The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-07 00:00:00

The Capture of Fort Fisher,

The following is Admiral Porter's official report
of the attack upon Fort Fisher :
" North Atlantic Squadron, United States'
flagship Malvern, off Fort Fisher, Jan. 17.

" Sir,—l had the honour to make you a short re-
port on the 15th, stating to you that Fort Fisher
had been captured by the military and naval forces
now here. I beg leave to submit now a detailed
report of the operations, having received all, or
nearly all, the information required to make out a
complete report. As soon as Major-General Terry
arrived at Beaufort, North Carolina, which he did
on the Bth of January, we arranged together a plan
of operations, which have proved successful. The
weather was threatening, and I advised the General
to get his transports inside the harbour to avoid the
violence of the coming gale ; most of them, however,
laid outside. The gale blew very heavy for two
days and nights. The ships-of-war all held on,
and road out at their anchors, except the Colorado,
which vessel was obliged to go to sea, having only
one anchor left, with which alone she could
not possibly have ridden out the gale, the
sea being very heavy from the south-west,
and breaking clean over the vessels. Knowing
that the transports had arrived, the commanders
all made strenuous exertions to keep their vessels at
anchor off Beaufort, to be ready for the move that
was about to be made. Having expended almost
every every shot and shell in the first bombardment,
it became necessary to take in about 1,500 more, and
fill up with coal, which was done under the most
adverse circumstances, the large vessels all laying
outside in a heavy sea, and filling up as best they
could. The fleet, accompanied by the transports,
steamed away on the 12th for Fort Fisher, and the
wind being fair and moderate, I was in hopes that
we would be able to land the troops by nine or ten
o'clock that night. The wind changing to south-west
we were obliged to anchor off Half-moon Battery.
for the night. The fleet sailed in three columns :
Line No. 1 led by the Brooklyn, Capt. Jas. Alden,
consisted of the Mohican, Commander D. Ammen ;
the Tacony, Lieut.-Commander W. T. Truxton ;
the Kansas, Lieut.-Commander G. P. Watmough ;
the Yantic,. Lieut.-Commander T. C. llarris ; the
Unadilla, Lieut.-Commander T. M Ramsay; the
Huron, Lieut.-Commander T. 0. Selfridge ; the
Maumee, Lieut.-Commander R. Chandler ; the
Pequot, Lieut.-Commander D. L. Braine ; the P au-
tuxet, Commander J. H. Spotts; the Seneca, Lieut.-
Commander M. Sicard ; the Pontoosac, Lieut.-Com-
mander W. G. Temple ; the Nereus, Commander J.
C. Howell. Line No. 2, Minnesota, Commander J.
Lammon, leading, consisted of the Colorado, Com-
mander H. K. `.Thatcher; the Wabash, Captain M.
Smith; the Susquehanna, Commander S. W. Godon ;
the Powhatan, Commander J. F. Schenck ; the
Juniata, Lieut.-Commander F. S. Phelps ; the She-
nandoah, Capt. D. B. Ridgley ; the Ticonderoga,
Capt. C. Steedman ; the Vanderbilt, Capt. C. W.
Pickering; the Mackinaw, Commander J. C. Beau-
mont ; the Tuscarora, Commander J. M. Frailey.
Line No. 3, the Santiago de Cuba, Capt. 0. S. Glis-
son, consisted of Fort Jackson, Capt. B. F. Sands;
the Oneida, Commander J. M. B. Clitz ; the Sassa-
ens, Lieut.-Commander J. L. Davis ; the Chippewa,
Lieut.-Commander E. E. Potter ; R. C. Cryler,
Commander C. IL B. Caldwell ; the Maratanza,
Lieut.-Commander G. W. Young; the Monticello,
Lieut. W. B. Cushing; the Alabama, A. V. Lieut.
A. R. Langthorne ; the Montgomery, A. V. Lieut.
T. C. Dunn; the Rhode Island, Commander S.
Trenchard ; the lasco, Commander John Guest.
The reserve division, under Lieut.-Commander J.
11. Upshur, in the A. D. Vance, consisted of the
Brittania, A. V. Lieutenant W. A. Sheldon ; the
Tristram Shandy, A. V. Lieutenant F. M. Green ;
the Lillian, A. V. Lieutenant T. A. Harris ; the
Fort Donelsoit, Acting-Master G. W. Frost ; the
Wilderness, Acting-Master H. Arcy ; the Aries, A.
V. Lieutenant F. S. Wells ; the Governor Bucking-
ham, A. V. Lieutenant J. M'Diarmid. The Nanse-
mond, Acting-Master J. H. Porter ; the Little Ada,
Acting-Master S. P. Crafts, and the Eolus, Acting-
Master E. S. Keyser, and the Republic, Acting-
Ensign J. W. Bennett, being used as despatch
vessels. Great enthusiasm was displayed in the fleet
when it was ascertained that troops had come to
review the attack on Fort Fisher, for great was the
disappointment on account of the late failure. Some
of the vessels that accompanied the last expedition
were badly damaged in various ways. The Sassacus
had both rudders disabled, but her energetic com-
mander, Lieut.-Commander J. L. Davis, was ready
in time.` The Mackinaw, Commander J. C. Beau-
mont, had one of her boilers knocked to pieces, but
her commander went with one boiler. The Osceola,
Commander J. M. B. Clitz, in the same condition—
one boiler smashed up with shot, and a hole near the
bottom—was ready for anything, and I heard no
complaint from any one. With such a disposition on
the part of the officers, I anticipated the most favour-
able result. At daylight on the 13th inst., line No.
1 took position within 600 yards of the beach to
land the troops, lines No. 2 and 3 anchoring close to
and outside of them, and the reserve taking charge
of the provision vessels. At 8.30 a.m. signal was
made to the fleet to send boats to transports to land
troops. At 2 p.m. we had handed 8,000 men, with
12 days' provisions and all their intrenching tools.
In the meantime the New Ironsides, Commodore
William Radford; the Saugus, Commander E. R.
Colhoun ; the Canonicus, Commander George E.
Belknap ; the Mahopac, Lieutenant-Commander
A. W. Weaver ; and the Monadnock, Com-
mander E. G. Parrott, were ordered in to take a
nearer position, the outside vessel (the Ironsides)
being 1,000 yards from Fort Fisher, which was the
lan
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line No. 2 to get under way and go in and .attack.
Line No. 1 was signalled to take position in front
of the battery, and :line No. 3 was to remain and
cover the landing party and get the field artillery
on shore. The different lines formed into line of
battle, steamed towards Fort Fisher, the Colorado
leading (the Minnesota having got a hawser around
her propeller). The vessels took their_ positions
handsomely—having had some practice at that
place--and delivered their fire as they fell in. The
rapid fire of the Monitors and Ironsides kept the
principalaalnldl aordereda
rebels partly away from their guns, and they inflicted
no damage on the fleet, the fire being very unsteady;
indeed, I don't see how they could fire at all. After
lines No. 1 and 2 got fairly anchored in position,
was continued without intermisson from 4 o'clock
the bombardment were very rapid and severe. - This
p.m. until some time after dark, when the wooden
vessels were ordered to haul out and anchor. The