William Lamb (Confederate States Army officer)
Encyclopedia
William Lamb was an officer in the Confederate
Army during the American Civil War
. He is best remembered for his role in commanding the Confederate garrison at Fort Fisher
.
The newly-promoted Colonel Lamb assumed command of Fort Fisher on the 4th of July 1862. Although not trained as an engineer he spent most of the next two years working successfully to build the fort into the Confederacy's largest bastion. Recognizing its critical strategic value to the Confederacy, he successfully defended the fort against a Union attack led by Benjamin Butler
in December 1864. In January 1865 Alfred Terry
led a renewed attack against the fort and despite a heroic defense by Lamb and his garrison the fort was captured and Lamb was grievously wounded. He eventually recovered, becoming from 1880 to 1886 the mayor of Norfolk, Virginia
as his father and grandfather had been before him. In 1900 he was made a Knight of the Order of Vasa
, for his services as consul for Sweden and Norway. He died in Norfolk in 1909 and is buried there in the Elmwood Cemetery. His personal papers are held by the Special Collections Research Center at the College of William & Mary.
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
Army during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He is best remembered for his role in commanding the Confederate garrison at Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865....
.
The newly-promoted Colonel Lamb assumed command of Fort Fisher on the 4th of July 1862. Although not trained as an engineer he spent most of the next two years working successfully to build the fort into the Confederacy's largest bastion. Recognizing its critical strategic value to the Confederacy, he successfully defended the fort against a Union attack led by Benjamin Butler
Benjamin Franklin Butler (politician)
Benjamin Franklin Butler was an American lawyer and politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and later served as the 33rd Governor of Massachusetts....
in December 1864. In January 1865 Alfred Terry
Alfred Terry
Alfred Howe Terry was a Union general in the American Civil War and the military commander of the Dakota Territory from 1866 to 1869 and again from 1872 to 1886.-Early life and career:...
led a renewed attack against the fort and despite a heroic defense by Lamb and his garrison the fort was captured and Lamb was grievously wounded. He eventually recovered, becoming from 1880 to 1886 the mayor of Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
as his father and grandfather had been before him. In 1900 he was made a Knight of the Order of Vasa
Order of Vasa
The Royal Order of Vasa was a Swedish Royal order of chivalry, awarded to citizens of Sweden for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. It was instituted on 29 May 1772 by King Gustav III of Sweden...
, for his services as consul for Sweden and Norway. He died in Norfolk in 1909 and is buried there in the Elmwood Cemetery. His personal papers are held by the Special Collections Research Center at the College of William & Mary.