Isaac Newton Babb enlisted in the U.S. Navy under the assumed name of "John Dunlap" at Boston on February 17, 1864. He served as a Landsman on the Tristam Shandy, a schooner-rigged, iron-hulled sidewheel steamer,  from 08/03/1864 until discharged on 03/01/1865. Isaac was one of 18 (possibly 22) from the Tristam Shandy that took part in the amphibious assault on Fort Fisher on January 15, 1865. 

Until the last few months of the Civil War, Fort Fisher kept North Carolina's port of Wilmington open to blockade-runners supplying necessary goods to Confederate armies inland. By 1865, the supply line through Wilmington was the last remaining supply route open to Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. When Fort Fisher fell after a massive Federal amphibious assault on January 15, 1865, its defeat helped seal the fate of the Confederacy. Visitors are invited to tour the remains of the fort's land face, which features an impressive reconstruction of a 32-pounder seacoast gun at Shepherd's Battery. Shaded by gnarled live oaks, a scenic trail leads tourists from the visitor center past the gigantic earthworks and around to the rear of the fort. Guided tours and wayside exhibits provide historical orientation. Other exhibits include items recovered from sunken blockade-runners.

At the dawn of the American Civil War, the Confederacy took control of a neck of land in southern North Carolina near the mouth of the Cape Fear River and constructed what was to become the largest and most important earthwork fortification in the South. Two major battles were fought there, and many Union soldiers received the Congressional Medal of Honor for their gallant participation in that fighting. Today only a few of the mounds remain, since much of the fort has been eroded by the ocean.

Gibraltar of the South: Until the arrival of Col. William Lamb in July 1862, Fort Fisher was little more than several sand batteries mounting fewer than two dozen guns. Under Colonel Lamb's direction and design, which was greatly influenced by the Malakoff Tower (a Crimean War fortification) in Sebastopol, Russia, expansion of the fortress began. By January 1865, Fort Fisher embraced one mile of sea defense and one-third of a mile of land defense. More than five hundred African Americans, both slave and free, worked with Confederate soldiers on construction; occasionally as many as one thousand men were working, although maintaining adequate labor was difficult.

Unlike older fortifications built of brick and mortar, Fort Fisher was made mostly of earth and sand, which was ideal for absorbing the shock of heavy explosives. The sea face, equipped with 22 guns, consisted of a series of 12-foot-high batteries bounded on the south end by two larger batteries 45 and 60 feet high. Of the smaller mounds, one served as a telegraph office and another was converted into a hospital bombproof. The land face was equipped with 25 guns distributed among its 15 mounds. Each mound was 32 feet high with interior rooms used as bombproofs or powder magazines and connected by underground passageways. Extending in front of the entire land face was a nine-foot-high palisade fence.

Colonel Lamb recognized the importance of Fort Fisher to the defense system of the Cape Fear, to the security of Wilmington, and to the survival of the entire Confederacy. Massive and powerful, Fort Fisher kept Federal blockading ships at a distance from the Cape Fear River, protecting Wilmington from attack and ensuring relatively safe passage for Confederate naval travel. Wilmington was the last major port open to the Confederacy and the destination of steamers called blockade-runners, which smuggled provisions into the Southern states and supplied General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. These ships traveled from Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Nova Scotia, where southern cotton and tobacco were exchanged for food, clothing, and munitions from British traders.

Attacks on Fort Fisher: The Union army and navy planned several attacks on Fort Fisher and the port of Wilmington, but made no attempt until December 24, 1864. After two days of fighting with little headway, Union commanders concluded that the fort was too strong to assault and withdrew their forces. However, they returned for a second attempt on January 12, 1865. For two and one-half days, Federal ships bombarded the fort on both land and sea face. On the fifteenth, more than 3,300 Union infantry, including the 27th U.S. Colored Troops, assaulted the land face. After several hours of fierce hand-to-hand combat, Federal troops captured the fort that night.

The Confederate army evacuated their remaining forts in the Cape Fear area, and within weeks Union forces overran Wilmington. Once Wilmington fell, the supply line of the Confederacy was severed, and the Civil War was soon over.

Fort Fisher Today: Approximately ten percent of Fort Fisher still stands along with a restored palisade fence. All tours of the grounds begin in the visitor center. This recently renovated facility contains an audiovisual program that presents the history of the fort. New exhibits are currently being designed for the visitor center. The North Carolina Underwater Archaeology headquarters is also located on the property.

