Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-22
GRAND NAVAL EXPEDITIONS.
Departure, OF the Fleet from
Fortress Monroe. ~
WILMINGTON ITS exported DEs-
TIN TTOE. aAA A-AlAS
Porter and BatIer n command:
The Defenses of WIImIngIOn --.Its I'M
1pOrfanee to the RebeIs--.A ppl oaehes
to Neutrality-suspicious. FOrtffica-
-5 ttOnss de-, DE. -+ g-o5g --=s5 7sa

On Tuesday, December 18Th, as has al
ready been announced, an immense arms
d5 comprising eighty four ships, with an
armament of eight hundred Rnd twenty
guns, set sail from Fortress Monroe, under
command Of Admiral D. D. Porter, and
having on board Major General B. F. But
Ter. The universal belief is that the des-
1tinstion Of this fest is Wilmington, and
its object the capture of that place. Prep
srstions for the capture of the forts de-
Tending the entrance To- Cape Fear River
have been in progress for months, but not
until about the lst Of September wersths
officers assigned and measures taken to
carry the devised plans into execution. r., r.
About that time admiral Porter was dr..
Feeted to assume command of the North
Atlantic Blooksding Squsdroni and he at
once commenced to put bis squsdron ia or
der. The first step taken was IA perfect
| ing the ironclsd fleet, which was done as
speedily as possible, and the result has pro-
duced the Dictator, one OF fhe largest Tesr3
sells Of her class In the navy the Atlanta,
one of the best productions Of rebel ingell
nuity; the New Ironsides, which has never
been found wanting; the Monadn neck, which
was deemed SO valuable s vessel that she
was at at once selected as the flagship of
the squadron, and other ironolads which
viii be Of great service in carrying out the
plans. Among the wooden vessels select
ed, were the Wabash, which was Admiral
Dupontsy flagship at the capture of Port
Royal; the Minnesota, of Monitor and
Merrinae renown; the Colorado, the chief
among the 5O-gun screw frigates, and the
| Brooklyn, of New Orleans, Vieksburg snd
Mobile fame; the feet numbering, all told,
eighty-six vessels and eight hundred and
twenty guns, force numerically superior to
any armada which has ever, in ths history
of the world, moved against any enemy.
The general plan Of attack was decided
upon 8 short time after Admiral Porter
assumed command of the fleet, 1t was
decided that the heavy vessels, which, by
reason of their draught of, water, could
not cross the bar, should lay off with
in distance Cf two miles and actively
shell Fort Fisher, which commands the
entrance over New Inlet Bay,
The fire is intended to be so rapid that the
guns of the rebel fort could be silenced in
brief period of time, and in the interval Of
/ the lull, when It occurred, the lght-drsught
vessels and monitors were to attempt the
passage of the fort, covered by the frs Of
the heavy frigates, &c. sAt the same time,
the other vessels of the feet not psrtiei-
pating in the general bombstdment, were
to pass up the channel, over the bar, into
the river. 1t wss thought that some yes
sells might be lost or so badly disabled as to
render them incapable of offensive action,
but the number Of the feet employed
would prevent any disaster from sucn an
accident. The sides of the wooden vessels.
we're plated with chsin-srmdr, as was Ad-
miral FarTagut's feet when it passed
Forts jackson and st. Phillip, and Forts
Morgan and Gaines in Mobile Bay. The
asrns Preeeution of lsshing the vessels
side by side will be resorted TO If circum-
stances will permit. aHs F'=zrI raaa
While the feet rendezVoused at Hsmp-
ton Roads, the yards, tOpnis.sts ana extra
spsrs we're sent down, boats removed from
the decks, and the vessels cleared for ac-
tion in the most thorough manner. Bags
filled with sand were placed on the most
vulnerable parts of the decks, and In
places to protect the boilers and machin-
cry. In fact, everything that human IN
genuity could devise was done to make the
vessels shot and shell proof. ai- H- .
Hospital ships were provided for the
accommodation of six hundred wounded,
and an extra corps of surgeons was assign
ed to the squadron. Seven hospital steam
ers and number of tugs we're thus de-
tailed under the direction of Fleet Surgeon
Fox, and every measure that human inge-
nuity or skill could devise was adopted, to
give proper care and attention to the
wounded in the action. 81 --.-..s.. la 5a-