Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-12-31
From wilmington.
Adu5aI Po1ters oaeial Report OftGs Bon-
1a,d"snfef Fort EI'ha-Lud.siH'. RsDHii'

i NEW L0hAs Lee los-AQulEaAH EQENGE
full report Of operations against Whining
ton Is received from the Navy Department
e is dated the 10th, on New Inlet, Deoem-
Der 26th, from the hsgship Malvern. The
following Is digest Of the report.
Tue attack was opened on the gath
with the IFonsides and all the heavy Ves-
sells tfhe feet, smaller vessels being held
in reserve. Previous 70 making th6Attaek,
torpedo ona large scale, supposed 70 e0u.
tain powder enough 70 explode the maya.
zine of the fort was carefully prepared,
under command of Commodore A. O. Rhind,
and exploded under the walls of the fort.
So much had been said about the terrible
results Of powder explosions recently 10
EBgland, that great results were expected
from the experiment..
The boat selected was the Louisiana,
and, alter being prepared AZ Norfolk, she
was toWed round 20 Beaufort aud filed
with powder. The Louisiana was dis.
guised as 3 blockade runner by painting
her WhiteAnd adding another sm0ke-staek.
Every preparation for her success WAS
compIeted at Beaufort.
Gen. Butler had arrived at the rendez.
Vous previous TO the concentration Of the
feet, aud every effort was made. 70 have as
breif delay as possible. On the 18Th, Ad-
miFal Porter sailed from Beaufort 70 the
rendezvous, within twenty miles Of New
Inlet, and found most Of the feet assem-
bIed there. On the 20th, q heavy gale
sprang up, which the feet managed TO ride
out, without accident, except of q few an
chOrs. Some Of the transports being short
of water, and not fit for severe weather. put
into Beaufort and remained until the storm
was over. On the 22d Commodore Rhind
was ordered 70 make ready 10 explode bis
torpedo under Fort Fisher. At 1890 p. m,
the Louisiana started 10 tow of the VIII
dsrness. AS soon as the embrasures Of
the fort were in sight the Wilderness cast
of, and proceeded under steam to within
800 yards of the beach and 500 yards from
Fort Fisher, where she was anchored. A
bloekada.rnnner went in directly ahead of
her, enabling Commodore Rhind 70 make
preparations without suspicion. After eV-
ery thing was ready the fuses were light.
ed. and the party escaped 20 the Wildsf-
ness, which Immediately steamed
out 70 sea. The explosion occurred at
forty Eve minutes past one, on the mOrniHg
of the Oath, and was not at all like
what was ex pected. The vessels In the
feet were shaken bat little. At daylight
tho feet moved, aud At 2-80 In the
morninR the attack commenced, and was
opened in fine style by the New IrOusides,
followed by the M0nAdnoek, Con0nicus
and Mahopac. SeVentsen guns were eoun-
ted on the northeast face; only Eve were
used, and they were soon sileneed- The
Minnesota and other large vessels took PO-
sition and delivered their fire rapidly. As
soon as they opened the FIRE was BO'severa
as to drive the enemy TO their bomb proofs,
aud they replied from only one or two guns.
The smaller gun boats then took posi-
60 in h.
f0ht. One hour and fifteen minutes after
the Eight began the enemy's guns were com.
pieteiy silenced, two magazines were
blown up, and several buildings set on
fire. The FIRE was then slackened, but still
kept up, in hopes OF attracting the attention
of the transports with troops.
General Butler came at sunset, With q
few trOOps, and preparations we're made
for renewing the eight in the morning.
During the heaviest OF the attack, one
hundred and fifteen shots per minute were
fred, aud the euemy's guns silenced 50
quickly no one on the field was iDjaredby
their FIRE. Six 100 pound Parrot guns of
the feet exploded, killing and wOunding,
in the aggregate, forty-four officers and
men. These explosions were on the til
couderoRa, JuniAta, Guanta, MaekinAW,
Quaker City and Susquehauna, and were
attributed TO the defective character of the
guns. Tho MsCkipaW was perforated in
her boilers, aud had ten men badly scaId-
ed. The OsceOla was struck near the
magazine, and made water rapidly, butWas
saved through the exeFtions of her officers
and crew. The Keystone State, Sassaeus,
Santiago de Cuba and Fort Jackson are
especially mentioned, and also the Brook
Iyn, Colorado. SusquehAnna, Mohican,
TicOnderoga, Shenandoah,
Paw tucket, Vanderbilt and Minnesota. The
monitors officers and men came out Of the
action with contempt for the rebel aFtil-
lery, and were anxious 20 renew the fight
on the evening of the 2Sth. Transports
had arrived and q conference was held With
Generals Butler and Weitzel 70 decide on
the plan Of attack.
Il was decided that the feet should re-
new the attack, while the army landed
and made an assault. Seventeen gunboats
undsr Capt. Glessin were sent 70 cover the
landing OF troops. Other small vessels
we're afteFWard sent, and by using their
smsll bosts troops were rapidly the0Wn on
shore. The Smelling was resumed at q.
m, on the 25th, the firing being quite slow,
with the design of amusing the enemy
while our troops assaulted the fort. The
enemy fred but few shots. The point OF
landing WAS Eve miles east of the feet
About 8, 900 troops landed and moved mp
10 within 600 yards OF Fort Fisher. 0ae
oficre assembled the paFapet and brought
away flag. A soldier led out horse,
killing the orderly riding him. aad brought
of his dispatches. ABOtber 6red his
gun into the bomb proof and seVe-
raj Of our men were wounded BY our
shells. As tie ammunition gave out, the
smaller vessels were ordered 70 retire, and
the iFon elads and heavy vessels e0mmand-
ed to open with great rapidly. At sun.
set all bat the iron clads were WithdraWn,
the latter keeping up . slow fire till day
light, expecting 70 cover the assault. In the
morning, Gen. Weetzel sent word that an
assault was impracticable. The army Ian
ded at 2 o'clock, aud re.embarked at6, Que
brigade staying on shore during the night.