men numbering almost 700, Minnesota was massive, well-equipped, and "one of the great frigates of her day... Such ships were the best habitations afloat..." Assisting the fleet surgeon would involve facilitating the vast flow of reports, logs, inventories, requests, and receipts from each vessel in the fleet. Longshaw and the other assistant surgeons aboard would help accumulate data for constant communication with the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in the Department of the Navy. Longshaw would stand watches as officer of the day supervising the sick bay, diagnosing and treating injuries and illnesses as they arose. Fort Fisher By the end of 1864, Wilmington, North Carolina, was one of the few ports still available for blockade runners attempting to supply the Confederacy. The presence of shoal waters prevented larger ships from entering Cape Fear River, and the Confederates had built a substantial series of fortifications on what was then known as Federal Point. The largest of these was Fort Fisher. Facing the sea was a twelve-foot high structure one mile long, with raised batteries at each end; facing the northern land approach was a taller structure with fifteen mounds 32 feet high, an underground network of tunnels, and a stake fence nine feet high in front of the walls. The structure's sturdy earthen construction rendered much of the fort impervious to naval artillery bombardment. A garrison of 2400 soldiers, good supply lines, and strong artillery positions made the fort difficult to assault by land. In late December, a land attack on the fort failed, causing the removal of the Union forces' commander. Another more coordinated assault was planned for January. The fort was to face massive bombardment from the sea, followed by a land assault from the north, timed to coincide with amphibious landing by 400 marines and 1600 sailors from the northeast. For the naval assault Minnesota would supply 51 marines, 189 sailors and officers, and Longshaw. Marines were armed with rifles; sailors with cutlass and pistols. Longshaw carried his medical bag. The naval assault bogged down; the fort's walls were out of range of the sailors' pistols. Hundreds of marines and sailors were killed or wounded. One officer reported of Longshaw, "he was always near the front with instruments and tourniquets...". Another officer reported of "his great bravery and attention to the wounded under the hottest fire...". Thomas O. Selfridge, later recorded: The next day, North Atlantic Blockading