running the blockade 8

running the blockade 8

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.