The Powder Magazine. Program is free and open to the public Fort Fisher State Historic Site to host World War II program Sept.

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1 F O R T F I S H E R S T A T E H I S T O R I C S I T E The Powder Magazine S P E C I A L P O I N T S OF I N T E R E S T V O L U M E 1 0, I S S U E 1 S U M M E R Fort Fisher to host WW II program (page 1) From the site manager (page 2) A true friends retires (page 3) Meet Fort Fisher s 2018 Mary Holloway Seasonal Interpreter (page 8) I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Meet the Fort Fisher cannon crew Col. Lamb returns to Fort Fisher and other news of 1893 Join the Friends of Fort Fisher Program is free and open to the public Fort Fisher State Historic Site to host World War II program Sept. 1-2, 2018 Did you know Fort Fisher has the dubious distinction of playing an important role in two major military conflicts? One only needs to consider the vast array of books written on the subject to realize that Fort Fisher played a pivotal part in America s Civil War. But the story doesn t end there. More than 75 years after the end of the Civil War, Fort Fisher saw another infiltration of soldiers, this time as an active antiaircraft artillery training post for Camp Davis during World War II. Sure, the antiaircraft training sessions took place on the coast, but make no mistake, it wasn t always a particularly pleasant place to work for Uncle Sam. Asked of his recollection of time spent at Fort Fisher, Samuel Macintyre of the 557th AA, Battery C said quite simply, Sand, Sand, Sand. In his history of the 558th AAA (AW), Bill Drobinch stated If nothing else hardened the men, at least the mosquitoes did. In the morning, the insects gathered in humming waves in the crowded latrines. It was a daily challenge to see who would outlast the other-- the men shaving or the mosquitoes sucking them dry. Irritants aside, at its height, Fort Fisher could handle three battalions on a six-day training rotation. Between the post s opening in 1941 and its closing in 1944, some 43 AA Battalions trained at Fort Fisher, despite the seemingly endless cache of sand and mosquitoes. In observance of 77th anniversary of the opening of the training post, Fort Fisher State Historic Site will host a two-day World War II program September 1-2, 2018, commemorating the fort s unique second-generation war history. Military and civilian reenactors will set up displays on the old Fort Fisher airstrip and will be available to talk with visitors about the life of the World War II soldier and life on the home front and the roles women played in the march towards victory. Visitors can learn about military uniforms, weapons, and communications equipment. Continued on page 10

2 P A G E 2 From the site manager, Jim Steele... Dear Friends: Summertime is here at Fort Fisher! It has been hot and humid, but that has not slowed down the constant flow of visitors into the historic site, and that is the way we like it. Each and every one of our guests is important and can expect a rewarding experience when they visit the Gibraltar of the South. This summer we have some great seasonal help too. Joe, Isaac, Emily, and Ashley are terrific young people who are doing a fine job here, giving guided tours of the fort, performing historic weapons demonstrations, running the gift shop, and giving all around good visitor service. We are happy to have them here, so look for them when you visit and you ll be glad you did. In other news, you will recall that the historic site and the Friends of Fort Fisher have been working through the process of advance planning for a new interpretive center and reconstructed earthworks. Well that is complete. In March 2018, the architectural firm ClarkNexsen released the Fort Fisher Visitor Center Advanced Planning Final Report, and we are now ready for the next steps. Soon we will sign a contract for detailed design of the new facilities including schematics and construction documents. The NC General Assembly has appropriated Fort Fisher some funds for building the new interpretive center and earthworks, but we need to raise significantly more before we can break ground. The Friends of Fort Fisher will be launching a capital campaign in the near future and will lobby for more state funds to ensure this project can be completed. This is where you can help us. The Friends need a large and strong organization of supporters to be successful. If you wish to see Fort Fisher be all it can be, to enjoy an exhibit gallery three times the size of the current one, to walk the ramparts of reconstructed gun chambers and traverses, please join the Friends of Fort Fisher today. It is a great way to be involved and support our efforts to better serve you and our visiting public. We look forward to seeing you here soon! Thank you, Jim Steele Brunswicktown-Fort Anderson State Historic Site manager Jim McKee addresses members of the NCDOT Board of Transportation during a recent visit the Board made to Fort Fisher in late June. Fort Fisher site manager Jim Steele greeted DOT officials and gave a brief overview of the site s impact on local tourism, followed by McKee s presentation on the Reef Maker system currently being used to restore the riverbank and preserve a historic wharf at Brunswicktown-Fort Anderson.

