, 1864-12-30
OPERATIONS OF TIaE
FLEET.

OPERATIONS OF TIE
FLEET.
Admiral Porter,A Official D1Apatcf1-
The Great Torpedo Bon-
,bardE1ent DC.
Especial Dispatch to the Western Press.]
New YonK, Thursday, Dec. -.
). Military News
Admiral Porter's full report of the opera
tions against Wilmington is received from
the Navy Department, 1t is dated off New
Inlet, Dec. 26, from the Flag ship Malvern
The following is di:~:~t Of the report: The
attack was opened O.; ,e eth with a1l the
ironclads and heavy - els of the fleet, the
smaller vessels being :'eld in reserve, Pre-
ytous to the attack :c~pedo on large scale,
supposed to contain ,wder enough to ex-
plode the magazine of the fort, was carefully
prepared under the command Of Commodore 4.
c. RhiDd, and exploded under the walls Of the
fort. So much had been said about the terri
bic effects Of powder explosions recently In
England that great rcsnlts were expected
from the experiment. The BOAT selected was
the Louisiana, and after being prepared at
Norfolk she was towed round to Beaufort and
filled with powder. The Louisiana was dis.
guisea Us a.b1ockade runner by painting her
Every preparation for her SUCCESS WIS COM
p}eted 1T Beaufort =
Gen. Butler had arrived at the rendezvous
previous to the concentration Of the fleet, and
every effort was made to have Us brief delay
as possible. On the 18th, Admiral Porter
miles east Of New Inlet. and found most of
the feet assembled there. On the 2oth a
heavy gale spfung up, which the fleet man-
aged to ride ont without accident, except the
loss Of few anchors. The transports being
short Of water and not fitted for seyerc
weather, put into Beaufort and remained till
c On he ESD Commodore RA,na was ordered
to make ready 10 explode his torpedo under
Fort Fisher at 1880 P. ii. tThe Louisiana
started in tow Of the Wilderness. AS soon rs
the embrasurcs Of the fort were in sight the
Wilderness cast of and proceeded under
stenm to wi1bin 0oyarils Of the beach and
500 from Fort Fisher where she vas anchored.
The blockade runner went in directly ahead
Of her to enable Commodore Rhind to make
all bis preparations without suspicion. After
everything was ready the fuses were lighted
aud the party on board escaped to the Wilder
ness, which Immediately steamed out to sea.
The explosion occurrcd.at forty five minutes
past one on the morning Of the cath, and was
sells In the feet were shaken but little. At
daylight the fleet moved in and at 11:S0 d. m.
the attack commenced. It WAS opened in fine
style by the New Lonsldes, followed By
the Monadnock, Canonicus and hfuhopac.
Seventeen guns were counted on the north
east face, only five Of which were used. and
these were soon silenced. The Minnesota
and other large vessels next took position,
ind delivered fire rapidly. AS soon as they
opened, the fire WIS SO severe as to drive the
enemy to bomb proof, and they replied from
only one Or two guns. The smaller gunboats
then look position according to orders, and
joined in the fight. An hour and fifteen min
utes after the fight began, tho eneny's Guns
we're completely silenced, two magazines
were blown ups and several buildings SIT on
fire. Our fire was then slnckened, but still
kept up in hopes Of attracting tue attention
ot the transports with troops
Gen. Butler came at sunset with f:w
troops, and prcparntians were made for re-
newing the fight il the morning
During the heaviest Of the attack lis shots
l,er minute were fired. The eneny's S1ns
were eilenced 50 quickly that no one on our
feet was injured By their fire. Six 100 ponder
Parrott guns on our fleet exploded, killing
and woundjng in the aggregate f,rty four ot.
Ticonderoga, Antic, Juniata, Mackinaw,
Quaker City and Susquehannah, and we're at-
tributed to the defective character Of the guns.
The AacEinaw was perforated In her boiler
and bad ten persons badly scalded. The
cSCEo{a Was EIfuCk ut1lT HtF l4u1slAlHE HUI
made water rapidly. hut was saved through
the eSertions Of her officers and
crew; and those Of the Quaker City.