UNION FORCES ENGAGED AT FORT FISHER

The Union Army Major General Alfred H. Terry
 Second Division  Brig. General Adelbert Ames

First Brigade   Colonel N. Martin Curtis
3rd N.Y.       Captain James H. Reeve
     Lieut. Edwin A. Behan
112th N.Y.     Colonel John F. Smith
117th N.Y.     Lieut. Colonel Francis X. Meyer
142d N.Y.      Lieut. Colonel Albert M. Barney

 Second Brigade  Colonel Galusha Pennypacker
     Major Oliver P. Harding
47th N.Y.      Captain Joseph M. McDonald
48th N.Y.      Lieut. Colonel William B. Coan
     Major Nere A. Elfwing
76th Pa.       Colonel John S. Littell
     Major Charles Knerr
97th Pa.       Lieut. John Wainwright
203rd Pa.      Colonel John W. Moore
     Lieut. Colonel James W. Lyman
     Major Oliver P. Harding
     Captain Heber B. Essington

Third Brigade   Colonel Louis Bell
Colonel Alonzo Alden
13th  Ind.     Lieut. Colonel Samuel M. Zent
4th   N.H.     Captain John H. Roberts
115th N.Y.     Lieut. Colonel Nathan J. Johnson
169th N.Y.     Colonel Alonzo Alden Lieut.
     Colonel James A. Colvin

Second Brigade(1) Colonel Joseph C. Abbott
6th Conn.      Colonel Alfred P.Rockwell
7th Conn.      Captain John Thompson
     Captain William S. Marble
3d  N.H.       Captain William H. Trickey
7th N.H.       Lieut. Colonel Augustus W. Rollins
16th N.Y. Heavy Artillery (detachment) Major Frederick W. Prince

Third Division(colored troops) Brig. General Charles J. Paine

Second Brigade Colonel John W. Ames
4th  U.S.      Lieut. Colonel George Rogers
6th  U.S.      Major A.S. Boernstein
30th U.S.      Lieut. Colonel H.A. Oakman
39th U.S.      Colonel O.P. Stearns

Third Brigade   Colonel Elias Wright
1st  U.S.      Lieut. Colonel Giles H. Rich
5th  U.S.      Major William R. Brazie
10th U.S.      Lieut. Colonel Edward H. Powell
27th U.S.      Colonel A.M. Blackman
37th U.S.      Colonel Nathan Goff Jr.

Artillery

B G and L 1st Conn. Heavy Captain William G. Pride
16th N.Y. Battery Captain Richard H. Lee
E 3rd U.S.     Lieut. John R. Myrick

Engineers

 A and I 15th N.Y. Lieut. K.S.O'Keefe

The effective strength of the force above enumerated was nearly 8000. The loss aggregated 184 killed, 749 wounded and 22 missing for a total of 955. By the explosion of a magazine the day after the capture there were 25 killed, 66 wounded and 13 missing.

Naval Force At Fort Fisher Dec. 23-26 1864 And Jan. 13-16 1865.
North Atlantic Squadroon  Rear Admiral David D. Porter, Commanding
     Fleet Captain  Lieut Commander K.R. Breese
     Signal Officer Lieut. M.W. Sanders
     Aide           Lieutenant S.W. Terry
     Aide           Lieut. S.W. Preston (k)

First Division   Commodore Henry K. Thatcher
Second Division  Commodore Joseph Lanman
Third Division   Commodore James Findlay Schenck
Fourth Division  Commodore S.W. Godon
Iron-Clad Division Commodore William Radford
Malvern(flagship) Lieut. William B. Cushing (1st attack)
     Lieut. B.H. Porter (k) (2d attack)

Iron-Clads
Canonicus      Lieut. Commander George E. Belknap
Mahopac        Lieut. Commander E.E. Potter (1st attack)
     Lieut. Commander A.W. Weaver (2d attack)
Monadnock      Commander E.G. Parrott
New Ironsides  Commodore William Radford
Saugus         Commander E.R. Colhoun

Screw Frigates
Colorado       Commodore H.K. Thatcher
Minnesota      Commodore Joseph Lanman
Wabash         Captain M. Smith

 Side Wheel Steamers (1st class)
Powhatan       Commodore J.F. Schenck
Susquehanna    Commodore S.W. Godon

Screw Sloops
Brooklyn       Captain James Alden
Juniata        Captain W.R. Taylor (1st attack)
     Lieut. Commander T.S. Phelps (2d attack)
Mohican         Commander D. Ammen
Shenandoah      Captain D.B. Ridgely
Ticonderoga     Captain C.Steedman
Tuscarora       Commander J.M. Frailey

Screw Gun Vessels
Kansas         Lieut. Commander P.G. Watmough
Maumee         Lieut. Commander R. Chandler
Nyack          Lieut. Commander L.H. Newman
Pequot         Lieut. Commander D.L. Braine
Yantic         Lieut. Commander T.C. Harris

Screw Gun Boats
Chippewa       Lieut. Commander A.W. Weaver (1st attack)
     Lieut. Commander E.E. Potter (2d attack)
Huron          Lieut. Commander T.O. Selfridge
Seneca         Lieut. Commander M.Sicard
Unadilla       Lieut. Commander F.M. Ramsay

Double Enders
Iosco          Commander John Guest
Mackinaw       Commander J.C.Beaumont
Maratanza      Lieut. Commander G.W. Young
Osceola        Commander J.M.B. Clitz
Pawtuxet       Commander J.H. Spotts
Pontoosuc      Lieut. Commander Wm. G. Temple
Sassacus       Lieut. Commander J.L. Davis
Tacony         Lieut. Commander W.T. Truxtun

