New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-12-30
WILMINGTON.

| III ~ u'ipC'cr4itAJ pam ehdV w" S''"V " /"
mington expedition has ended in wrangle.
Gen. Butler and Admiral Porter did not fad
themselves able to agree Oh the conduct of the
enterprise which depended for its success on
their cordial cooperation. The dispstch of Ad.
mirsl Porter, which is confused on many other
|points, s clear in this: that tho land sld naval
forces could not be eiIcctually combined
Thus far We have only his side of the
story. The lette, from Gen. Butler referred
to in the dispatch has not yet come to hand. II
received in season to appear in Our news col
umns this morning it will probably illuminate
what is now obscure to VI, and the reader will
be able to make his own comments At present
we express no opinion except upon such facts
as seem to be established BY the statements and
admissions of Admiral Porter.
| II is remarkable that Admiral Porter began
his attack on Fort Fi.her without waiting for
the arrival OF the troops The fort has been
repeatedly declared on tic highest authority
| impregnable by naval force alone. 1t would
seem that Admiral Porter did not share the
opinion OF his official superior. There appeared
to him to be an Opportunity not 10 DO lost;
rs he himself expressed il, the weather
was too fine TO be wasted. Accordingly
the attack began a; . O'clock on Saturday
morning By the explosion OF the to7edo-boat
Louisiana, within FIVE hundred yards OF Fort
Fisher. We had understood that this torpedo
was intended especially 10 destroy the morale
Of the garrison. and that Immediately upon
their confusion IN assault should follow
| by the troops. We do not know bow
otherwise il Was expected to take advantages IT
the explosion. But Admiral Porter chose to try
the experiment when no troops had been landed
or were even near the coast. Unless, therefore
he hoped that The walls Of the fort shop!d be
actually blown down end the men within il
destroyed by the torpedo, IL Is difficult
Ito understand why the attempt was
made at oil; and even il these consequences had
followed, it 10 equally difficult TO SEQ how they
could have been taken advantage Of. If no
land force on our side was at hand to occupy
and hold the demolished fort, the enemy OF
Icourse could yenew possession Of The ruins at
his leisure, and could cover them By the ad.
jacent batteries.
But the explosion OF the torpedo produced
no visible effect. Admiral Porter says tue
shock was slight, end it appears from his report
that Fort Fisher, which remained unmole5ted
from two tin half.past eleven, was subsequently
able ~ continue an engagement Of FIVE hours
duration with his powerful feet. At the end Of
hat time--about five o'clock on Saturday after.
noon--the guns Of the for, were siienceI. aud
the feet withdrew.
| On the following day--Sunday, the 9th
Gen. Buffers troops arrived. Under cover of
the FIRE Of the fleet, they, or portion of them.
were landed between l2 and 8 o'clock on Sunday
afternoon. Admiral Porter puta tho number on
shore at 1900. The account which follows is
uniptelhgble. From one sentence u appears
that their reembarkatiOn began immediately, and
without demonstration sganst The fort From
another, it appears that Ma. -Gen. Weitzel and
party OF administers reconnoitered the fort;
that few OF the soldiers actually entered the
work; that one officer brought away the 1ag
| which had been shot from its staff; that
soldier fred shot into the bomb
proof where tho garrison were concealed,
wounding eight OF ten concealed Rebels; that
Rebel orderly arriving al the fort with dis
patches was killed and bis dispatches captured;
and that while all this wss going on the feet
was still shelins the fort, and succeeded in
wounding number Of our own men. But il is
nowhere indicated tha, anything like IA assault
took place. On the contrary, Gen. Wetzel
reported sn assault imprscticable-an opinion
in which Admiral Porter, though properly
protesting Ia und"s.yalre his Judgment
in comparison with that OF an able
and experienced officer who bad examined the
ground in person, does not concur. But not.
|withs,sndiDg Gen. Weitsel's report, Admiral
Porter proceeds to remark: 1--WE drew of at
sunset, leaving thei,on-clads TO fire through the
might, expecting The troops would attack in the
morning." The reasons why they did not 70
attach s1e set forth in tho letter Of Gen. Butler,
which at this writing we havo not received.
Our readers, il they have been able TO follow
us thus far, viii probably agree that tho whole
business on which Wa have hesitstingly COLI
msnted IL in great need Of calculation. For our
part We have only 70 suggest again that there
arc two sides to the story, aud that but one Las
lyet been heard. We deplors the failure which
hA occnrred. and still moro keenly. do
We regret that any feelings OF hos.