Based on extensive "primary-source research, this is the first full history--from a naval perspective--of the fort on North Carolina's Cape Fear River and its little-known significance as both the Achilles' heel of the Union blockade and the lifeline of the Confederacy."--Jacket.

Includes maps of: Approaches to Wilmington; Early Coastal Operations in North Carolina; Charleston Harbor and Vicinity; Fort Fisher, Showing the Direction of the Army and Navy Assaults on January 15, 1865; Naval and Military Attacks on Fort Fisher, January 15, 1865, Showing Direction of Fire of Union Vessels.

North Carolina and Secession -- The Northern Thrust -- Fort Fisher -- The Charleston Effect -- Lost Opportunities and New Heroes -- "There Seems to Be Some Defect in the Blockade" -- The Union Prepares -- "Goodbye Wilmington!" -- The Last Voyage of the Louisiana -- "Engage the Enemy" -- The Ghost of Battery Wagner -- Reorganization -- "They'll Have to Swim for It" -- Disaster and Triumph: The Fall of Fort Fisher -- Aftermath -- Epilogue -- Appendix: The Naval Brigade at Fort Fisher.