Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-30

on the teet exploded, Killing Woundlng IN \
the aggregate, forty-four officers and mon.
These explosions were on the Tieonderago, |
Yantic, Juniata, Mackinsc, Quaker City
and Susquehsnna, and were attributed 70 |
the defective character Of the guns. The 1
Mackinac was perforated in the boiler, and /
had ten persons badly scalded. The Oscola
was struck near the magazine, and made /
water rapidly, but was saved through the !
exertions of her officers and crew.
The action Of the Quaker City, Keystone
State, Isssacus, Santiago De Cubs, are
specially mentioned, and also the Brook
lYn, Colorado, Susquehanna Mohecian,
Powhsttsn, Ticonderago, Shenandoah,
Verderbilt, Minnesota, and the Monitors
officers came out of the action with con-
tempt for the rebel artillery, and were
anxious 20 renew the fight on the morn
ing of the 25th.
A conference was held with Generals |
Butler and Weitzel to decide on the place |
of attack. 1t was decided that the feet |
should renew the attack, while the army |
landed and made an assault. Eeventeen |
gunboats, under Capt. Glesson, were sent |
to cover the landing OF troops, and other |
small vessels were afterwards sent, and by |
using their small boats, troops were rapidly |
thrown on the shore.
Shelling was resumed at seven in the |
nan=nihs on the 25th, the firing being quite |
slow, with the destSa Ne Rmusing the enemy
while the troops assaulted the fort
The enemy fred but four shots. The
point Of landing was five miles below the
aeet. About 1900 troops were landed and
moved up to within six hundred yards Of
Fort Fisher. One officer ascended the
parspet and brought away the flag. A
soldier led out a horse, killing an orderly
riding him, and brought off his dispatches. |
Another fired his gun into bomb proofs |
among the rebels, and several of our men
were wounded by our shells.
AS the ammunition gave out, the srus IL !
er vessels were ordered to retire, and the |
iron-clads and heavy vessels were com |
msnded to open with great rspidity. At |
sunset all but the iron.clads were with |
drawn, the LITTER keeping up slow fire
until daylight, expecting to cover the as
sault in the morning.
General Weitzel sent word that the !
assault was imprscticsble.
The army landed about o'clock, and |
commenced re-embanking at 5 o'clock, one
brigade staying on shore during the night, |
covered by the gunboats.
Sixty-hve rebel soldiers surrendered as |
soon ss our troops landed, and two hun
dred more gave themselves up to a small |
reeonnoRering party.
The less Of our land forces is not stated. |
A detachment of gunboAts was sent 10
find the entrance to the hsrbor, but the |
channel has been so changed that it was |
not discovered.
Where the original was there is now |
shallow bar.
Several officers are highly complimented, |
among them Commander Rhind and |
Lieutenant Preston, who managed and |
exploded the torpedo boat Louisiana. It |
is said they had deliberately arranged to |
blow up the vessel in case the rebels should |
take it by boarding. The officers and |
crews of the monitors are complimented !
for patience in riding out the gale, and for |
gallantry in action.
Admiral Porter closes by saying There |
are about a thousand men left on the shore !
by the army, who have not yet been got |
of, on account of the surf on the beach. |
These will be taken off in the morning, and |
tho soldiers will then be sent home.
Hri6g tRAlas tRAlas hs4Q1Pp9gamnSsnt hsQ1Pp Of the 25th, the
enemy had two guns on the upper battery,
and managed 10 strike several vessels,
though without doing much damage.
Accompanying the report is letter
from General Butler, with the reply of
Admiral Porter. General Butler says
Upon landing the troops and accompany
ing General Weitzel on a thorough recon
noissance of Fort Fisher, they were both
of the opinion that the place could not be
carried by assault, as It was left aubstan-
tally uninjured by the fire from the gun
boats.
There were 1O7 guns protected By
trsverses, only two Of them being disman-
tied.
The prisoners captured, as previously
stated, report that Hawks division, from
Lees army, arrived at Wilmington the
night before the attack.
General WeitEsl advanced his skirmish
line within fifty yards of the fort, while
the enemy we're kept in the bomb-proofs.
The dispatch captured on an orderly
Wss an order from General Witing 10
bring battery of light guns into the fort.
A few Of our men entered the fort while
shells from the fest wee falling around
them. As soon as the fire from tho navy
ceased, at dark, the fort WAS manned as
fully as ever, and opened with grape and
canister upon our picket line.
Nothing but the operations Of regular
siege would serve to reduce the fort.
These were not in accordance with the
instructions, and as the weather came on
uncomfortable, General Butler gave or
ders for re-embarkment. General But
ler's engineer sustained his opinion that
Fort Fisher was practically uninjured by
the bombardment Admiral Porter in re-
ply to General Buffers letter, said he had
ordered the large ships to go to Beau
fort for ammunition and be
ready to renew the attack in
case they decided to continue. He stated
thst they had not commenced to fire rap
idly, and that they could keep all the
rebels out of sight until our troops were
within twenty yards Of the fort. He was
of the opinion than an assault could be
successfully made, but would not wish TO
place his Judgment in opposition to that
vey of the enemy's works. In conclusion
he said that the beach would probably be
smoother in short time, when all the
men on shore could be safely taken of.
The Richmond Sentinel Ct the 27th,
contains the following:
MOBILE, Dec. 23.-The Yankee raiders
from Pensacola to Pollard, destroyed all
public and some private buildings dsmsg-
ing the road considerably, and the bridge
over the Escamba was partly destroyed.
Captain Henry Pope, Quartermaster,
was captured. -Four negroes were cap
tured yesterday. Our forces pursued them.
A portion of their supplies and transpor-
tation was captured. The road was strewn
with their dead. Another rsiding party
was near Goods Mills on Sunday. It's
advance was met By our cavalry and driven