3 P A G E 3 Paul Laird a true Friend of Fort Fisher retires Mr. Paul Laird, executive director of the Friends of Fort Fisher, retired on June 1, Paul s affiliation with Fort Fisher began in the 1970s when he was a student at UNCW and participated in field schools with Fort Fisher s Underwater Archaeology Branch. Since then, Fort Fisher has been a core part of his personal and professional life. In the mid-1990s, Paul was instrumental in saving the remnants of Fort Fisher from ongoing oceanfront erosion. Primarily because of his efforts, the US Army Corps of Engineers installed a massive stone revetment along the adjacent coastline. Running over 1,000 yards in length, the structure ensures that Fort Fisher is preserved for future generations. For many years, Paul was a director of the Fort Fisher Restoration Committee, the predecessor of the Friends of Fort Fisher. In 2008, the newly-named Friends determined that the support group needed a full-time executive director to restructure the organization, and to help make Fort Fisher the premier Civil War site in the country. Paul accepted the job and since then has turned the Friends into a dynamic, membership-based nonprofit and one of the most effective support groups working with the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Paul s accomplishments on behalf of Fort Fisher are so many it is impossible to recount them all. Noteworthy was his work to make Fort Fisher s 150 th anniversary commemoration the greatest event in the site s history with record-setting attendance. But most importantly, Paul led Fort Fisher s charge to build a new interpretive center and rebuild earthworks destroyed by World War II-era construction. Beginning in 2009, Paul spearheaded strategic and master planning for the site. These plans were the groundwork for the recently-completed Advanced Planning Report, which lays out a new vision for Fort Fisher and conceptualizes new facilities for the site. And Paul has ensured the NC General Assembly appropriated funds for the anticipated structures. Detailed design and construction documents are in the works, and we expect Paul will soon be breaking ground here with a gold shovel. Over the years Paul has been steadfast in his advocacy for Fort Fisher and the Friends. Everything he did furthered the interests of the historic site and its constituents. And Paul has been a good friend to all the staff and volunteers at Fort Fisher. Working with him has been a genuine pleasure, and his enthusiasm for Fort Fisher much appreciated. Paul s leadership of the Friends will be missed, and his successor (currently being sought) will have big shoes to fill. But Paul will remain a part of the Fort Fisher family. In a different capacity, he will help achieve our vision for Fort Fisher, to bring about its full potential to educate and inspire our visitors. All staff at Fort Fisher will miss him, and we thank him and wish him well.

4 PAGE 4 C aorner nnoneer s Photos by Michael A. Brown At a casual, oversimplified glance, firing a field cannon seems simple. Some even think you simply light a fuse, cover your ears, and run away. After all, that s the way it s often depicted on sitcoms and Saturday cartoons. In the real world, it requires several highly-trained crew members, each with their own set of unique responsibilities, to safely prep, load, aim, and fire a period cannon. Because in the end, the safety of visitors and crew members is paramount. Here s how it works: Person #1 holds a wooden staff with a woolen sponge on one end and a wooden block call the rammer on the other. On the command Search the Piece, he wets the sponge and inserts it into the cannon to extinguish any possible sparks that could be in the bore. THE POWDER MAGAZINE On the command Load, he repeats the sponging, notifies the #2 man he is ready for the charge to be loaded by tapping the muzzle of the cannon. Once the charge is placed in the muzzle, he uses the rammer to push the charge to the breech (or back) of the cannon, to set the load. Person #2 holds a staff with an iron corkscrew-like device called the worm. On the command Search the Piece, he inserts the worm into the bore to draw out any material that might hinder the insertion of the next round. If the piece has been fired, there might be left over material from the previous charge; if the piece has been sitting idle there could be any number of things found in the bore (including birds nests!) At the command Load, Person #2 takes the charge from Person #5 (the powder monkey) and, after being notified by Person #1 he is ready, places the charge in the muzzle, loading the piece. Person #3 uses a leather thumbstall and a brass wire known as a vent pick. The thumbstall is like a leather glove protecting the left thumb used this to tend vent. Person #3 must keep his thumb over the vent whenever Person #1 and Person #2 are in front of the muzzle. Having the vent closed when using the sponge also creates a vacuum that helps to extinguish any spark that might be in the barrel. After the round is seated in the breech, Person #3 assists the Gunner in moving the cannon carriage left or right to adjust for windage. Finally, Person #3, at the command of Ready, inserts the brass pick into the vent to puncture the powder bag and ensure the powder is exposed to the friction primer. Now we re getting close to the anticipated moment!!

