- Joined
- Dec 3, 2011
- Location
- Laurinburg NC
By Colonel William Lamb, 36th North Carolina (2nd Artillery).
"Shortly after taking command of Fort Fisher I recovered from the wreck of a blockade runner, the British Steamship Modern Greece, four 12 pounder Whitwo...rth rifle guns, with a range of five miles. With these guns, we made the U.S. Blockading fleet remove their anchorage from two and half miles to five miles from the fort. So many vessels were saved with these guns that they soon had a reputation throughout the South, and three of them were transferred to other commands, two going to Virginia.
In August 1863, the British Steamship Hebe with a most valuable cargo, while trying to enter New Inlet, was driven ashore by the enemy and partially destroyed. A detachment of Captain Munn's Company sent to her relief, rescued Captain and crew and captured on her, Ensign W.W. Crowninshield, Master's Mate John Paige, Third Assistant Engineer Wm. Mason, five petty officers, five seamen and one ordinary seaman, from the U.S.S. Niphon. Munn's detachment remained with a Whitworth rifle gun and a Faucett and Preston rifle piece, behind an improvised sand battery, to gaurd the wreck while its cargo was being removed.
Sunday morning 23 August, the steam frigate Minnesota, the flagship of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, came up abreast of the wreck, within 600 yards, while the United States Steamship James Adger was sent within 300 yards, to see if the Hebe could be hauled off and the United States Steamship Niphon was ordered along the beach to cut off any retreat. The heroic detachment instead of retreating as they should have done, with their guns, as soon as they saw this powerful steamship approaching, carrying more guns and ammunition than were in Fort Fisher, defiantly stood their ground and fired on the boat sent by the James Adger with a tow line towards the Hebe, driving her back, wounding one of the crew.
The Minnesota and James Adger then opened a frightful fire on the detachment and guns tearing up the beach, killing Private Holland and wounding five others. The detachment barely escaped capture. They carried off their dead and wounded comrades but were obliged to leave their guns. The wreck was over seven miles from Fort Fisher, on narrow and low beach between Masonboro Sound and the ocean, and it was wonderful that any escaped alive. The enemy after landing carried off two guns.
The Minnesota fired 173 shot and shell consuming 1,977 pounds of cannon powder. The James Adger fired 163 shot and shell using 958 pounds of powder, or a total of 336 shell and shot and more than a ton of cannon powder, to drive a detachment of Tar Heels from two small field pieces. The niphon fired 172 shot and shell at the detachment as it retreated, and claimed to have wounded many, but did not strike one.
General W.H.C. Whiting in reporting this fight to the Secretary of War, Richmond, 24 August, 1863, says: "I have met with a serious and heavy loss in that Whitworth, a gun that in the hands of the indefatigable Lamb, has saved dozens of vessels, and millions of money to the Confederate States. I beg a couple of the Whitworth guns originally saved by him from the Modern Greece may be sent here at once. Their long range makes them more suitable for a seaboard position. Could I get them with horses we could save many a vessel that will now be lost to us."
Photos: Colonel William Lamb and a Whitworth Cannon at Gettysburg.
"Shortly after taking command of Fort Fisher I recovered from the wreck of a blockade runner, the British Steamship Modern Greece, four 12 pounder Whitwo...rth rifle guns, with a range of five miles. With these guns, we made the U.S. Blockading fleet remove their anchorage from two and half miles to five miles from the fort. So many vessels were saved with these guns that they soon had a reputation throughout the South, and three of them were transferred to other commands, two going to Virginia.
In August 1863, the British Steamship Hebe with a most valuable cargo, while trying to enter New Inlet, was driven ashore by the enemy and partially destroyed. A detachment of Captain Munn's Company sent to her relief, rescued Captain and crew and captured on her, Ensign W.W. Crowninshield, Master's Mate John Paige, Third Assistant Engineer Wm. Mason, five petty officers, five seamen and one ordinary seaman, from the U.S.S. Niphon. Munn's detachment remained with a Whitworth rifle gun and a Faucett and Preston rifle piece, behind an improvised sand battery, to gaurd the wreck while its cargo was being removed.
Sunday morning 23 August, the steam frigate Minnesota, the flagship of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, came up abreast of the wreck, within 600 yards, while the United States Steamship James Adger was sent within 300 yards, to see if the Hebe could be hauled off and the United States Steamship Niphon was ordered along the beach to cut off any retreat. The heroic detachment instead of retreating as they should have done, with their guns, as soon as they saw this powerful steamship approaching, carrying more guns and ammunition than were in Fort Fisher, defiantly stood their ground and fired on the boat sent by the James Adger with a tow line towards the Hebe, driving her back, wounding one of the crew.
The Minnesota and James Adger then opened a frightful fire on the detachment and guns tearing up the beach, killing Private Holland and wounding five others. The detachment barely escaped capture. They carried off their dead and wounded comrades but were obliged to leave their guns. The wreck was over seven miles from Fort Fisher, on narrow and low beach between Masonboro Sound and the ocean, and it was wonderful that any escaped alive. The enemy after landing carried off two guns.
The Minnesota fired 173 shot and shell consuming 1,977 pounds of cannon powder. The James Adger fired 163 shot and shell using 958 pounds of powder, or a total of 336 shell and shot and more than a ton of cannon powder, to drive a detachment of Tar Heels from two small field pieces. The niphon fired 172 shot and shell at the detachment as it retreated, and claimed to have wounded many, but did not strike one.
General W.H.C. Whiting in reporting this fight to the Secretary of War, Richmond, 24 August, 1863, says: "I have met with a serious and heavy loss in that Whitworth, a gun that in the hands of the indefatigable Lamb, has saved dozens of vessels, and millions of money to the Confederate States. I beg a couple of the Whitworth guns originally saved by him from the Modern Greece may be sent here at once. Their long range makes them more suitable for a seaboard position. Could I get them with horses we could save many a vessel that will now be lost to us."
Photos: Colonel William Lamb and a Whitworth Cannon at Gettysburg.
Bringing the