10. General Johnston was now recalled to the command of the Confederate
forces, and the advance of the Union army began to be seriously
opposed. On the 19th of March, General Sherman was attacked by Johnston
near Bentonville; but Johnston was defeated, and on the 21st Sherman
entered Goldsborough. Here he was reinforced by Generals Schofield and
Terry. The Federal army turned to the northwest, and on the 13th of
April entered Raleigh. This was the end of the great march; and here,
on the 26th of the month, General Sherman received the surrender of
Johnston's army.
[Sidenote: Farragut at Mobile.]
11. Meanwhile, important events had occurred on the Gulf. Early in
August, 1864, Admiral Farragut bore down on the defenses of Mobile. The
harbor was defended by a Confederate fleet and the monster iron-clad
_Tennessee_. On the 5th of August, Farragut ran past Forts Morgan
and Gaines into the harbor. In order to direct the movements of his
vessels, the old admiral mounted to the maintop of the _Hartford_,
lashed himself to the rigging, and from that high perch gave his
commands during the battle. One of the Union ships struck a torpedo and
sank. The rest attacked and dispersed the Confederate squadron; but
just as the day seemed won, the _Tennessee_ came down at full speed
to strike the _Hartford_. Then followed one of the fiercest conflicts
of the war. The Union iron-clads closed around their antagonist and
battered her with fifteen-inch bolts of iron until she surrendered.
[Sidenote: Fort Fisher.]
12. Next came the capture of Fort Fisher, at the entrance to Cape
Fear River. In December, Admiral Porter was sent with a powerful
American squadron to besiege and take the fort. General Butler, with
six thousand five hundred men, accompanied the expedition. On the 24th
of the month, the troops were sent ashore with orders to storm the
works. When the generals in command came near enough to reconnoiter,
they decided that an assault could only end in disaster, and the
enterprise was abandoned. Admiral Porter remained before Fort Fisher
with his fleet, and General Butler returned to Fortress Monroe. Early
in January, the siege was renewed, and on the 15th of the month Fort
Fisher was taken by storm.
13. In the previous October, Lieutenant Cushing, with a number of
volunteers, embarked in a small steamer and entered the Roanoke. A
tremendous iron ram, called the _Albemarle_, was discovered lying at
the harbor of Plymouth. Cautiously approaching, the lieutenant sank a
torpedo under the Confederate ship, exploded it, and left the ram a
ruin. The adventure cost the lives or capture of all of Cushing's party
except himself and one other, who made good their escape.
[Sidenote: =Confederate Cruisers.=]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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