5 P A G E 5 Person #4 holds the lanyard used for firing the piece. The other end of the lanyard is attached a friction primer. The friction primer is a small brass tube filled with fine grade powder and a brass ring. At the command Ready, he nserts the friction primer when Person #3 is ready. At the command Fire, he pulls on the lanyard yanking out the brass ring from the friction primmer. The resulting friction causes the powder to ignite, sending the flame down the vent and igniting the main powder charge in the cannon. Person #5, considered the powder monkey, stands behind the limber chest and is the person responsible for getting the charge from the limber chest to the cannon. To do this, he has a leather bag, or haversack, to carry the round safely forward. After leaving the limber chest, he first takes the round to the Gunner for inspection, then proceeds to Person #2 who will grab the black powder charge from his haversack. Then there s the Gunner. The gunner is the person responsible for issuing all commands, Search the piece, Load, Ready, Fire, and Secure the piece following the firing. The gunner also has the responsibility of aiming the piece. He will instruct Person #3 which direction to move the carriage. The Gunner will use a removable pendulum sight at the rear of the cannon and a fixed post at the muzzle, to aim the piece by sight. To increase or decrease the distance of the shot, he will adjust the muzzle by raising or lowering the tube using a screw-like device beneath the breech of the cannon. Given this huge responsibility, the Gunner must utilize mathematics, science, and experience to precisely aim the field piece and get the round on target. An interesting thing to note here is that ANYONE on the gun crew can (and should) yell, Cease Fire! if they see something wrong or even perceive something to be wrong before the command to Fire is issued. In short, anything that qualifies as a threat to the safety of the gun crew and those witnessing the firing warrants a cease fire. And that includes monitoring where the visiting public stands to take photographs!

6 P A G E Mary Holloway Seasonal Interpreter 1. Where are you originally from and what brought you to the Cape Fear area? I am originally from Mystic, Connecticut. When I was 12 years old, my family moved to Salisbury, North Carolina to be closer with my maternal grandparents. While attending high school at Salisbury High, I was accepted into the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. I have lived in the Lower Cape Fear Region for four years now and have enjoyed every minute. 2. Briefly tell us about your education. I enrolled at the University of North Carolina Wilmington in the Fall semester of 2014 where I pursued degrees in political science and history. I focused my studies on public administration, political theory, American Civil War History and Russian History. I graduated from UNCW this past May. 3. What's your first memory of Fort Fisher and what was your first impression of the site? The first time I visited Fort Fisher was the Summer of 2016 for one of Dr. (Chris) Fonvielle s history classes. I was hooked on the history of the place after learning the importance of the fort and the role it played in protecting Wilmington and Confederate Blockade Runners. 4. Briefly tell us who Mary Holloway was and why you ve assumed her name. Mary Holloway was a former interpreter at Fort Fisher. She had a passion for local history and shared that passion through living history and performing guided tours in period clothing. It is my hope that I can carry on her legacy this summer by sparking an interest in our visitor s minds. 5. When people, friends, or acquaintances find out you re an interpreter at Fisher, what do they say or ask you? The most common questions friends ask are, Are you the guy that dresses up in funny clothes? Do you get to shoot the musket? Aren t you hot in that uniform? Do you get to work with the fish? (mistakenly thinking I work for Joe Donohoe Joe Donohoe the aquarium). 6. What has surprised you the most about being the Mary Holloway Seasonal Interpreter? I am surprised by how many people think the phone number for Fort Fisher State Historic Site is the universal number for every facility that bears Fort Fisher s name. 7. Tell us about someone who influenced your interest in history. The person that has most influenced my interest in history is probably my mother. She, too, loves history and bought me numerous books about the American Revolution and the Civil War when I was a child. She further strengthened my history interests by taking me to battlefield sites like Lexington and Concord as well as Gettysburg. My imagination soared when I thought about all the fighting that occurred on those battlefields. 8. What do you like to do in your spare time? In my spare time I enjoy exploring the outdoors. I like going on backpacking and camping trips with close friends and family. I prefer to relax in the evening by cooking dinner and watching crime shows on Netflix. 9. Who are two of your favorite authors (one historical and one contemporary), and what are you presently reading (other than this questionnaire)? My favorite historical author would have to be John Steinbeck. The first book I read written by Steinbeck was Of Mice and Men. I enjoy reading about the migrant Okie farmers, who are often the subjects of his novels. I would say my favorite Steinbeck book is The Grapes of Wrath. My favorite contemporary author is Susan Collins (who wrote the Hunger Games trilogy). I am currently reading From Cape Charles to Cape Fear: The North Atlantic Blockading Squadron during the Civil War by Robert M. Browning. 10. What s your tour/work schedule? I work every week from Wednesday to Sunday and can be seen giving tours and musket demonstrations throughout the day. 11. What s one word that describes you well? Traditional 12. What s the last thing you Googled? David Dixon Porter

