January 14, 1865---The Second Battle of Fort Fisher (Day Two)

JANUARY 14, 1865:           

The Assault on Fort Fisher (Day Two):   

As Confederate troops advance in a counterattack, 9,000 Union infantry take and hold the south end of  Confederate (formerly and later Federal) Point at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. The Confederates, outnumbered, call off their assault.  The 800 men inside the fort hold out, though many are being driven mad by the relentless bombardment. The sand walls of the fort are beginning to give way. By the end of the battle, 1.6 million tons of Union ordnance will be fired at the fort.