The command of the Union forces changed between attacks

The command of the Union forces changed between attacks is one of the facts about the battle of Fort Fisher. Major General Benjamin Butler was responsible for the Union's first unsuccessful attempt to capture Fort Fisher. At first, Major General Godfrey Weitzel, one of Butler's subordinates, was given command of the expedition by Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. Still, Butler insisted on leading the army himself because he was in charge of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina, and Grant complied.

Butler was forced to abandon his forces and return to Virginia after his unsuccessful attempt. When Fort Fisher failed, President Abraham Lincoln wrote to Ulysses S. Grant to inquire about it. President Lincoln was addressed by Grant, who added that he hoped to find out who was responsible for the disaster.

Major General Butler was relieved of his duties and General Alfred Terry and Rear Admiral David D. Porter took over as leaders. These two men would lead the second successful battle against the Confederates at Fort Fisher in January 1865.