One of the officers on board told us its story.  After the fall of Fort Fisher the Rebels retired to Fort Anderson, and offered a desperate resistance to our army and fleet.  Owing to the shallowness of the water the latter could not come into close enough range to do effective work.  Then the happy idea of this sham monitor suggested itself to some one.  It was prepared, and one morning before daybreak it was sent floating in on the tide.  The other monitors opened up a heavy fire from their position.  The Rebels manned their guns and replied vigorously, by concentrating a terrible cannonade on the sham monitor, which sailed grandly on, undisturbed by the heavy rifled bolts tearing through her canvas turret.  Almost frantic with apprehension of the result if she could not be checked, every gun that would bear was turned upon her, and torpedos were exploded in her pathway by electricity.  All these she treated with the silent contempt they merited from so invulnerable a monster.  At length, as she reached a good easy range of the fort, her bow struck something, and she swung around as if to open fire.  That was enough for the Rebels.  With Schofield’s army reaching out to cut off their retreat, and this dreadful thing about to tear the insides out of their fort with four-hundred-pound shot at quarter-mile range, there was nothing for them to do but consult their own safety, which they did with such haste that they did not spike a gun, or destroy a pound of stores.

CHAPTER LXXX.

Visit to fort Fisher, and inspection of that stronghold—­the way it was
captured—­out on the ocean sailing—­terribly seasick—­rapid Recovery
—­arrival at Annapolis—­washed, clothed and fed—­unbounded luxury, and
days of unadulterated happiness.

When we reached the mouth of Cape Fear River the wind was blowing so hard that our Captain did not think it best to venture out, so he cast anchor.  The cabin of the vessel was filled with officers who had been released from prison about the same time we were.  I was also given a berth in the cabin, in consideration of my being the non-commissioned officer in charge of the men, and I found the associations quite pleasant.  A party was made up, which included me, to visit Fort Fisher, and we spent the larger part of a day very agreeably in wandering over that great stronghold.  We found it wonderful in its strength, and were prepared to accept the statement of those who had seen foreign defensive works, that it was much more powerful than the famous Malakoff, which so long defied the besiegers of Sebastopol.