FORT FISHER S T A T E HISTORIC SITE The Powder Magazine S P E C I A L P O I N T S O F VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 SPRING 2011 INTEREST New book spotlight (page 2) Symposium: memories of Civil War (page 4) ECU & UNCW students rediscover artifacts (page 6) Meet Fort Fisher volunteer Bill Yeager (page 8) INSIDE THIS Richard Boisvert presents Colonel Louis Bell’s personal tactics manual to Friends Board Chairman James MacLaren during a ceremony on the occasion of the ISSUE: anniversary of the 2nd Battle of Fort Fisher in which Col. Bell was mortally wounded. Photo by Si Lawrence, III, Media Specialist From the Site 2 Manager’s Desk Banner year at Fort Fisher opens with What’s new in 2 The FF gift shop? donation of Infantry Tactics Manual ...by Paul Laird In the Footsteps 3 of the General This year‘s anniversary and Infantry. By the time Bell leaving a grieving widow and commemoration of the Battle of participated in both Fort Fisher two small children in New Civil War 5 Fort Fisher on January 15th was, campaigns he had been promoted Hampshire. The broken- Medicine: Whiting indeed, special. In addition to to lead the Third Brigade, Second hearted widow died just three special presentations, tours and Division, XXIV Army Corps. months later. Bell was the New Friends of 7 music, the Friends of Fort Fisher Beloved by his men, Bell‘s highest ranking Union officer to Fort Fisher received an exciting gift from Brigade consisted of the 4th New die at Fort Fisher. Richard and Suzanne Boisvert of Hampshire, 13th Indiana, 115 The Friends heartfelt New exhibit was 9 Henderson, NC. Many years ago New York and the 169th New appreciation goes to Richard collective effort Mr. Boisvert acquired a copy of York. As Colonel Bell led his and Suzanne Boisvert for the 1862 edition of Casey‘s brigade forward to cross the placing this important piece of Join the Friends of 9 Infantry Tactics, Volume I, causeway bridge at the river road Fort Fisher history back at its Fort Fisher belonging to and used by Union sallyport he was mortally proper home. The manual and Colonel Louis Bell. Colonel Bell wounded but lived long enough other recently acquired purchased the manual when he to see his regiments plant their artifacts are being researched was commanding officer of the 4th colors on Fort Fisher‘s parapets. for placement in a future New Hampshire Volunteer Bell died the next morning exhibit. P A G E 2 From the Site Manager’s Desk Springtime is here! This begins Fort Fisher‘s summer season, the busiest time of the year. From April through September, more than half a million guests will enjoy North Carolina‘s greatest historic site. This will be my fifth Fort Fisher summer, and I am more excited than ever before. As always, so much good stuff is happening here it is difficult to keep up with it all. We started 2011 with an outstanding program. The 146th Fort Fisher anniversary program, ―Glory Enough For All,‖ exceeded all expectations! On Saturday, January 15, approximately 5,500 people enjoyed a variety of programming and beautiful weather. Scholarly talks, children‘s activi- ties, living history demonstrations, and thematic tours ensured there was something for everybody. Conducting such a large, successful program is a team effort. Site employees and volunteers, staff from other historic sites and museums, and the Friends of Fort Fisher all work together to make these events happen. If you would like to become involved, I encourage you to join the Friends. We could not do what we do without their support. In the last Powder Magazine, I updated you on Fort Fisher‘s strategic planning process. At this moment, a draft version of the plan has been complet- ed and submitted to North Carolina Historic Sites for review. We anticipate the plan will be finalized and debut to the general public early this summer. The contents of this plan, which will carry Fort Fisher through the Civil War sesqui- centennial and beyond, are very exciting. Look forward to expanded programming and facilities as Fort Fisher becomes the premier Civil War site in the nation. Better yet, become involved with achieving these goals and join the Friends of Fort Fisher. I cannot overemphasize the importance of their contribution to this plan and towards its completion! In closing, I want to remind you to stop in and see our new exhibit, ―Hallowed Memories of Heroic Association: Fort Fisher‘s Confederate Veterans, 1865-1935.