FORT FISHER, December 30, 1864. SIR: In obedience with your request, I send the following corrections, viz: December 24, commissioned officers wounded: Lieut. M. W. Pridgen, Company H, Thirty-sixth North Carolina Troops, concussion from shell, slight; Passed Midshipman Clarence Cary, slight, in right leg. December 25: Capt. W. C. Strong, aide-de-camp, concussion, left hip, slight; Lieutenant Brown, adjutant First Battalion Junior Reserves, contusion of hip, slight; Lieutenant Dornin, C. S. Navy, wounded in foot, slight. On December 25 there were Report of Lieut. Thomas Arendell, Tenth North Carolina Regiment (First North Carolina Artillery). FORT FISHER, N. C., December 29, 1864. COLONEL: I have the honor to reply to your questions proposed in your letter of yesterday, as follows: Answer to question 1. On Saturday, the 24th of December, my company manned four 32-pounders on land face, one 32-pounder rifle and one 8-inch columbiad on sea face. Answer to question 2. Only two guns on the sea face were engaged. On Saturday, the 24th, the 8-inch columbiad was fired only once, when she was dismounted, I think, by the recoil. The 32-pounder rifle was fired between eight and twelve times-shell altogether, except the one shot from the 8-inch, which was solid shot. Answer to question 3. Sergt. J. Henry Johnson and private Daniel Vinson were wounded slightly. Answer to question 4. The 8-inch was dismounted, I think, by the recoil. No other damage done. Answer to question 5. There were four frigates, three monitors, and twenty-six other vessels in sight. Answer to question 6. One shell from the 32-pounders entered the side of one of the large vessels, from appearances, and one struck one of the smaller vessels. Anything more I could not see. Answer to question 7. No firing at night. Answer to question 8. No one captured or killed on land. Answer to question 9. Did not see any advance of the enemy by night. Answer to question 10. The officers and men all acted calmly and bravely. 64 R R—VOL XLII, PT I Answer to question 11. I know of nothing particular that occurred. Answer to question 12. One small rifle shot to pieces by enemy's shot. The above is as true a statement as I can give of Saturday's fight. First Lieut. Company F, Tenth Regt. North Carolina Troops. Col. WILLIAM LAMB, Commanding Fort Fisher. No. 16. Report of Lieut. Irvin Fulford, Tenth North Carolina Regiment (First North Carolina Artillery). FORT FISHER, December 29, 1864. Report of Company K, Tenth North Carolina Regiment, during the bombardment of Fort Fisher on the 24th and 25th of December, 1864: Number of guns under my command, five 32-pounder smooth-bore. December 24, about thirty vessels were in sight of my guns. I fired three shots and found that the wooden vessels were out of range, and I ceased firing. One gun dismounted by the carriage being broken. Nothing occurred during the night. December 25, the usual number of vessels came up, but being out of range I did not fire on them, but kept my men on the alert in case of a land attack. One gun knocked off the carriage and broke off at the muzzle by a shell. In the evening, about sundown, I saw the enemy advancing under cover of the houses in front of the fort. I opened on them with grape and canister. Gun No. 2 fired thirty rounds of grape, three shell, and twelve rounds canister; No. 3, nine rounds of grape and three shell; No. 5, fifteen rounds of grape, two shell, and eight canister. I did not capture any of the enemy, but am confident that I killed some. I cannot mention any particular act of bravery, as all the men acted very well. Two of my rifles were broken by shell. Killea, Private D. W. Murphy; wounded, Privates J. J. Rawls and Miles Murphy, slightly. Respectfully submitted. IRVIN FULFORD. Second Lieut., Comdg. Company K, Tenth North Carolina Regt. No. 17. Report of Capt. James L. McCormic, First North Carolina Artillery Battalion. FORT CASWELL, December 29, 1864. LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to report that in the action of the 25th instant my company manned Bolles' and Rollins' batteries. Bolles' battery was immediately under the command of First Lieut. J. T. Rankin, himself taking personal charge of the 8-inch gun; First Sergt. A. Shaw in command of the left one. These guns were fired slowly; about twenty-five rounds altogether, of which eleven were shell, with time fuse, the others bolts, reserving the percussion-shells for any attempt of the enemy to cross the bar. Rollins' battery was under my immediate direction, the left gun being in charge of First Lieut. H. Č. Evans, myself taking charge of the one on the right from Rollins' battery. We fired about sixty rounds altogether, eighteen of which were shell. A small boat of the enemy below the mound is claimed to have been destroyed by a shell from Lieutenant Evans' gun. The middle frigate off the bar late in the evening, though so obstructed by a dense smoke as to prevent seeing the effect of our shot at her, was seen to send up a black smoke as if on fire. The enemy struck our battery several times, but did no material damage except the wounding of one man at Battery Bolles. The men behaved well at the guns. Late in the evening I received orders while still serving the heavy pieces to go to the land face to repel an attack by infantry. I proceeded immediately, by direction of the colonel commanding, to the palisades in marsh to the right of Shepherd's battery and began a fusilade upon the enemy's sharpshooters, which I kept up so long as a flash from their guns could be seen in our front. I