Kure Beach in New Hanover County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Union Fiasco - The First Battle
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, March 11, 2010
1. Union Fiasco: The First Battle Marker
On Christmas Day 1864 Federal warships engaged the fort. Approximately 2,700 Union infantry disembarked from the Union transports. However, the absence of army/navy cooperation, bad weather, and rumors of rebel reinforcements prevented the success of the expedition.
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Rear Adm. David Porter, Union navy commander in both battles, blamed the failure on General Butler and the army.
Union troops landed north of Fort Fisher.
On December 24, 56 Union ships with 619 guns fired approximately 20,000 shells but caused little damage. Fort Fisher fired only 672 shells.
Gen. Benjamin Butler, Union army commander, blamed Admiral Porter and the navy. Butler hoped to blow up the fort with a ship filled with gunpowder. It failed.
Erected by Fort Fisher State Historic Site. (Marker Number 10.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is December 25, 1864.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 33° 58.277′ N, 77° 55.179′ W. Marker was in Kure Beach, North Carolina, in New Hanover County. It
this page online
Regionally, this marker was in North Carolina’s Coastal Plain and on the Cape Fear Coast. It was also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: A Work Of More Labor Than The Pyramids (here, next to this marker); Every Charge Was Death Or Surrender. (a few steps from this marker); After Taking Fort Fisher, I Think Our Troops Could Storm Hell Itself. (within shouting distance of this marker); Our Occupation Of The Fort, Was Not Equivalent To Its Possession. (about 300 feet away); War Never Witnessed More Determined Bravery. (about 300 feet away); Shepherd's Battery #1 (about 400 feet away); Not Fortifications, But Fiftyfications At Least (about 400 feet away); 1st Battle Of Fort Fisher - December, 1864: A "Fiasco" (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kure Beach.
Other markers no longer nearby. Capture! (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing); Shepherds Bombproof (was about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been confirmed missing); Shepherds Battery (was about 300 feet away but has been confirmed missing); Fort Fisher Since 1865
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, March 11, 2010
2. Interior view of Fort Fisher's land face (facing northeast)
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. New Marker At This Location titled 1st Battle Of Fort Fisher - December, 1864: A "Fiasco"
Also see . . . Fort Fisher. North Carolina Historic Sites (Submitted on March 16, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, March 11, 2010
3. Interior view of Fort Fisher's land face (facing northwest).
Credits. This page was last revised on July 17, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 16, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,109 times since then and 18 times this year. Last updated on July 17, 2025, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 16, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
