Battle of Fort Fisher

Two battles were fought over Fort Fisher during the American Civil War. The first battle was a failed attempt by the Union army and Navy to capture the fort. In which the Union commander retreated from the position leaving many of his soldiers behind. The second battle was a successful operation which led to the fall of the fort and the city of Wilmington, North Carolina. In the second battle Col. Lamb's Confederate force was defeated by the combined force of Army, Navy, and Marines. Braxton Bragg who was the commander of Wilmington at the time of the battle gave orders to General Hoke to not attempt to aide Lamb. Because of this the few thousand troops in the fort were either killed wounded or captured. Wilmington was evacuated & eventually Sherman advanced into North Carolina to force Joseph E Johnston's force retreating from Georgia to surrender.

The surrender of Fort Fisher was the end of the Confederacy with the last remaining seaport open to the Confederacy. Today the only portions of Fort Fisher are battery Shephard and the Mound Battery.


 * First Battle of Fort Fisher – 1864
 * Second Battle of Fort Fisher – 1865