Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 23.djvu/174

 168 Southern Historical Society Papers.

commanded by an able Federal soldier, General Terry. When we reached Sugar Loaf we found that Terry had landed his forces with- out opposition, and we began skirmishing with them at once. But the enemy had intrenched his line from the ocean across the nar- row peninsula to the Cape Fear river, between Sugar Loaf and Fort Fisher. We threw up a line in his front, Sugar Loaf being our base, but were enfiladed by the fire from the enemy's fleet.

Terry's command consisted of two divisions. One of our brigades (Hagood's South Carolina) was detached to the south side of the river to assist Fort Caswell. During the action Colquitt was sent too late to reinforce the garrison of Fort Fisher, leaving Hoke the two brigades of Kirkland and Clingman, with some artillery and Lipscomb's Cavalry regiment, which were confronted by Paine' s Division of colored troops and Abbott's white brigade behind in- trenchments and protected by the great Federal fleet to rake the in- tervening space with shot and shell, grape and canister, while Terry with the white forces stormed Fort Fisher. Bragg moved Hoke's two brigades forward to attack. We easily drove in the enemy's skirmish line, occupied their rifle-pits, and our skirmishers were making their main line keep their heads down behind the intrench- ments. When we all expected the order to charge, a courier came to Hoke from Bragg, ordering him to withdraw to Sugar Loaf. My recollection is that we confidently expected to run over the troops in our front and drive them in confusion upon Terry's attacking column. But we obeyed orders and fell back to the line at Sugar Loaf, about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and there we laid down, shelled by the ships, and heard the musketry fire at Fisher until its brave garrison was overcome at n o'clock that night. The rockets from the fort said, "Come and help us," but we were not moved; and sad was the sight when the rockets from the ships and display of colored lights and blowing of whistles announced the surrender of the fort. I felt that all had not been done to save it.

General Bragg has been severely censured in the official reports of Whiting and Lamb, and by their friends, for not moving Hoke for- ward. He said he did not think that Hoke's small force could suc- ceed with the fleet on their flank ; and General Hoke since the war has told me that he concurred with Bragg. The impartial reader oi history must decide. A Federal colonel, after the surrender at Greensboro, told me he thought if Hoke had advanced Terry would have been beaten. I believe our charge would have been successful, because the troops in front were blacks.