JANUARY 18, 1865:
The
Charleston Mercury reports
on the fall of Fort Fisher, which it discounts. The report reads in part:
THE LAND ATTACK ON WILMINGTON
- DEFENCE AND FALL OF FORT FISHER
Our community was much
depressed yesterday by the news, which reaches here in the forenoon that Fort
Fisher, the gate of the Cape Fear River, had succumbed to another tremendous
combined land and naval attack by the enemy. It was currently stated that among
the incidents o the disaster, 3000 of our men . . . are all reported to have
been wounded . . . We annex a detailed
account of the attack from a Wilmington contemporary:
As already stated . . .
the enemy suddenly appeared off our coast on Thursday night . . . and commenced landing on Friday morning . .
. On Friday they landed a considerable
force . . .
On Friday the bombardment
of Fort Fisher was heavy . . . We learn that on Saturday and yesterday the
bombardment continued heavy . . . the last report we have heard is that things
remain pretty much in status quo . . . the enemy force consists of seven
thousand whites and four thousand negroes.
General Bragg
telegraphed Sunday forenoon that all was quiet, and then there was no cause for
excitement or apprehension . . .
LATER.
At half-past six . . .
(Sunday) . . . the enemy were making a
heavy assault by land and sea. The bombardment was going on furiously . . . It
is reported that the enemy had succeeded in establishing a battery on the river
above Fort Fisher and below Sugar Loaf, cutting off communication with the fort
by water . . . The gallant defenders of Fort Fisher are passing through a
terrible ordeal. God grant that they may pass through it successfully.
The following official
dispatch from General Bragg has been kindly handed to us. SUGAR LOAF, JANUARY
15, 8 p.m.
The sensational reports
about Fisher are entirely unfounded. Official information from General Whiting
of later hour, reports enemy attack unsuccessful. Fresh troops are being sent
to him, and we are confident they will hold it.
***
It
should be remembered that Bragg was not present at Fort Fisher and ignored Fort
Fisher’s repeated calls for reinforcement. Where this information came from,
and whether Bragg simply made it up, is unknown. Certainly, Bragg had refused to send fresh
troops. Bragg’s military career and reputation, already badly dented, is ruined
by the debacle. General Joseph Johnston wrote:
I know Mr. Davis thinks
he can do a great many things other men would hesitate to attempt. For
instance, he tried to do what God failed to do. He tried to make a soldier of
Braxton Bragg . . ."
Bragg’s
negative reputation dated back to before the Civil War, when he supposedly
requisitioned powder and shell (in his capacity as a Battery Commander), passed
the paperwork on (in his capacity as the Company Clerk), and then denied the
requisition (in his capacity as the Company Supply Officer); having denied his
own request he (as Battery Commander) then filed an appeal (as Company Clerk)
against himself (as Supply Officer) to a superior officer who approved it with
much head-shaking and many harsh words for Bragg. Although the story is bizarre
(and probably apocryphal) it reflects the low opinion which most fellow
officers held of the inflexible Bragg. Jefferson Davis, however, was one of
Bragg’s few friends, and stood by him no matter what, and too often blindly.
