FORT FISHER AND WILMINGTON
Colonel William Lamb—A battery of Whitworth guns—Mrs. Lamb—A
lovely Puritan maiden—An historical cottage—British naval
officers—The Santa Claus of the war—Admiral Porter's fleet—Visit
of General Curtis and Colonel Lamb to Fort Fisher—Identifying
historic spots—Strict quarantine—Cheerful slaves—Open house on
board the _Banshee_—Reckless loading—An impudent plan—The
_Minnesota_—A simple manœuvre—A triumphant success.
It was now that I made the acquaintance—soon to ripen into a warm
friendship—of Colonel William Lamb, the Commandant of Fort Fisher,—a man
of whose courtesy, courage, and capacity all the English who knew him
spoke in the highest terms. Originally a Virginian lawyer and afterwards
the editor of a newspaper, he volunteered at the outbreak of the war,
and rising rapidly to the grade of colonel was given the command of Fort
Fisher, a post which he filled with high distinction till its fall in
1865. With the blockade-runners he was immensely popular; always on the
alert and ever ready to reach a helping hand, he seemed to think no
exertion too great to assist their operations, and many a smart vessel
did his skill and activity snatch from the very jaws of the blockaders.
He came to be regarded by the runners as their guardian angel; and it
was no small support in the last trying moments of a run to remember who
was in Fort Fisher.
So much did we value his services and so grateful were we for them, that
at my suggestion my firm subsequently presented him with a battery of
six Whitworth guns, of which he was very proud; and good use he made of
them in keeping the blockaders at a respectful distance. They were guns
with a great range, which many a cruiser found to its cost when
venturing too close in chase down the coast. Lamb would gallop them down
behind the sandhills, by aid of mules, and open fire upon the enemy
before he was aware of his danger. Neither must I forget his charming
wife (alas, now numbered among the majority); her hospitality and
kindness were unbounded, and many a pleasant social evening have I and
my brother blockade-runners spent in her little cottage outside the
fort.
[Illustration: PORTRAIT OF COLONEL LAMB. _To face page 56._]
The following extract from _Southern Historical Papers_, written by
Colonel Lamb a few years ago, will doubtless interest my readers; also
the account, copied from the _Wilmington Messenger_, of a meeting which
took place lately between him and General Curtis at Fort Fisher.
In the fall of 1857 a lovely Puritan maiden, still in her
teens, was married in Grace Church, Providence, Rhode
Island, to a Virginia youth, just passed his majority, who
brought her to his home in Norfolk, a typical ancestral
homestead, where beside the "white folks" there was quite
a colony of family servants, from the pickaninny just able to
crawl to the old gray-headed mammy who had nursed "ole
massa." She soon became enamoured of her surroundings
and charmed with the devotion of her coloured maid, whose
sole duty it was to wait upon her young missis. When
the John Brown raid burst upon the South and her husband
was ordered to Harper's Ferry, there was not a more
indignant matron in all Virginia, and when at last secession
came, the South did not contain a more enthusiastic little
rebel.
On the 15th of May 1862, a few days after the surrender
of Norfolk to the Federals, by her father-in-law,
then mayor, amid the excitement attending a captured city,
her son Willie was born. Cut off from her husband and
subjected to the privations and annoyances incident to a
subjugated community, her father insisted upon her coming
with her children to his home in Providence; but, notwithstanding
she was in a luxurious home, with all that paternal
love could do for her, she preferred to leave all these
comforts to share with her husband the dangers and
privations of the South. She vainly tried to persuade
Stanton, Secretary of War, to let her and her three children,
with a nurse, return to the South; finally he consented to
let her go by flag of truce from Washington to City Point,
but without a nurse, and as she was unable to manage
three little ones, she left the youngest with his grandparents,
and with two others bravely set out for Dixie. The generous
outfit of every description which was prepared for the
journey, and which was carried to the place of embarkation,
was ruthlessly cast aside by the inspectors on the wharf,
and no tears or entreaties or offers of reward by the parents
availed to pass anything save a scanty supply of clothing
and other necessaries. Arriving in the South, the brave
young mother refused the proffer of a beautiful home in
Wilmington, the occupancy of the grand old mansion at
"Orton," on the Cape Fear river, but insisted upon taking
up her abode with her children and their coloured nurse in
the upper room of a pilot's house, where they lived until
the soldiers of the garrison built her a cottage one mile
north of Fort Fisher, on the Atlantic beach. In both of
these homes she was occasionally exposed to the shot and
shell fired from blockaders at belated blockade-runners.
