With the number of Union warships blockading the southern North Carolina coast constantly increasing, it would seem impossible for goods to be delivered into Wilmington. Being the only free port in the south, the Union increased its emphasis on capturing that area. However, the southern blockade runners grew up on the waters of North Carolina and had the advantage of knowing how to hide and escape into the many inlets and coves on the coast. Despite the Union’s best efforts to close the port, by the fall of 1864, more than $3.2 million in imported munitions and goods had made its way into Wilmington. The geographical layout of Wilmington is noteworthy in defending the area. The route into Wilmington is through the mouth of the Cape Fear …show more content…
Fort Fisher, sat at the mouth of the Cape Fear River protecting the river and the city of Wilmington, much like the sand dunes protect the islands. Fort Fisher was the largest of the Confederate forts. Under the orders of Colonel William Lamb, new installations, including many earth redoubts, such as grassy knolls had been installed. Under Colonel Lamb’s command, Fort Fisher became the largest earthwork in the world. The fort was often compared to the British stronghold, Gibralter, that once guarded the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. Fort Fisher soon gained the nickname the Gibraltar of the South. The assault on Fort Fisher was not just one battle. It was more of an engagement in trial and error. The first battle began at sunrise on December 23, 1864. While the strategic aspects of the battle are important, the leaders of the troops, on both sides, play a significant role in the …show more content…
In 1859, he and his militiamen were absorbed into the 6th Virginia Infantry. By the start of the Civil War, he was sent to Wilmington as a quartermaster officer; his station now being Fort Anderson. Fort Anderson was located further up the Cape Fear River, between Fort Fisher and Wilmington. Colonel Lamb transformed Fort Anderson into a strong earthworks fort making it much harder to defeat. After all the work done to improve Fort Anderson, in 1862, Lamb was promoted to colonel of the 2nd North Carolina Artillery at Fort Fisher. He would be in command of Fort Fisher during both attacks by the federal navy and land troops. A key point that is overlooked in the study of Fort Fisher is the fact that Colonel Lamb designed the fort. He was familiar with every aspect of its construction and trusted that it could withstand an attack. When faced with the reality of a Union attack, Colonel Lamb knew the best ways to utilize the fort and the batteries within