[815] To the average reader the subsequent capture of Fort Fisher seems sufficient to substantiate the charge against General Butler, but in reality the facts connected with the final capture prove that his forces could not have successfully assaulted the work. When Weitzel's skirmish line approached on Christmas afternoon, and the fire of the fleet ceased, I purposely withheld the full fire of the infantry and artillery until an attack should be made in force. Only one gun commanding the land approach had been permanently disabled, and I could have opened a terrific fire of grape and canister from twenty heavy guns and four Napoleons on a narrow beach. If the troops could have faced this with a knowledge that in their rear was an army equally as large to attack them under cover of darkness when the fight began, I had three lines of subterranean torpedoes in perfect order, which could have blown up consecutively three advancing columns. If, by any possibility, these could have been passed by any portion of an assaulting column, I had an almost perfect line of palisades, behind which I had thrown more than half the garrison. I had that night nine hundred veterans, sixty C. S. N. sailors and marines and four hundred and fifty junior reserves between sixteen and eighteen years of age. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Our friends are mistaken in saying that the guns of Fort Fisher were silenced in the first attack, and in this connection I will repeat what I wrote for the “Century War book” :--The guns of Fort Fisher were not silenced. On account of a limited supply of ammunition I gave orders to fire each gun not more than once in thirty minutes, except by special order, unless an attempt should be made to run by the fort, when discretion was given each gun commander to use his piece effectively. There were forty-four guns. On December 24, 672 shots were expended; a detailed report was received from each battery. Only three guns were rendered unserviceable, and these by the fire of the fleet disabling the carriages. On December 25, six hundred shots were expended, exclusive of grape and canister. Detailed reports were made. Five guns were disabled by the fleet, making eight in all. Besides two seven-inch Brooke guns exploded, leaving thirty-four heavy guns on Christmas night. The last guns on the 24th and 25th were fired by Fort Fisher on the retiring fleet. In the first fight the total casualties were sixty-one.. . . . . . . . . . . . . I had no fear of an assault, and because during a bombardment which Tendered an assault impossible, I covered my men and a few struggling skirmishers, too few to attract attention, got near the fort, and some gallant officers thought they could have carried the work, it does not
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