It was a quaint abode, constructed in most primitive
style, with three rooms around one big chimney, in which
North Carolina pine knots supplied heat and light on
winter nights. This cottage became historic, and was
famed for the frugal but tempting meals which its charming
hostess would prepare for her distinguished guests. Besides
the many illustrious Confederate Army and Navy officers
who were delighted to find this bit of sunshiny civilisation
on the wild sandy beach, ensconced among the sand dunes
and straggling pines and black-jack, many celebrated
English naval officers enjoyed its hospitality under assumed
names:—Roberts, afterwards the renowned Hobart Pasha,
who commanded the Turkish navy; Murray, now Admiral
Murray-Aynsley, long since retired, after having been rapidly
promoted for gallantry and meritorious services in the British
navy; the brave but unfortunate Hugh Burgoyne, V.C., who
went down in the British iron-clad, _Captain_, in the Bay of
Biscay; and the chivalrous Hewett, who won the Victoria
Cross in the Crimea and was knighted for his services as
ambassador to King John of Abyssinia, and who, after
commanding the Queen's yacht, died lamented as Admiral
Hewett. Besides these there were many genial and gallant
merchant captains, among them Halpin, who afterwards commanded
the _Great Eastern_ while laying ocean cables; and
famous war correspondents—Hon. Francis C. Lawley, M.P.,
correspondent of the _London Times_, and Frank Vizitelli of
the _London Illustrated News_, afterwards murdered in the
Soudan. Nor must the plucky Tom Taylor be forgotten,
supercargo of the _Banshee_ and the _Night Hawk_, who, by
his coolness and daring, escaped with a boat's crew from
the hands of the Federals after capture off the fort, and
who was endeared to the children as the "Santa Claus" of
the war.
At first the little Confederate was satisfied with pork and
potatoes, corn-bread and rye coffee, with sorghum sweetening;
but after the blockade-runners made her acquaintance
the impoverished store-room was soon filled to overflowing,
notwithstanding her heavy requisitions on it for the post
hospital, the sick and wounded soldiers and sailors always
being a subject of her tenderest solicitude, and often the
hard worked and poorly fed coloured hands blessed the
little lady of the cottage for a tempting treat.
Full of stirring events were the two years passed in the
cottage on Confederate Point. The drowning of Mrs. Rose
Greenough, the famous Confederate spy, off Fort Fisher,
and the finding of her body, which was tenderly cared for,
and the rescue from the waves, half dead, of Professor
Holcombe, and his restoration, were incidents never to be
forgotten. Her fox-hunting with horse and hounds, the narrow
escapes of friendly vessels, the fights over blockade-runners
driven ashore, the execution of deserters, and the
loss of an infant son, whose little spirit went out with the
tide one sad summer night, all contributed to the reality of
this romantic life.
When Porter's fleet appeared off Fort Fisher, December
1864, it was storm-bound for several days, and the little
family with their household goods were sent across the
river to "Orton," before Butler's powder-ship blew up.
After the Christmas victory over Porter and Butler, the
little heroine insisted upon coming back to her cottage,
although her husband had procured a home of refuge in
Cumberland county. General Whiting protested against
her running the risk, for on dark nights her husband could
not leave the fort, but she said, "if the firing became too
hot she would run behind the sand hills as she had done
before," and come she would.
The fleet reappeared unexpectedly on the night of the
12th of January 1865. It was a dark night, and when
the lights of the fleet were reported her husband sent a
courier to the cottage to instruct her to pack up quickly
and be prepared to leave with children and nurse as soon
as he could come to bid them good-bye. The garrison
barge, with a trusted crew, was stationed at Craig's Landing,
near the cottage. After midnight, when all necessary
orders were given for the coming attack, the colonel
mounted his horse and rode to the cottage, but all was
dark and silent. He found the message had been delivered,
but his brave wife had been so undisturbed by the news,
that she had fallen asleep and no preparations for a retreat
had been made. Precious hours had been lost, and as
the fleet would soon be shelling the beach and her husband
have to return to the fort, he hurried them into the boat as
soon as dressed, with only what could be gathered up
hastily, leaving dresses, toys, and household articles to fall
into the hands of the foe.
The extraordinary circumstance occurred yesterday of
a visit to Fort Fisher by General N. M. Curtis and Colonel
William Lamb, who were pitted against each other in deadly
strife at that historic spot on the occurrence of both the
battles there during the civil war—the one commencing
24th December 1864 and the other 13th January 1865.
Colonel Lamb was in Washington a few days ago, and
made an engagement with General Curtis to visit the old
fort. They consequently met in Norfolk last Thursday
morning and came on to Wilmington, arriving here that
night. Yesterday morning they took the steamer _Wilmington_
at 9.30 o'clock and, accompanied by T. W. Clawson of the
_Messenger_, the three were landed at the Rocks and were
sent ashore in one of the _Wilmington's_ small boats, the
gangway and wharf having been swept away during the gale
of 13th October.
