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Fort Fisher Civil War Program
Fort Fisher Civil War Program
Commemorates Fighting And Recalls Lost Ship
January 17, 2013
- Kure Beach, NC - The pivotal role of Fort Fisher in
the Civil War is underscored in the movie Lincoln, as
the president emphasized that it must be captured. Fort
Fisher State Historic Site will demonstrate some of the
power of the fort in the 148th anniversary program
"Sheppard's Battery: Confederates Defending the Left
Flank" on Saturday, Jan. 19. In addition to the military
demonstrations, the free program will include author
talks and children's activities.
Fort Fisher was critical to logistics to General Lee's
Army, and was the last entry point for supplies from
England and the Caribbean. With a seaface that jutted
out into the Atlantic, Fort Fisher was known as "the
Gibraltar of the South." The fort came under the most
massive land and sea assault conducted by the United
States government until World War II.
Civil War
re-enactors will set up camp and demonstrate infantry
and artillery skills. The fort's big gun will be fired,
a 32-pounder that launched a grapefruit sized cannonball
into the sea toward Federal forces. The 12-pound
Napoleon cannon was more commonly used. It fired a
12-pound softball sized shell about a mile, while a
10-pound Parrott rifle lobbed a 3-inch projectile a
little more than a mile. Sheppard's Battery was adjacent
to the fort's River Road entry, also known as the
"Bloody Gate" which was the weakest link for Union
soldiers to exploit.
A highlight of the
day will be dedication of a North Carolina Highway
Historical marker in honor of the blockage runner Modern
Greece. The British-owned ship was bringing supplies
into Fort Fisher in 1862 when it came under Union Navy
fire. Badly damaged, it was destroyed by the
Confederates to keep the weapons and supplies from the
Federals. The shipwreck was discovered in 1962 after an
intense storm. Navy divers joined the then Department of
Archives and History to recover materials from the
wreck, and thousands of artifacts, including rifles,
knives, files, and more were recovered. The project gave
birth to the state Underwater Archaeology Branch, one of
the first such programs in the country.
To learn more call
(910) 458-5538. Fort Fisher is located at 1610 Ft.
Fisher Blvd. South in
Kure Beach, and is within the Division of State Historic
Sites. The N.C. Highway Historical Marker Program is
part of the Office of Archives and History. Both are
within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.
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