US ResearchConflictsCivil WarNorth CarolinaFort Fisher
Civil War

Fort Fisher

1865
North Carolina
Era
Civil War
Year
1865
Location
North Carolina
Status
Historical record
Part ofEastern TheaterThe Civil War
The Battle

History & Significance

Fort Fisher was a Civil War engagement fought in North Carolina, 1865. It was a Union victory.

After the failure of his December expedition against Fort Fisher, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler was relieved of command. Maj. Gen. Alfred Terry was placed in command of a "Provisional Corps," including Paine's Division of U.S. Colored Troops, and supported by a naval force of nearly 60 vessels, to renew operations against the fort. After a preliminary bombardment directed by Rear Adm. David D. Porter on January 13, Union forces landed and prepared an attack on Maj. Gen. Robert Hoke's infantry line. On the 15th, a select force moved on the fort from the rear. A valiant attack late in the afternoon, following the bloody repulse of a naval landing party carried the parapet. The Confederate garrison surrendered, opening the way for a Federal thrust against Wilmington, the South's last open seaport on the Atlantic coast.

Result
Union victory
Forces engaged
Expeditionary Corps, Army of the James [US]; Hoke's Division and Fort Fisher Garrison [CS]
Casualties
2,000 total
Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Fort Fisher take place?
Fort Fisher took place in 1865.
Where was Fort Fisher fought?
Fort Fisher was fought in North Carolina, United States.
What was the significance of Fort Fisher?
After the failure of his December expedition against Fort Fisher, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler was relieved of command. Maj. Gen. Alfred Terry was placed in command of a "Provisional Corps," including Paine's Division of U.S. Colored Troops, and supported by a naval force of nearly 60 vessels, to renew
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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
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Rivers & Rail
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Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Source

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