On 21 October she captured CSS Wando after a 5 1/2 hour chase. The blockade runner left Wilmington for Nassau with a cargo of 600 bales of cotton, but managed to throw about 50 overboard during the chase. In late 1864, the ship was reassigned from blockade duty to support Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter in his efforts to capture Fort Fisher at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. As part of Porter's fleet, on 24 December 1864, the ship bombarded the fort. The next day, Christmas, Fort Jackson was converted into a hospital ship; small boats transferred her ammunition to Susquehanna. It is not documented why Fort Jackson was selected for this service, but it is likely that the quality of the ship's surgeon, Phillip S. Wales, played a role. He was recognized at the time as a superior medical professional, and ultimately rose to become Surgeon General of the United States Navy. During this first assault, naval gunfire silenced Fort Fisher's guns, but the landing force was unable to take the bastion and was withdrawn. Porter's fleet, including Fort Jackson, sailed back to Fortress Monroe to resupply. Porter immediately began work on a new invasion plan, this time with a different army general. Porter's fleet got underway from Fortress Monroe on January 12, 1865. Fort Jackson towed the monitor Mahopac back to the fort. By 11 pm on 13 January 1865, the fleet had once again anchored off of Fort Fisher. The bombardment of shore facilities, in which Fort Jackson participated, began at dawn on the 14th. Fort Jackson was the second ship in "line of battle No. 3", which shelled the southeast face of Fort Fisher. On 15 January 1865, the army landed troops to the north of the fort, and Fort Jackson's division provided a creeping bombardment in front of them as they advanced to the south. Fort Fisher was taken but the victory was hard fought; Fort Jackson suffered five men wounded badly enough to be admitted to hospital. After the successful operation against Fort Fisher, on 1 February 1865, Fort Jackson was transferred to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. She underwent repair at Pensacola, Florida, and took up station on the Texas coast. There, off Galveston, she aided steamer in capturing the schooner Chaos on 21 April 1865. She captured the blockade runner Denbigh on 24 May 1865. Confederate Major Generals E. Kirby