Key Facts
- Dates
- December 24–27, 1864
- Duration
- 4 days
- Union commander
- Major General Benjamin Butler
- Strategic objective
- Capture last major Confederate Atlantic port
- Result
- Confederate hold; Butler relieved of command Jan 8, 1865
Strategic Narrative Overview
The Union navy first attempted to destroy Fort Fisher's walls by detonating a powder-laden ship near the fort on December 24, 1864, but the explosion caused negligible damage. The navy then conducted a two-day bombardment. On December 25, Butler landed troops to begin a land assault, but upon learning that Confederate reinforcements were approaching and citing worsening weather, he abruptly withdrew the troops and abandoned the operation, declaring the fort impregnable.
01 / The Origins
By late 1864, Wilmington, North Carolina, remained the Confederacy's last significant Atlantic port, supplying Confederate armies through blockade runners. Fort Fisher guarded the Cape Fear River approach to the city. Closing this supply line had become a strategic priority for the Union, which organized a joint army-navy expedition under Rear Admiral David Porter and Major General Benjamin Butler to seize the fort and sever the remaining Confederate lifeline.
03 / The Outcome
Butler's withdrawal drew sharp criticism, and he was relieved of command on January 8, 1865. Major General Alfred H. Terry replaced him and led a second expedition that captured Fort Fisher on January 15, 1865. The fall of the fort closed Wilmington to blockade runners, effectively severing the last major Confederate supply route on the Atlantic coast and hastening the Confederacy's collapse.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Major General Benjamin Butler, Rear Admiral David D. Porter.
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.