7 P A G E 7 June, 1893: White, black, and read all over, part 1 In June of 1893, Colonel William Lamb of Norfolk, Virginia, the former Confederate commander of Fort Fisher, returned. to Wilmington, North Carolina at the behest of the United Confederate Veterans. It was the initial public meeting of the newly formed Camp 254 and only the second time that the fifty-seven-year-old colonel had returned to Wilmington since the war. He d been summoned to deliver a paper on the definitive account of, The Defense and Capture of Fort Fisher. Both the Wilmington Messenger and the Wilmington Morning Star covered Lamb s visit and address and there were several notices, articles and follow-ups throughout the week. The speech was well publicized, patronized and highly praised and Col. William Lamb By Ray Flowers, Curator of History while that may very well be true, a perusal of the newspapers for that week, Sunday the 11 th through Saturday the 17 th, showed there were numerous newsworthy events (both far and wide) competing for reader s interest. Three of the stories were huge, with daily updates, yet some of the lesser happenings were nearly as compelling. First off, in New Bedford Massachusetts, there was considerable publicity surrounding the thirty-two-year-old spinster, Lizzie Borden, who was on trial, suspected of hacking her father and step- Lizzie Borden mother to death with a hatchet. Following her acquittal, it would be conjectured that the sing-song rhyme, Lizzie Borden took an axe /And gave her mother forty whacks. / When she saw what she had done, / She gave her father forty-one, was composed and announced on the streets by solicitous paper boys to entice their audience while precociously hawking their wares. In the nation s capital, there was another big story - an ongoing investigation into the June 9 th collapse of Ford s Theatre. At the time, the building was serving as a government warehouse and twenty-two War Department clerks had been killed and over three score injured when the front of the structure gave way. It did not come as a complete surprise as the integrity of the building had been scrutinized earlier and as a precaution, important files and artifacts had been removed; unfortunately, the personnel were apparently considered expendable (ironically). Edwin Booth, the celebrated thespian and older brother of the notorious assassin John Wilkes Booth, (who had murdered the sixteenth president in this same playhouse in 1865), had passed just days before. It was rumored that he had cursed the structure and that the accident had occurred at the very hour that his body was being interred in faraway Cambridge, Massachusetts. [Aside: One night in 1879 when Edwin Booth was playing in Chicago he was shot at twice by a crank Dr. Henry Howard Holmes named Mark Gray. Booth saved one of the bullets, had it mounted on a gold cartridge and inscribed, From Mark Gray to Edwin Booth April 23, If Mark had been a better marksman the world might then have lost its grandest actor. ] Last, but not least, Chicago was playing host to the World s Fair or the World s Columbian Exposition as it was being hailed, a commemoration of the 400 th anniversary of Christopher Columbus s New World discovery. Continued on page 8

8 P A G E 8 More new faces at Fort Fisher State Historic Site Emily Fournier Isaac Tuttle We are delighted to introduce a pair of new summer interns for 2018 Emily Fournier and Isaac Tuttle, both of whom are extremely friendly, wellqualified history majors here to help enhance the visitor s experience at Fort Fisher. We invite you to stop by and get to know both of them soon. June, 1893: White, black, and read all over, part 1 Continued from page 7 For six-months, from the first of May through the end of October, the White City comprised of 200 ephemeral buildings sprawled across 600 acres, where crowds were introduced to Cream of Wheat, Juicy Fruit chewing gum, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, dish washers, florescent light bulbs and George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. s 264-foot-tall Ferris Wheel. In all, fortysix countries participated while an astounding twenty-seven million visitors would attend. The world was astonished as Chicago rose Phoenixlike from the ashes of the Great Fire of Simultaneously, just three miles west of the fair, Dr. Henry Howard Holmes block-long hotel was also in the ascension. With a recent third-floor addition, H. H. Holmes Murder Castle would soon become the setting and residence for what was possibly America s most prolific serial killer. Colonel Lamb arrived in Wilmington at 6 p.m. on Tuesday the 13 th where he and his twenty-year-old daughter Madge and seventeen-year-old son Harry were received at the Front street depot by the committee of arrangements of the Cape Fear Camp Confederate Veterans, where they were escorted by carriage to the Orton, Wilmington s finest hotel. Later in the evening, Lamb and his children paid a call on Mrs. Whiting, the widow of Major General W.H.C. Whiting whom Harry was named after. She seemed pleased to see us Earlier that morning, near the A.C.L. freight depot, a team of horses pulling a wagon had suddenly bolted. They ran down Nutt and Water to Chestnut, up Chestnut to Second, and down that street to Perry s stables, on the corner of Princess, where they were secured. The driver was unhurt but, the wagon was smashed to pieces. The Wilmington Morning Star was running a promotion: For ten cents and four Star coupons, readers could select any three of thirty-two titles postage paid. First on the list was none other than Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter. Interestingly, at West Point in the graduating class of fifty-one, the two cadets who placed second and fourth were both from North Carolina. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this story in the Fall 2018 edition of The Powder Magazine

