What Is Fort Fisher's Failure

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During the Civil War, Wilmington, NC became the last major seaport open to Confederate blockade-runners, which required a strong fort for protection against the Union attacks. Fort Fisher was largely constructed of earth and sand, it was better than brick and stone fortifications, which provided great protection to the Confederate soldiers. The fort’s artillery consisted of 47 mounted guns with 22 facing in the seaward batteries and 25 facing the land approaches. On December 1864, Lieutenant General (LT GEN) Ulysses S. Grant dispatched a force to capture Fort Fisher, which resulted in a complete failure. As result of this failure, LT GEN Grant appointed Major General (MAJ GEN) Alfred H. Terry, commander of the X Corps as the new Union Commander