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506 • part 8: the war in 1865 imilian, Mejia, and Miramon. But what then? When the last French soldier had departed from Mexican soil, who could foretell what would have been the relations between the authorities at Washington and Richmond—whether war would have been again declared,or,the passions of the contestants having abated , peace would have been enthroned on some basis? Mr. Lincoln was well satisfied then that peace would be dictated on his own terms and did not intend to be diverted; while Mr.Davis would have entertained such a proposition only because it was a straw that a drowning man is always authorized to seize. 41 The Fall of Fort Fisher Thomas H. Sutton, Fortieth North Carolina Infantry in consequence of a change of service the closing days of the war found the writer on the coast defenses of North Carolina. He was attached to the Fortieth North Carolina Regiment, stationed on Smith’s Island, and was in the heavy artillery branch of the service guarding the islet to the main or western bar of the Cape Fear River, for the twofold object of giving aid and comfort ,as well as protection to the blockade runners and defending the approaches to Wilmington. Smith’s Island is on the eastern shore of the Cape Fear River at its mouth, about thirty miles from Wilmington.It is about ten miles long,parallel with the river, and about six miles in width. Its eastern shore is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and its western by the Cape Fear River, its northern and southern projection running into the New Inlet on the north and the main or western bar on the south. New Inlet is the entrance from the ocean between the mainland and Smith’s Island, and was caused by a washout many years ago, separating Smith’s Island from the mainland. The main or western bar is between the island and Fort Caswell.On the mainland was Fort Fisher constructed; on Smith’s Island, Fort Holmes, which, with Fort Caswell and a small coast breastwork below Caswell, called Fort Campbell, constituted the defenses of Wilmington, at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. On the western or land side of the river were Fort Jackson, at Smithville; a small work just above, the name of which I have forgotten, but which was used chiefly as a signal station and Anderson, fifteen miles nearer, and just half way to Wilmington, North Carolina. 08.499-564_Cozz 12/2/03, 8:58 AM 506 Smith’s Island could hardly have been said to be habited before the war. A few people lived there, it is true, but their houses were merely places of observation for pilots watching the sea, while their real homes were across the bay at Smithville.The principal growth of this island was palmetto,a singular and rare tree, indigenous to the coast soil of North and South Carolina. This tree grew to great height, straight as an arrow, with no limbs, and on the top was a bushy growth of palmetto, in the center of which was the heart or bud, which in the days of scarcity of vegetables, was used by the soldiers as an article of food and in substitution of cabbage. The leaves of the palmetto were made to supply hats for the soldiers, who send quantities of it home, and the ladies soon became adepts in the art of hat making.Thousands of hatless heads have been made comfortable by being covered with palmetto straw. The trees were made into logs, and being of a spongy character were regarded as “the thing” for building stockades, breastworks,and forts. Together with the sand bag, they made a very strong defensive work and were made to answer this purpose in all the works constructed on Smith’s Island .They were never put to a test,however,as the capture of Fort Fisher in 1865 necessitated the evacuation of Smith’s Island without gun firing or delay. This island was noted for the great number of rattlesnakes and raccoons.The latter were especially numerous and thrived on the small oyster named for the animal,“raccoon oyster,” abounding in the numerous creeks that threaded their way through the island. On the point of land that extended farthest into the sea on the southwestern end of this island Fort Holmes was built and mounted six guns of ordinary caliber and of very ordinary effectiveness. The beach...

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