Easter 2025. I’m visiting my uncle and aunt in Leland, North Carolina. It’s my first trip of two to the United States in 2025. I haven’t seen them live since February 2020 just before the first lockdown and I haven’t travelled to this area since 2019. I’m flying with SAS and Delta. The itinerary: Brussels in Belgium – Copenhagen in Denmark – Atlanta in Georgia – Wilmington in North Carolina.  

On my last full day in Leland, North Carolina, Philippe and Beverley took me to Fort Fisher. To get there, we crossed the Cape Fear River – yes, of Hollywood fame – by ferry. The ferry connects Southport to Fort Fisher.

Fort Fisher

Fort Fisher, located at the southern tip of Pleasure Island near Kure Beach in New Hanover County, North Carolina, is a site of major historical and environmental significance. During the American Civil War, Fort Fisher served as a vital Confederate fortification, protecting the trading routes of the port at Wilmington. 

The fort was named after after Colonel Charles F. Fisher who was from the 6th NC Infantry and fell at the First Battle of Manassas.

The fort was essential because Wilmington was the last major seaport open to the Confederacy, allowing the passage of blockade runners that supplied goods from abroad. Constructed primarily from earth and sand rather than traditional brick, Fort Fisher’s design enabled it to absorb the impact of heavy artillery bombardments more effectively than conventional masonry forts.

The fort’s construction began in the summer of 1861 under the supervision of Colonel William Lamb and General W.H.C. Whiting. The layout included a land face stretching across the peninsula and a sea face parallel to the Atlantic Ocean. 

Massive earth mounds, some rising as high as thirty feet, along with bombproof shelters, underground magazines, and heavy artillery placements, made Fort Fisher one of the most formidable defensive structures of the Confederacy. It earned the nickname ‘Gibraltar of the South‘ and ‘Malakoff Tower of the South‘ for its apparent impregnability.

First Battle of Fort Fisher (1864)

Fort Fisher was the site of two significant military engagements during the Civil War. The First Battle of Fort Fisher took place in December 1864 when Union forces under Major General Benjamin Butler and Rear Admiral David D. Porter launched an unsuccessful assault. 

The Union fleet bombarded the fort, but the landing operation was poorly executed, and the forces withdrew without capturing the fort. 

Second Battle of Fort Fisher (1865)

A second, more extensive attack was launched in January 1865 under the command of Major General Alfred Terry and Rear Admiral Porter. The Second Battle of Fort Fisher involved a massive bombardment followed by a ground assault combining Union army and naval forces. 

After intense fighting, Union forces succeeded in capturing the fort on 15 January 1865. The fall of Fort Fisher effectively closed the port of Wilmington, cutting off the Confederacy’s last major supply line and hastening its collapse.

After the Civil War

Following the war, Fort Fisher gradually deteriorated due to natural erosion and the effects of the sea. Significant portions of the original fort were lost to storms and the encroaching Atlantic Ocean. 

Preservation efforts began in the twentieth century, with the site designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1961. 

Today, Fort Fisher Historic Site protects surviving portions of the fort’s earthworks and offers a visitor centre with exhibits, artefacts, and educational films that interpret its Civil War history. Special events, living history programmes, and guided tours provide further insights into the site’s military past.

Adjacent to the historic site, the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area preserves miles of natural beachfront and maritime forest. The area offers opportunities for swimming, fishing, hiking, and wildlife observation. 

The Basin Trail, a popular hiking path, leads visitors through salt marshes and to a World War II-era bunker once used for coastal defence. The state recreation area plays an important role in the conservation of coastal habitats and species such as loggerhead sea turtles and migratory birds.

Fort Fisher remains a key location for understanding both the military history of the United States and the environmental heritage of coastal North Carolina. Its combination of historical remnants and natural landscapes continues to attract visitors seeking to explore the legacy of the past and the beauty of the present.

A visit

Fort Fisher is free. It has a museum and obviously the fort itself. The fort consists of earthworks and batteries (cannons, not the power device), which makes Fort Fisher unusual as a fort(ress) visit. 

A Confederate fort, in the South? Yes. The exhibition is balanced. The souvenir shop sells teddy bears in both blue Union and grey Confederate uniforms. 

There are also replica flags for sale, but not the infamous battle flag of the Confederacy. 

Oh, and you can buy a pink uniform cap. 

North Carolina 2025

1. REVIEW | SAS Scandinavian Airlines System – Brussels to Copenhagen – economy – Embraer E195LR.
2. REVIEW | SAS Scandinavian Airlines System – Copenhagen to Atlanta – economy – Airbus A330.
3. REVIEW | Delta Air Lines – Atlanta to Wilmington – economy – Boeing 717.
4. NORTH CAROLINA | Wilmington Riverwalk.
5. NORTH CAROLINA | Walmart Supercenter Leland.
6. WILMINGTON | USS North Carolina – Costco – Tidewater Oysters – Lewis Strawberry Nursery and Farm.