  Fort Jackson   Captain B.F. Sands
Monticello     Acting V. Lieut. D.A. Campbell (1st attack)
     Lieut. W.B. Cushing (2nd attack)
Nereus         Commander J.C. Howell
Quaker City    Commander W.F. Spicer
Rhode Island   Commander S.D. Trenchard
Santiago de Cuba Captain O.S. Glisson
Vanderbilt     Captain C.W. Pickering

Powder Vessel
Louisiana      Commander A.C. Rhind (1st attack blown up)

Reserve A.D. Vance     Lieut. Commander J.H. Upshur
Alabama        Acting V. Lieut. Frank Smith (1st attack)
     Acting V. Lieut. A.R. Langthorne (2nd attack)
Britannia       Acting V. Lieut. Samuel Huse (1st attack)
     Acting V. Lieut. W.A. Sheldon (2nd attack)
Cherokee        Acting V. Lieut. W.E. Denison.
Emma            Acting V. Lieut. T.C. Dunn (1st attack)
     Acting V. Lieut. J.M. Williams (2nd attack)
Gettysburg      Lieut. Commander R.H. Lamson (w)
Governor Buckingham Acting V. Lieut. J. McDiarmid
Howquah         Acting V. Lieut. J.W. Balch
Keystone State  Commander H. Rolando
Lilian          Acting V. Lieut. T.A. Harris
Little Ada      Acting Master S.P. Crafts
Moccasin        Acting Ensign James Brown
Nansemond       Acting Master J.H. Porter
Tristram Shandy Acting Ensign Ben Wood (1st attack)
     Acting V. Lieut. F.M. Green (2nd attack)
Wilderness      Acting Master H. Arey

At the second attack the fleet was composed of the same vessels with the exception of the Nyack, Keystone State, and Quaker City.  The following additions were also made to the fleet:

Montgomery      Acting V. Lieut. T.C. Dunn, R.R. Cuyler,
Commander C.H.B. Caldwell
Aries           Act V. Lieut. F.S. Wells
Eolus           Acting Master E.S. Keyser
Fort Donelson   Acting Master G.W. Frost
Republic        Acting Ensign J.W. Bennett

Landing Party At Fort Fisher Jan. 15, 1865

Officers, Seamen And Marines:    2,261 total Lieut. Commander K.R. Breese, Fleet Captain, commanding
     First Division  Captain L.L. Dawson, U.S.M.C.
     Second Division Lieut. Commander C.H. Cushman (w)
     Third Division  Lieut. Commander James Parker
     Fourth Division Lieut. Commander T.O. Selfridge
     Pioneers        Lieut. S.W. Preston (k)

Malvern         60 men    Lieut. B.H. Porter (k)
Colorado        218 men   Lieut. H.B. Robeson
Minnesota     241 men   Lieut. Commander James Parker
Wabash       188 men   Lieut. Commander C.H. Cushman (w)
Powhatan        100 men   Lieut. George M. Bache (w)
Susquehanna     75 men    Lieut. Commander F.B. Blake
Brooklyn        70 men (est.) Acting Ensign D. Cassell
Juniata         69 men    Acting Master C.H. Hamilton (w)
Mohican         52 men    Acting Master W. Burdett
Shenandoah      71 men    Lieut. S.W. Nichols
Ticonderoga     60 men    Ensign G. W. Coffin (w)
Tuscarora       60 men    Lieut. Commander W.N. Allen (w)
Kansas          20 men    Acting Ensign Williams
Pequot          44 men    Acting Ensign G. Lamb
Yantic          45 men    Acting Ensign J.C. Lord
Chippewa        24 men    Acting Ensign G.H.Wood
Huron           34 men    Lieut. Commander T.O. Selfridge
Seneca          29 men    Lieut. Commander M. Sicard

Iosco           44 men    Acting Ensign W. Jameson
Mackinaw        45 men    Acting Master A.J. Louch (w)
Maratanza       51 men    Acting Master J.B.Wood(w)
Osceola         39 men    Acting Ensign J.F. Merry (w)
Pawtuxet        40 men (est.) Acting Ensign UJ.A. Slamm
Pontoosuc       42 men    Acting Ensign L.R. Chester (w)
Sassacus        37 men    Acting Ensign W.H. Mayer
Tacony          32 men    Acting Ensign J.B. Taney
Fort Jackson    69 men    Lieut. S. H. Hunt
Monticello      41 men    Lieut. W.B. Cushing
Nereus          61 men    Acting Ensign E.G. Dayton
Rhode Island    47 men    Lieut. F.R. Smith
Santiago de Cuba 53 men   Lieut. N.H. Farquhar
Vanderbilt      70 men (est.) Acting V. Lieut. J.D. Danels
Gettysburg      71 men    Lieut. R.H. Lamson (w)
Tristam Shandy 22 men    Acting Ensign B. Wood (w)
Montgomery      37 men    Acting Master W. N. Wells

Notes:
1. Parenthetical one (1) denotes a First Division unit temporarily assigned to Second Division.
2. Second Division was also known as Twenty-Fourth Army Corps(colored troops).
3. Third Division was also known as Twenty-Fifth Army Corps(colored troops).

Union Losses In 1865