Fort Fisher Shells

[Garret]

Does anyone have any stories about the old days when folks could recover the heavy artillery from Fort Fisher?  I have long admired the sketch Frank Vizatelly drew while he was in the Fort during the bombardment.  As a primary source of the battle it's the best view as to what happened during the battle.  Look at the huge 15" Dahlgrens throwing sand all over the place as it hit the fort.  Also the fragments that killed the soldiers in the foreground. 

[pipedreamer65]

Garrett, that has probably been my all time favorite image of the Fort.  It was created in real time by Vizatelly as you know.  I have the London News two page print of it upon my wall.

[speedenforcer]

wow

[Garret]

Pipe,
I agree, it's a tremendous sketch.  I think it's the best ever of the entire war.  I wish I could get a decent sized repro of it made of it in all its vivid color for my relic room

Some of the captions that Vizatelly wrote on the sketch are:
"An officer and two men killed by fragments of shell"
"Shot rack struck by a fifteen inch ball"
"Bomb proof men looking out"
"Dust and sand thrown into the air from shot striking traverses"
"A few dead"
"Yankee troops forming for land assault"
"Struck under lower jaw" is the caption above the dead artillerist to the left foreground
"Cape Fear River"
"Transports landing troops"

[Pete George]

  Garret, that is one of the most interestingly detailed civil-war-drawn combat illustrations I've seen in over 40 years in this field.  Truly outstanding. Thanks for posting it... and thanks VERY much for adding the "transcript" of the artist's handwritten comments, wich are too faint for me to read on my computer's monitor.

Best regards,
Pete

[Garret]

Pete, you're welcome and trust me you're not the only one with fading vision.  It took ten minutes and some reading glasses to dissect those pencil drawn captions!
Garret