Painting: Final Assault Upon Fort Fisher, North Carolina, 1873. Credit: Xanthus Russell Smith (1838-1929).

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New York, N.Y. xxx

This scene, one of some dozen very well received battle subjects he painted, depicts an encounter at sea near Cape Fear, North Carolina, which culminated in the fall of the fort to the Union forces in 1865. In addition, it stands as a graphic symbol of the technological changes occurring in America at this time. In this complex panoramic work, the sail-powered ships at the right are assisted by the newer ironclad seen at the center. Xanthus Smith was well qualified to paint “Final Assault upon Fort Fisher,” having served in the Union Navy during the Civil War.