9 P A G E 9 Join the Friends of Fort Fisher MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES Palisade Society $40 Mounds Society $100 Blockade Runner Society $250 Gibraltar of the South Society $500 Col. Charles F. Fisher Society $1000 BENEFITS Palisade Society basic level of annual support includes attractive decal and member card, listing in The Powder Magazine quarterly newsletter, 10% discount on all purchases from our Fort Fisher Museum Shop and invitations to member only events Mounds Society - level of annual support includes all of the above benefits plus one complimentary honorarium or memorial in one issue of The Powder Magazine newsletter MEMBERSHIP ENROLLMENT FORM Name Address City State Zip Telephone New Renewal All society memberships are based on a calendar year (Jan- Dec). Contributions are tax deductible, less the fair market value of goods and services received. If you choose to waive your membership benefits, your contribution is fully tax-deductible. I wish to waive my society membership benefits I will be an Annual Society Member Blockade Runner Society - level of annual support includes all of the above benefits plus a 6 x 9 engraved brick paver on Fort Fisher s Walk of Honor Gibraltar of the South Society - level of annual support which includes all of the above benefits except a larger 9 x 9 engraved brick paver, and a specially selected book annually from the Museum Shop Col. Charles F. Fisher Society - level of annual support which includes all of the benefits of the Gibraltar level except the engraved brick paver is a permanent beautiful blue/gray 12 x 12 stone and may include an engraved emblem or logo Other ways to contribute: Memorial and Honor Gifts, Artifact Donations, In-Kind Gifts, Volunteers, Named Gift Opportunities, Bequests Contact the Friends Executive Director for information Membership Categories Palisade Society $40 Mounds Society $100 Blockade Runner Society $250 Gibraltar of the South Society $500 Col. Charles F. Fisher Society $1000 Payment Cash Check Credit Card Make checks payable to Friends of Fort Fisher VISA MasterCard Discover Mail to: Friends of Fort Fisher 1610 Fort Fisher Blvd., Kure Beach, N.C Name on Card Account # Expiration Date 3-digit security code Signature Date Payments or donations may be made securely on our website

10 P A G E 1 0 Fort Fisher State Historic Site 1610 Fort Fisher Blvd. South Kure Beach, NC Phone: (910) fisher@ncdcr.gov Fort Fisher Staff James C. Steele, Site Manager John Moseley, Assistant Site Manager Becky Sawyer, Collections Mng./Interpreter III Ray Flowers, Historic Interpreter II Si Lawrence, Public Info & Special Events William S. Register, Chief of Police David Sheaffer, Maintenance Manager Jesse Hoskins, Site Assistant This newsletter was proudly produced with support from the Friends of Fort Fisher Friends of Fort Fisher Board of Directors: Fort Fisher to host free World War II program Sept 1-2, 2018 Continued from page 1 For a modest donation, visitors can also take a chauffeured ride in an authentic World War II jeep. In addition, special guests have been invited to speak in the site s auditorium that day, although program components are subject to change. Explore the little known history and role of Fort Fisher during World War II in the lower Cape Fear area. The program runs from 10 am to 4:00 pm Saturday and 12 to 4 pm Sunday and is free to the public, thanks to the generous support of the Friends of Fort Fisher, New Hanover County, the town of Carolina Beach, and the town of Kure Beach. For more information on the program, please call the site at John M. Coble, Chairman Dennis St. Andrew, Vice Chairman Harry Parham, Treasurer M. Tyrone Rowell, Secretary Brig. Gen. (Ret) James Carper, Past Chair Kyle Berzina Ed Halloran James Johnson Geoffrey Losee Mike McCarley Mark McLamb Norm Melton Brian Nunnally, Ph.D. David Rice Don Saunders Richard Wallace Denis White James Steele, III {ex officio} Paul Laird, {ex officio} Web: