"It would be improper to close this address without a work in regard to the defenders of this fort. The garrison of the fort consisted of Battery E., Second Regular Artillery, with four 20-pound Parrott guns; Buckley's Battery D, 1st Rhode Island Artillery, with four 12-pound Napoleons, Roemer's Battery L, 2nd New York Artillery, 2 guns. In addition to the men who manned these 10 cannon, the fort was garrisoned by the 79th New York Infantry, known as the Scotch Highlanders, and by a part of the 2nd Michigan Infantry. During the assault on the fort these troops were reinforced by five companies of the 29th Massachusetts, two companies of the 20th Michigan, and one company of the 100th Pennsylvania. Lieutenant S.N. Benjamin, of the Regular Army of the United States, was in command of Battery AE, and of the fort. He was a brave officer and distinguished himself by great gallantry upon this occasion.

Owing to the perfect protection which the fort afforded its garrison, only eight of its defenders were killed and five wounded, but there was nevertheless a veritable hornet's nest on the inside. As indication the fierceness of the fight inside the fort I quote from Lieutenant Benjamin's official report as to the conduct of General Ferrero. Gen. Ferrero was a brigadier general in command of the Federal forces upon the West Side of the town. Inside the fort there had been constructed an underground chamber for the use of the telegraph operator stationed in the fort. This was known as a Abomb proof. After mentioning that General Ferrero was in the fort when the assault was made, of his conduct on this occasion, Lieut. Benjamin says: General Ferrero was in the little bomb proof and I did not see him outside or know of his giving an order during the fighting.

In justice to the many brave Union officers who became familiar with General Ferrero's conduct upon this occasion, I will state that many of them afterwards refused to serve in his command.

No braver or better soldiers could have been found in the Federal Army that the soldiers of the 2nd and 20th Michigan and of the 79th New York, who bore the brunt of the defense of the fort. They themselves were veterans of a hundred battles, fresh from service in the Vicksburg campaign, and their defense of the fort was tenacious. They all stood at their posts and performed their duty in a fearless manner.

An Address Delivered November 28th, 1914 by W.T. Kennerly of Knoxville From: The Battle of Fort Sanders