Page "First Battle of Fort Fisher" Paragraph 3

Fort Fisher, on Confederate Point, nicknamed the " Gibraltar of the Confederacy ", was a formidable target commanding the Cape Fear River.

It encompassed 14, 500 ft. ² and was surrounded by a 10-foot parapet and a network of bombproofs, most of which were 30 feet high.

Many obstructions were laid around it, including land mines ( called torpedoes in this era ), abatis, and deep ditches.

There were more than 50 heavy cannon, including 15 Columbiads and a 150-pounder Armstrong gun, behind a 60-foot mound of earth near the sea, named the Mound Battery.

The fort's garrison of 1, 400 men was commanded by Colonel William Lamb.

Additional reinforcements were available from General Braxton Bragg at Sugar Loaf, 4 miles away.

This force consisted of Major General Robert F. Hoke's division from the Army of Northern Virginia, which arrived on December 13.