From the Rocks the party walked to Fort Fisher, and
together the old heroes went from one end of the fort to
the other, identifying Colonel Lamb's headquarters and
locating the position of the batteries, the magazines, the
salients, the sally-port, and other historic spots.
General Curtis explained the route of his advance upon
the fort at the last battle, when the fort was captured, and
pointed out the portion of the parapet which he assaulted
and scaled, and where the first flag of the invading army
was planted on the ramparts. The batteries at which the
first fierce hand-to-hand fights occurred were discussed as
the party walked over them, and General Curtis pointed out
about the spot inside the works where he fell, desperately and
almost fatally wounded by a piece of shell that struck him
over the left eye, and carried away a large piece of the frontal
bone and destroyed the eye. He was believed to be killed,
and when some of his soldiers were ordered to take him to the
rear, so that his body could be shipped North, they dragged
his body over the rough ground for some distance, so that
his clothing was torn and his back was bleeding from cuts
made by such rough treatment. Orders had been given for
a box in which to ship his body to his home in New York.
Colonel Lamb, the hero on the Confederate side, who
was in command of the fort at both battles, explained the
positions held by the brave defenders of the fort, and also
pointed out about the spot where he was shot down, a
Minie ball having broken his hip, and also where General
Whiting received his death wound. Strange to say, all
three were wounded within a few yards of each other.
Colonel Lamb's wound came within an ace of proving fatal,
and, as it was, he was on crutches for several years.
The old fort is now a heap of ruins, consisting of
mounds of sand, where the batteries were stationed. In
front of the land face from which the assault was made
by the United States' troops under General Curtis, and
right on the position held by his regiment, the recent storm
has unearthed a great many bones of the brave fellows
who fell in the battle. It is not known whether they wore
the blue or the gray, but it is quite probable that they were
some of General Curtis's troops.
From the fort the party proceeded up the beach for a
mile and a half, and visited the cottage which Colonel Lamb
occupied with his family and made his general headquarters.
It is now occupied by a fisherman. From Craig's Landing
near by the party took a sail boat and were carried back to
the Rocks by the Craig brothers. When the boat was run
ashore it grounded in shallow water about fifteen feet from
dry land, and the only alternative left was to strip shoes
and foot-wear, and roll up pants and wade out. General
Curtis, who is a man of powerful frame and sound health,
soon stepped over the boat's side and into the water,
and as Colonel Lamb's health made him cautious about
going into the water, General Curtis offered to carry him
on his back to dry land. The _Messenger_ representative
being a duffer of good frame and strength, and being the
younger by half, interposed in relief of General Curtis, and
so Colonel Lamb rode the scribe to the shore. The newspaper
man then wanted to kick himself for not allowing
Colonel Lamb to ride his "friend the enemy," for he could
have witnessed the remarkable instance of a brave and
distinguished Federal officer carrying on his back the
illustrious Confederate who, in years that are gone, was
raising old Harry with shot and shell to keep the General
at a safe distance. These two men were heroes of the
right stripe, and we can raise our hats in honour and
admiration of them for the rich heritage which their
manhood and bravery leaves to Americans.
After accepting the hospitality of Mr. Henry Wood, a
fisherman at the Rocks, who had prepared some coffee and
oysters for the party, the _Wilmington_ came in sight at
3 o'clock, and she was boarded for the return to Wilmington.
On the trip down Colonel Lamb had bought a lot of fine
fat coots to be cooked for lunch at the Rocks, but he
forgot these, and they were left on the steamer. Imagine
the happiness of the party when they got aboard to find
that the courteous Captain John Harper had had the birds
cooked and sent them in with some delightful bread.
General Curtis and Colonel Lamb, after returning to the
city, were hospitably entertained at the Cape Fear Club.
General Curtis was a Colonel at the assault on Fort
Fisher, but he won his General's epaulettes there. By the
way, he was wounded in six places on the day the fort
was captured. He served four years and eight months in
the Federal army, having volunteered in April 1861.
_Wilmington_ (N. C.) _Messenger_.
After this digression I must return to our movements on board the
_Banshee_. Having obtained pratique (for the quarantine was very strict)
and a local pilot, rendered necessary by the river being unbuoyed and
strewn with torpedoes, we ran up at once to Wilmington. Here I found our
agent Tom Power, who had an outward cargo ready for me, and the cheerful
heartiness with which the slaves set about discharging our inward one
was a pleasant surprise; if I hadn't been told they _were_ slaves I
should never have discovered it. Everything had to be done at high
pressure, for it was important to get out as quickly as possible, so as
to try another run while the dark nights lasted, and loading went
merrily on. I therefore did my best to win the goodwill of the
officials, on whose favour I was of course in a great measure dependent
for a rapid turn round.