The Keystone State, sassacas: Santiago
de Cuba aud Fort tNtkson. are oil specially
mentioned, aud also the Brooklyn, Colora-
conderago, Shenandoah, Pawtn1ie, Wander
bilt and Nmncsota, md the monitora' officers
and men came out Of the action with con-
tempt for 1ebe! artillery, and we're anxious to
on u!c-na naoFn1ns -f the onth the transports
had arrived, and conference was held with
Gems. Butler and Vc1tze1, to decide upon tt.
place Of attack. It Was decided that thu aeet
should renew the attack, while The army
landed ind made an assault, Seventeen gun
boats, under Capt. GlessoE, were sent to COW
er the landing Of the troops. Other small
vessels were afterwards sent, and by the use
Of their small boats the troops were rapidly
thrown on shore, and she1Iing Was resumed.
At Z tt. N. on the 25th firing was quite slow,
With the design Of amusing t4e enemy while
fired but few shots. Thepoint Of landing was
five miles east Of the Aeet. About 5000
troops were landed snd moved up to within
COO yards Of Fort Fisher. One officer ascend
ed the parapet and brought away q flag. 4
soldier led out horse, Killing tho orderly
Another fired his gun into 9 bomb. proof
among tic rebels and several Of our MN were
wounded BY our shells. As their ammunition
gave out, smaller vessels we're ordered to re-
tire and iron-clads and heavy vessels were
| commanded to open with great rap1dity.
At sunset all but the iron-c1ads were with
drawn, the latter keeping up g slow flrc until
daylight, expecting to corcr the assault in
| the morning. Gen. Weitzel. sent word that
nm assault was impracticabIc. The. army
| landed about 2 o'clock aud commenced
re-emhatking ut : o'clock, one b:is4de stay
Ing on shore during the night, covered by t1,o
ga'nboats. slxtr-trc rebel soldiers - ti@en-
| dercd Us our troops Landed. n-d .oo gave
themselves up TO snan accomplishing
| patty.
Tie loss Of OH land forces is not stated.
\ detachment If gunboats was sent to find
! the entrance to tue harbor, but the channel
has been 20 changed that 1t was not dis
covered.
When the original channel existed there is
now shallow bar. Several officers arc high
| If complimented, among them Commodore
Rhind and Lieut.. Preston, who managed and
I exploded the topedo boat Louisiana. It Is
said they had deliberately arranged to blow
| up the vessel in case The rebels should take 1t
| by boarding.
Tie officers and crews Of the monitors are
comp1imcnted for patience in riding out the
gale, and for gallantry in action.
Admiral, ,>Porter closes by sayiny, "there
are about q Thousand men lett On the shore
VI Lne army NHo uAFe uOt }eC gut Oh Ou IT.
| count Of the surf on the beach. These will
he taken of in the morning, and the soldiers
| will ;1lcn be sent home.
In the bombardmcnt of the 25th the firing
| was Glow for several hours. The enemy had
lTo guns in the upper battery, and managed
10 strike several vessels, though without DO
| ngmuch damage.
Accompanying the report Is letter from
Gen. Butler With Admiral Porter's reply to
Enn RufIpr He snys rnnn 1andfnr the
troops and accompanying Gen. Wietzei on a
tholough Reconnaissance Of Fort Fisher, they
were both Of the opinion that the place could
| not be catsied BY assault, as it was left sub
stontially unin1ured BY fire from the navy.
! There we're II guns protected By traycrses,
| only two Of them being dlsnluunted. The
| balance bearing directly on the beach and
| closing the only practicable route.
| Prisoners captured, Us previously reported,
| state that Hokcr's division from Lees army Ii
| at Wilmington. The night before the attack
| Weitzcl advanced his skirmi5h line within
! fly yaids Of the fort
| While the enemy Tas kept in his bomb
| proofs, dispatch WAS captured on IN orderly
| with an order from Gen. Whiting to bring q
battery Of light guns into the tnrt. 4 few Of
our men entered the fort while ehclls from
| the tleet were falling around them. As soon
as the firing from the navy ceased at dark.
| the fort was manned as fully as ever, and
| opened With grape and capnister upon our
| picket line. Nothing but tilt operations of q
pgu]ur siege would serve to reduce the fort.
These were not in accordance with instruc-