The New York herald., 1865-01-11
The Lame and Impotent' Wilmington
Conclusion to the Grand Campaign OF
1864.
from the Richmond Viii,

tFrom the Richmond wing, jan. Z.
The Wilmington expedition furnished not much Of
glory to the Yankees II did not give them pre-
text for their chronic s de oe and pyroechnical dis
plays. Salues and fireworks in superabundant profu-
sion celebrated the boodess capture Of the useless port
of Savannah; but this poor compensation for the
failure take the valuable port of Wilmington In spite
Of all their vauntings of problemaca successes
and vaccinations Of imminent chimerical conques,s
they cannot conceal the chagrin inspired by the mig
carriage OF what intended to be the grandest
dition and the most magnificent triumph OF the war;
1t is natural enough that modification should be pro-
duced by fdsco 80 papable and so lnmentable
The disappointment at tho defeat must be In the d
rect ratio of the antcipations Of victory. The pre-
lminary exaltatcn is fair measure of the suisse
quent depression. But We who did not participate
in the former cannot be expected to share in the latter
We can only in common with the rest Of the werd, en-
joy the righteousness of tho spectacle and laugh at the
melancholy discontinue which has overaken
guine and iacatious Yankee brethren In fact spe
cimen of anti-cimax, this whole affair surpasses any
thing else In that line that the inventive genius Of the
Yankees has offered during the IL can be apty
illustrated by the story famous King France
who, with his twenty thousand men, marched up the
hill and then marched down again, OF t Grand Roi
Ddgobert, gni mis- ses c,ottes are'trs by that
pious hawker OF Constantinople who aurDaiy peiam-
bulated the thoroughfares of the pos vocerang
i'm the name Of the prophet--t igsl' I'm each
clusion ID so remarkable commentary
the magnidccnce of the commencement But
still more striking with the magntude u the grepara
ons which preceded and the exravagacce OF the pre-
tensions which accompanied t. The attack on Fort
greatest naval effort which had mp 10 that time, been
made But Us failure concealed by calling II
experiment. and the withdrawal Of the vessels not
attended with those ludicrous and inconsequentia mill
tary man1uvres which have the effect Of redctio dd
absxrdum on the Porter Butler attempt Indeed IL il
hard TO say whether the the military branch Of
this Ill fated enterprise has the greater claim 10 be
sidered laughing stock for dsnterested SPECTATORS
or which one is nearer right in the contumey and
abuse 1t heaps the other Porter asserts that his fire
terrific that il Immediately silenced the guns OF
the fort; and we know In fnct that 1t surpassed any
thing Of the kind before raned defensive work
The valiant admiral, therefore, very naturally supposed
that Buffers soldiers would have nothing but
walk into abandoned and shattered work But Buter's
soldiers thought quite differently; and Butler himself
under the suggestion Of General Wetze, 10 the
conclusion that the Yankees might well walk into the
gates Of Aveus into those imminent deadly breaches
of Fort Fisher From Portere report ore would imagine
that the fort had been entirely Knocked 70 pieces and
Butler says IL WAS unimpared defensive work
Hence, from the military point OF view the navy had
wofuy failed TO carry out It's part OF the programme
which consisted In reducing the fort To compara
lively unresisting condition But the other side
Butler relates with of pride, how his brave skir-
mishors went straight to the deserted parapes and
how vaorous officer captured flag and a yenturesome
corporal killed rebel orderly and bagged his dispatches
From all Of which the increduous Porter draws the
ference thai where few did much the whole mish
have done ever puch more and from which the NEw
YORK Herald considers itself entitled 60 prophesy in It's
usual fccitous manner thal Fort Fisher which stood
out against The amazing ire 0f Porters feet aud deed
the threatened assault of Buffers army will lie captured
lnc day next week BY squad Of Yankee marines
In this the HEALD doubt Il only ndulgng IN little
OF its peculiar huror That paper means We presume
not thai the marines viii take Fort Fisher but that tho
reports both Of Butler and Porter ought have been
addressed 70 those proyerbiay crcduous creatures.