there remained in position. By direction of Major Reilly I reported with my company; joined two other companies, under command of Major R.; proceeded down the point as infantry; returned next morning and resumed my position at the palisades. I am, lieutenant, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Lieut. G. D. PARKER, Adjutant. No. 18. Report of Lieut. George D. Parker, Thirty-sixth North Carolina Regiment (Second North Carolina Artillery). Answer to question 1. Lieutenant Parker commanded the 8-inch columbiads on the left wing of Fort Fisher on December 24. Answer to question 2. He fired about thirty rounds to each gun. He fired incendiary shell. Answer to question 3. No men were wounded Answer to question 4. No damage was done to the guns, carriages, or battery. Answer to question 5. The whole fleet were in sight of the guns. Answer to question 6. The effect of the shots could not be ascer tained. Answer to question 7. All quiet during the night. Answer to question 8. None of the enemy were captured or killed on land. Answer to question 9. No advance was seen. Answer to question 10. Answer to question 11. Answer to question 12. One Enfield rifle was destroyed by a shot. Answer to question 1. Lieutenant Parker commanded the Third Battery, composed of the 8-inch columbiad and Holland Battery (Parrott) on December 25, gun dur Answer to question 2. He fired about fifteen rounds to each ing the day—all shell, grape, and canister during the whole night, but the amount not estimated. Answer to question 3. None wounded during the fight. tery. Answer to question 5. Nearly the whole fleet was in sight. Answer to question 8. The amount of grape and canister fired not ascertained. Captured, 1. Answer to question 9. The advance of the enemy was seen on land. Answer to question 10. Answer to question 11. Answer to question 12. No small-arms were lost during engagement by the enemy's shot. Respectfully submitted. H. E. BENTON. Acting Adjutant. For G. D. PARKER, Lieutenant. [Colonel LAMB, Commanding Fort Fisher.] No. 19. Report of Lieut. Edward L. Faison, Thirty-sixth North Carolina Regiment (Second North Carolina Artillery). FORT FISHER, N. C., December 29, 1864. The following are answers to questions asked of the fight of December 25, 1864: Answer to question 1. Had charge of one gun-a banded rifled 32pounder. Answer to question 2. Fired about forty times-all shell and canister. Answer to question 3. None wounded; no damage to gun; carriage all right; battery considerably torn up. Answer to question 4. Do not know number of vessels off. Answer to question 5. Saw iron-clad, frigates, sloops of war, schooners, gun-boats, tugs, &c. Answer to question 6. Could not tell the effect of shot. Answer to question 7. Considerable firing at night, both with guns and small-arms. Answer to question 8. Captured none. Two deserters came in. Not certain of killing any. Answer to question 9. Saw no line of skirmishers, only sharpshooters; probably six or seven. Answer to question 10. I mention my gunner, Corporal Saunders, of Captain Sutton's company, as especially cool and rapid with his piece. Answer to question 11. No incident worthy of note. Answer to question 12. Lost no small-arms by effect of enemy's shot. Very respectfully, Colonel LAMB, Commanding Fort Fisher. E. L. FAISON, Lieutenant, Commanding Gun. No. 20. Reports of Lieut. Daniel R. Perry, Thirty-sixth North Carolina Regiment (Second North Carolina Artillery). CONFEDERATE POINT, Fort Fisher, N. C., December 29, 1864. COLONEL: I have the honor to transmit the following report of the part my company took in the engagement of the 24th of December, 1864: Answer to question 1. Five guns-one 10-inch and four 8-inch columbiads. Answer to question 2. Ten-inch, twenty-three-one shell and twentytwo solid shot; No. 1 (8-inch), thirty-six solid shot; No. 2 (8-inch), sixteen solid shot; No. 3 (8-inch), forty-three shot; No. 4, twenty-four shots. Answer to question 3. Eight non-commissioned officers and privates wounded. Answer to question 4. Ten-inch, carriage injured by shell, but not rendered entirely useless; No. 2 (8-inch), rendered entirely useless by shell. Answer to question 5. Twenty-six-ships, monitors, frigates, sloops, &c. Answer to question 6. Several ships driven off by shots from my batteries. Answer to question 7. Nothing particular at night. No grape nor canister used. Answer to question 8. No enemy captured or killed on land. Answer to question 10. Privates W. N. Campbell and Lloyd Barker repeatedly mounted the parapet under a very galling fire. Answer to question 11. No particular incident occurred at my battery. Answer to question 12. Lost by enemy's shot 12 small-arms. D. R. PERRY, Lieut., Comdg. Company B, Thirty-sixth North Carolina Troops. Col. WILLIAM LAMB, Commanding. FORT FISHER, N. C., December 29, 1864. COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following official report of the part taken by my company in the engagement of the 25th of December, 1864: Answer to question 1. Four guns-one 10-inch and three 8-inch columbiads. Answer to question 2. Ten-inch, fifteen solid shot, one shell, and two charges of grape; No. 1 (8-inch), sixteen solid shot, nine charges of grape; No. 3 (8-inch), sixteen solid shot and then disabled; No. 4 (8inch), twenty-seven solid-shot, one shell, and twelve charges of grape. Answer to question 3. Corpl. L. H. Perry and five privates wounded. Answer to question 4. No. 3 (8-inch) disabled by shell in carriage. Answer to question 5. Thirty-ships, monitors, frigates, sloops, and gun-boats. |