Fort Fisher, North Carolina, fell to Union forces under a joint sea and land assault. Some 2000 soldiers were captured, including Maj. Gen. William H.C. Whiting, mortally wounded. This engagement gave the federals control of Cape Fear River. Wilmington, the last Confederate port, was now closed.
Carruth, Gorton. "The Encyclopedia of American Facts and Dates". 10th Ed. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. ©1997.