First Battle of Fort Fisher
Part of the American Civil War
Capture of Fort Fisher by Kurz and Allison, 1890.
Date December 7 – December 27, 1864 Location New Hanover County, North Carolina Result Confederate victory
Combatants
United States of America	Confederate States of America
Commanders
Benjamin Butler (army) David D. Porter (navy)	Braxton Bragg William Lamb
Strength
Expeditionary Corps, Army of the James	District of the Cape Fear Fort Fisher Garrison
Casualties
320 (US and CS)	320 (US and CS)

The First Battle of Fort Fisher, fought from December 7 to December 27, 1864, was a failed attempt by Union forces to capture the fort guarding Wilmington, North Carolina, the South's last major port on the Atlantic Ocean. Second Battle of Fort Fisher Conflict American Civil War Date January 13-15, 1865 Place New Hanover County, North Carolina Result Union victory Sometimes referred to as the Gibraltar of the South and the last major stronghold of the Confederacy, Fort Fisher had tremendous strategic value during the American Civil... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders John M. Schofield Braxton Bragg Strength 12,000 6,000 Casualties 305 845 The Battle of Wilmington was fought February 11–February 22, 1865, during the American Civil War. ... is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (362nd in leap years). ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Fortifications (Latin fortis, strong, and facere, to make) are military constructions designed for defensive warfare. ... Wilmington is a city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. ... Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God, Our Vindicator) Anthem (none official) God Save the South (unofficial) The Bonnie Blue Flag (unofficial) Dixie (unofficial) Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia (May 29, 1861–April 2, 1865) Danville, Virginia (from April 3, 1865) Language(s) English (de facto) Religion...

After the failed Bermuda Hundred Campaign, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler and his Army of the James were assigned to an amphibious expedition against Fort Fisher. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had originally designated one of Butler's subordinates, Maj. Gen. Godfrey Weitzel, to lead the expedition, but Butler, the seniormost major general of volunteers in the Army, demanded to lead the troops himself and Grant acquiesced. Federal earthworks at Bermuda Hundred The Bermuda Hundred Campaign was a series of battles fought outside Richmond, Virginia, during May, 1864, in the American Civil War. ... Benjamin Franklin Butler (November 5, 1818 – January 11, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and later served as its governor. ... The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of unites from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the last opperations of the Civil War in Virginia. ... Ulysses S. Grant,[2] born Hiram Ulysses Grant (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885), was an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States (1869–1877). ... Godfrey Weitzel (November 1, 1835 – March 19, 1884) was a major general in the Union army during the American Civil War, as well as the acting Mayor of New Orleans during the Federal occupancy of the city. ...

Fort Fisher, on Confederate Point, nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the Confederacy", was a formidable target commanding the Cape Fear River. It encompassed 14,500 ft.² and was surrounded by a 10-foot parapet and a network of bombproofs, most of which were 30 feet high. Many obstructions were laid around it, including land mines (called torpedoes in this era), abatis, and deep ditches. There were more than 50 heavy cannon, including 15 Columbiads and a 150-pounder Armstrong gun, behind a 60-foot mound of earth near the sea, named the Mound Battery. The fort's garrison of 1,400 men was commanded by Col. William Lamb. Additional reinforcements were available from General Braxton Bragg at Sugar Loaf, 4 miles away. The Cape Fear River, shown highlighted, with its tributaries The Cape Fear River is a 202 mi (325 km) long river in east central North Carolina in the United States. ... This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. ... Ten-inch Confederate Columbiad at Fort Donelson National Battlefield The Columbiad was a large caliber, smoothbore, muzzle loading cannon able to fire heavy projectiles at both high and low trajectories. ... Braxton Bragg Braxton Bragg (March 22, 1817 – September 27, 1876) was a career U.S. Army officer and a general in the Confederate States Army, a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. ...

The Union naval expedition under Rear Adm. David D. Porter comprised the largest fleet of the war, nearly 60 warships plus troop transports to carry 6,500 soldiers. Learning that the Union troops had embarked from Hampton Roads on December 13, Confederate General Robert E. Lee dispatched a division under Maj. Gen. Robert F. Hoke to reinforce Lamb. Portrait of David Dixon Porter during the Civil War Vice Admiral David Dixon Porter (June 8, 1813 – February 13, 1891) was a United States naval officer who became one of the most noted naval heroes of the Civil War. ... This view from space in July 1996 shows portions of each of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads which generally surround the harbor area of Hampton Roads, which framed by the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel visible to the east (right), the Virginia Peninsula subregion to the north (top), and the... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Some Confederate soldiers The Confederate States Army (CSA) was organized in February 1861 to defend the newly formed Confederate States of America from military action by the United States government. ... // For other uses, see Robert E. Lee (disambiguation). ... Robert Frederick Hoke (May 14, 1587 – July 9, 2007) was a Confederate Major General from North Carolina during the American Civil War. ...

Butler did not coordinate the timing with Porter adequately, so that when his troops departed reinforcements discouraged further Union attempts. Despite orders that he was to besiege the fort if he could not seize it, Butler called off the expedition on December 27 and returned to Fort Monroe. December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (362nd in leap years). ...

The fiasco at Fort Fisher gave Grant an excuse to relieve Butler, replacing him in command of the Army of the James by Maj. Gen. Edward Ord. President Abraham Lincoln, recently reelected, no longer needed to keep the prominent Republican in the Army and he was relieved on January 8, 1865. Edward Ord Edward Otho Cresap Ord (October 18, 1818 – July 22, 1883) was the designer of Fort Sam Houston, and a U.S. Army officer who saw action in the Seminole War, the Indian Wars, and the Civil War. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Abraham Lincoln (disambiguation). ... Look up republican in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ...

See also

• Second Battle of Fort Fisher
• Wilmington, North Carolina, in the Civil War

Second Battle of Fort Fisher Conflict American Civil War Date January 13-15, 1865 Place New Hanover County, North Carolina Result Union victory Sometimes referred to as the Gibraltar of the South and the last major stronghold of the Confederacy, Fort Fisher had tremendous strategic value during the American Civil... Region down Cape Fear River Wilmington, North Carolina, was a major Atlantic Ocean port city for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. ...

References

• National Park Service battle description
• Eicher, David J., The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War, Simon & Schuster, 2001, ISBN 0-684-84944-5.
• McPherson, James M., Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States), Oxford University Press, 1988, ISBN 0-19-503863-0.