The Maine bugle ... campaign; 1-5 Jan. 1894-Oct. 1898 - Maine.gov

32 THE MAINE BUGLE.
heavier ; already boats were swamped in their attempts to reach
the shore. Curtis was ordered forward, but the day was fast
drawing to an end. The fact is that the fort was not silenced
by the fire of the navy on December 24th and 25th, but its
firing was so slow that the navy formed the erroneous idea that
it had been silenced. "The fire of the fleet had been diffuse,"
sa}-s Colonel Lamb, who commanded the fort, " not calculated
to effect any particular damage, and so wild that at least one-
third of the missiles fell into the river beyond the fort or in the
bordering marshes."
*' It was evident," says Butler, in his report of December 25th,
1864, " as soon as the fire of the navy ceased, because of dark-
ness, that the fort was fully manned again, and opened with
grape and canister upon our picket line." It would have been
temerity to order a charge at this time. Weitzel, however, was
present with Curtis and could have ordered a charge if he so
pleased. Even Curtis did not deem it wise to make an assault,
although he had permission from Ames to do so. All the
troops that had made a landing were pushing on through the
deep sand to support Curtis. General Ames, who had been
among the first to land, displayed his usual energy and dispatch
and strained every nerve to get Pennypacker's brigade up in
time, but it could not be accomplished. The night was dark
and the storm that was coming up might drive off the navy and
the transports, and the small body of our troops that had been
landed would then fall into the hands of the rebels. There was
no hope for immediate re-inforcements, for the now furious surf
had cut off all communication with the fleet.*
*" A piece of romance was sent North and got a lodgment i.i current history, and is
actually repeated liy General Grant in his Memoirs, thuu^^h Genc-ral Huller Ciirrected
the error in his ofiicial report of January 3d, 1865. No Federal soldier entered Fort
Fisher Christmas d.iy except as a pMS(jner. The courier was sent out of the fort
without my Unouledge and was killed .Tnd hiis horse captured within the enemy's
linei. The flag captured was a small company flai{, placed on the extreme L fI of the
work, and which was carried away an 1 thrown oft' the parapet by an enrtlading shot
from the navy. It was during a terrific bombardment of the land force when 1 had
ordered my men to cover themsilves behind parapet and traverses as well as in the
bomb-proofs. Aniid the smoke of bursting shells Captain \V. H. Walling of the