Wilmington was already sadly pinched and war-worn. There never was too
much to eat and drink there, and the commonest luxuries were almost
things of the past; so when it became known that there was practically
open house on board the _Banshee_ friends flocked to her. She soon
attained great popularity, and it was really a sight when our luncheon
bell rang to see guests, invited and uninvited, turn up from all
quarters. We made them all welcome, and when our little cabin was filled
we generally had an overflow meeting on deck.
What a pleasure it was to see them eat and drink! Men who had been
accustomed to live on corn-bread and bacon, and to drink nothing but
water, appreciated our delicacies; our bottled beer, good brandy, and,
on great occasions, our champagne, warmed their hearts towards us. The
chief steward used to look at me appealingly, as a hint that our stores
would never last out; in fact we were often on very short commons before
we got back to Nassau. But we had our reward. If any special favour were
asked it was always granted, if possible, to the _Banshee_, and if any
push had to be made there was always some one to make it.
Whether due to the luncheon parties or not need not be said, but we were
within a very few days able to cast off our moorings and drop down the
river ballasted with tobacco and laden with cotton—three tiers even on
deck. Such things are almost incredible nowadays. The reckless loading,
to which high profits and the perquisites allowed to officers led, is to
a landsman inconceivable. That men should be found willing to put to sea
at all in these frail craft piled like hay waggons is extraordinary
enough, but that they should do so in the face of a vigilant and active
blockading force, and do it successfully, seems rather an invention of
romance than a commonplace occurrence of our own time. True, running out
was a much easier matter than running in, for the risks inseparable from
making a port, so difficult to find as Wilmington, without lights, and
with constant change of courses, were absent, and as soon as the bar was
crossed navigation at least gave no anxiety.
Steele and I had hit on a plan for getting out that promised almost a
certainty of success. Its security lay in its impudence, a cardinal
virtue of blockade-running, which, as will be seen later on in some of
the more critical scenes, approached the sublime. The idea was perhaps
obvious enough. As has been said, the flagship during the night remained
at anchor, while the other ships moved slowly to and fro upon the inner
line, leaving, as was natural enough, a small area round the Admiral's
ship unpatrolled. This was enough for us. Bringing up the _Banshee_
behind Fort Fisher, where she could lie hidden from the blockaders till
nightfall, we rowed ashore to get from Colonel Lamb the last news of the
squadron's movements and to ascertain which ship bore the Admiral's
flag. She proved to be the _Minnesota_, a large sixty-gun frigate: her
bearings were accurately taken, and as soon as night fell the _Banshee_
stole quietly from her concealment, slipped over the bar, dark as it
was, and by the aid of Steele's observations ran in perfect security
close by the flagship and out to sea well clear of the first cordon.
In trying to pass the second, however, we were less successful, for we
ran right across a gunboat; she saw us and at once opened fire; but slow
as the _Banshee_ was, luckily the Northern gunboats for the most part
were slower still, so we had no difficulty in increasing the distance
between us till it was felt we were out of sight again. Our helm was
then put hard over, giving us a course at right angles to the one we had
been steaming, and after keeping it a few minutes we stopped. It was a
manœuvre nearly always successful, provided the helm was not put over
too soon, and this time it achieved the usual result. As we lay
perfectly still, watching the course of the gunboat by the flashes of
her guns and by the rockets she was sending up to attract her consorts,
we had the satisfaction of seeing her labouring furiously past us and
firing wildly into black space.
There still remained the danger at daybreak of the third cordon, and
with anxious eyes the horizon was scoured as the darkness began to fail.
A daylight chase with the _Banshee_ in her present condition could not
be thought of, but fortunately not a sign of a cruiser was to be seen.
All that day, and the next and the next, we steamed onward with our
hearts in our mouths, turning our stern to every sail or patch of smoke
that was seen, till, on the evening of the third day, we steamed into
Nassau as proudly as a heavy list to starboard would allow.
So ended my first attempt, a triumphant success! Besides the inward
freight of £50 a ton on the war material, I had earned by the tobacco
ballast alone £7000, the freight for which had been paid at the rate of
£70 a ton. But this was a flea-bite compared to the profit on the 500
odd bales of cotton we had on board, which was at least £50 per bale.
No wonder I took kindly to my new calling, and no wonder I at once set
to work to get the _Banshee_ reloaded for another run before the
moonless nights were over.