JANUARY  19--  Skirmish at White Oak Creek.

JANUARY  20--  Skirmish near Jacksonville

JANUARY 27-28--  Reconnaissance on Neuse and Trent rivers.

JANUARY 30-FEBRUARY 3--  Naval expedition to Hertford on Perquimans River.

--Old B-Runner

Camp Fisher, N.C.-- Part 3: Four Regiments Trained Here

From the NCpedia.

Camp Fisher was established in the fall of 1861 as one of two Confederate infantry training camps in the county.  (Guilford County)  Companies organized here included those from the 28th, 34th and 37th North Carolina Infantry Regiments in 1861 and the 11th N.C. in 1862.

Charles Fisher, for whom it was named, was the second president of the North Carolina Railroad.

The camp was located between West Kivett Drive and Leonard Avenue in High Point.

--Old B-Runner

Camp Fisher, N.C.,-- Part 2: High Point, N.C.

From highway marker:  "Located 3/4 mile east.  Camp Fisher was a camp of instruction for North Carolina troops 1861-1862.  Camp Fisher was named for Col. Charles Fisher of Salisbury, after his death at the Battle of First Manassas."

dedicated 1990 by the Colonel John Sloan Camp, 1290 SCV on Main Street, Highway 311.

This sign is located in High Point.

--Old B-R'er

Camp Fisher, N.C.,-- Part 1: Named For Charles Fisher

From, the March/April 2016, Confederate Veteran.

One of the Books in Print Reviews was "Guilford Under the Stars and Bars" by C. Michael Briggs.  Guilford refers to Guilford County, North Carolina, home of Greensboro.

What caught my eye in the review was Camp Fisher being named after the same man for whom Fort Fisher was named.  Right up my alley.  Anything Fort Fisher.

It said that Camp Fisher was in High Point and was constructed as a training camp for incoming Confederate soldiers.  It was named for the same Confederate colonel, Charles Fisher of the 6th North Carolina Infantry, who was killed at the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861.  The huge fort guarding Wilmington, N.C., was also named for him.

--Old B-Runner

January 4, 1863: Joint Army-Navy Expedition Against Fort Hindman

JANUARY 4, 1863:  A joint Army-Navy expedition under Rear Admiral David D. Porter and Major General W.T. Sherman got underway up the White River, Arkansas, aiming at the capture of Fort Hindman at Arkansas Post.  Porter described Fort Hindman as a "tough little nut," mounted 11 guns.

Porter's ship were seriously short of coal and had army transports tow them to conserve fuel.  His fleet consisted of the USS Baron de Kalb, Louisville, Cincinnati, Signal, Marmora, Lexington, New Era, Romeo, Rattler, Glide and Porter's flagship, the Black Hawk.

This date, Porter also ordered the ram Monarch to join him at the mouth of the Arkansas River

--Old B-R'er

Blockade Runner Condor Has A Story to Tell

From the July 26, 2017, North State Journal  "Sunken Civil War blockade runner has a story to tell to North Carolina divers and snorkelers" by Donna King.

You can dive or snorkel on the wreck, located just off Fort Fisher, but if that is not your thing, you can find out a lot about the stricken ship on land through artifacts at the Fort Fisher museum and a replica of its engine room at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher.

The wreck itself is now an Official Heritage Dive Site and is administered by the Office of State Archaeology.

It is intend "to educate, to further heritage tourism and to teach divers stewardship."

--Old B-Runner

Wilmington's Oakdale Cemetery-- Part 2: Defenders of Fort Fisher Buried Here

A cast iron fence originally encircled the cemetery, but during World War II it was donated to the war effort.

In 1862, he blockade runner Kate brought in yellow fever along with supplies.  The disease killed 600 people in Wilmington and 400 are buried at a site in the cemetery known as Yellow Fever Hill.

After the Civil War there was a massive influx of deceased Confederate and Union soldiers carried into Wilmington.  Unidentified bodies of 550 soldiers who died at the Battles of Fort Fisher were buried at the Confederate Plot.

In addition, Confederate General W.H.C. Whiting and James Reilly from Fort Fisher, John Newland Maffitt and Rose O'Neil Greenhow are buried at Oakdale.

Oakdale Cemetery has a Friends of Oakdale Cemetery organization to help.

--Old B-R'er

Wilmington's Oakdale Cemetery-- Part 1: Established 1855

From the Go Upstate.com site, Spartanburg, S.C.  "Superintendent shares history of Oakdale Cemetery" by Terry Reilly, Wilmington (NC) Star-News.

Eric Kozen is the superintendent of Wilmington, N.C.'s Oakdale Cemetery which opened in 1855 and has more than 20,000 burials.

The first person to be buried there was a the six-year-old daughter of the cemetery's president.  Its 65 acres were originally located just outside the city limits at 15th Street because of a fear of disease spreading from the dead.

Burial plots measured 20 by 20 feet and were originally auctioned off for $50 to $75.

--Old B-Runner

The Future of Fort Fisher-- Part 2: Outside Exhibits

We will be seeing this presentation again as well as finalized plans on January 13, 2018, when the friends of Fort Fisher hold their annual meeting at the Courtyard by Marriott at Carolina Beach, North Carolina.

5.  Recreate the historic lunette.

6.  New maintenance building.

7.  River Road Exhibit Trail.

8.  Beachfront Exhibit Platform, Overlook and Stage.

9.  North Carolina Underwater Archaeology Center.

10.  Amphitheater.

Looking Forward to All This.  --Old B-R'er

Visit Wilmington's New Hanover County Library

From the December 22, 2017, Wilmington (NC) Star-News  "On the Map: Dig up the past in the North Carolina Room" by Ben Steelman.

The North Carolina Room has a local history collection consisting of 200,000 books and bound materials.

For Civil War buffs, one is a Union chart showing plans for the attack on Fort Fisher.

They also have several runs of old Wilmington newspapers, some covering the Civil War years.

--Old B-Runner

The Future of Fort Fisher-- Part 1: New Visitors Center

From the Friends of Fort Fisher, July 27, 2017.

A meeting was held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday August 4 at the Fort Fisher Museum.

State Representative Ted Davis Jr. and North Carolina Department of Natural & Cultural Resources Secretary Suzi Hamilton and local officials presented the Future of Fort Fisher including major improvements and rebuilding parts of the fort.

Among the things to be done:

1.  Demolish existing visitors center.

2.  New visitors center to be built north of current one.

3.  The old one will become the parking area for the new one and will be enlarged.

4.  Recreate the earthen mounds and sally port.  (These were taken down when the Army built the airfield during World War II.)

--Old B-Runner

Seven Years of Civil War Navy Running the Blockade Blog

Today's post marks the seventh year of this blog which started in 2012.  It grew out of the Saw the Elephant Civil War Blog when it became apparent that three were all these naval posts.  I am a Civil War fan, but the Navy and Fort Fisher have always been my main interest.

Last year I posted 529 to this blog and today's post marks the 3,309th time since the beginning.

--Old B-Runner