‖ This exhibit examines the efforts of veterans living along the lower Cape Fear to commemorate and vindicate their wartime service in a New South. As in everything we do, this exhibit was a team effort. For their contributions, we thank the New Hanover County Public Library, the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science, the North Carolina State Archives, and the Friends of Fort Fisher. We also thank exhibit designer Amy Sawyer and historian Dr. Marty Matthews of North Carolina Historic Sites. Their work is key to the attractive, informative exhibits you will enjoy here. And thanks to all of you who keep coming back every summer. We are here to serve you so let us know what you think of our efforts. — Jim Steele, Site Manager New … by Becky Sawyer The Gift Shop Corner Book Spotlight Fort Fisher 1865: The Photographs of T.H. O’Sullivan authored by Chris E. Fonvielle, Jr. I came across the O‘Sullivan proportions of the combined The victorious Union forces So, in this segment of the Gift images back in 1995 while works of Fort Fisher, Mound Fort were so impressed by the Shop Corner, we highlight the working on a paper for my (Mound Battery), and Fort sheer size and strength of the newest addition to the Fort military history class. I was so works at Fort Fisher that Fisher bookstore: Fort Fisher impressed with the sheer words could not describe it - 1865: The Photographs of T.H. volume of images for just one so in early February 1865, O’Sullivan by Dr. Chris E. location. Then when I came to O‘Sullivan was contracted to Fonvielle, Jr. The first printing work at Fort Fisher, I have photograph a series of about will be completed in April always explained to the visiting forty views of Fort Fisher, 2011 by NC Starburst Press. public that we were very making it at the time one of Paperback version of the book fortunate that the fort was the most photographed will retail at $29.95 plus tax. photographed on such a large Confederate fortifications and Dr. Fonvielle will be at Fort scale. Very few battlefields showed the nation how Fisher on June 11th, 2011, to were documented on the level massive Fort Fisher was and that Fort Fisher was. why it protected the “No description can convey an B u c h a n n a n ( B a t t e r y Confederate port of Continued on adequate idea of the stupendous Buchannan).” – E.S. of the New Wilmington, North Carolina page 10 strength and almost Titanic York Tribune for so long. THE POWDER MAGAZINE P A G E 3 In the Footsteps of the General by Ray Flowers If there is a better first person account of the War Between were…passing close by my old home at Washington.‖ (they the States than Fighting for the Confederacy ―The Personal Rec- must have taken the scenic route). ollections of General Edward Porter Alexander‖, edited by Gary Though no major battles were fought near Washington it is Gallagher, then I am not aware of it. Whether serving in the rich in Civil War history and claims more antebellum homes capacity of signal operator, engineer, staff officer or artillerist than any other town of its size in Georgia. [probably, because the seemingly ubiquitous Alexander proved himself an astute no major battles were fought near there] Either by virtue of observer and a keen reporter birth or residence nine Confederate generals and one naval of unusual ability. Fulfilling a commander had close associations with Wilkes County. Among promise at the behest of his them were Major Generals Arnold Elzey, Jeremy Francis family the general began re- Gilmer, Robert Toombs and Leroy Pope Walker. Toombs and cording his reminiscences Walker also served as Confederate Secretary of State and Sec- around the turn of the century, retary of War respectively. The other generals were Brigadiers ―writing only for D u d l e y M . my children & DuBose, Lu- i n t i m a t e cius Jeremi- friends.‖ Twen- ah Gartrell, ty-eight months Alex ander and 1,200 pages Robert Law- labor produced ton, Paul a manuscript J o h n that was never Semmes and intended for of course publication. Edward Por- Objective, critical, and candid ―Aleck‘s‖ recol- ter Alexan- lections abound with the scuttlebutt concerning der. Both the campaigns of Longstreet‘s First Corps in par- Gilmer and ticular and the Army of Northern Virginia in gen- Lawton were eral. But for all of the General‘s peripatetic military adventures, Alexander‘s brothers-in-law. The naval commander was Thomas the story opens and closes in Washington, Georgia. So when T. Hunter. In addition another 700 men comprising four compa- the president of the Washington Civil War Roundtable, Mr. nies were recruited from the area into southern service as well. Claibourne Darden, solicited the Fort Fisher State Historic Site Over the course of two motoring tours in one day I learned for a speaker, I readily accepted.