Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-01-26
Fort Fisher.

from the New York Thbune,l
The history Of this war does not afford q
parallel to the successful assault on Fort
Fisher and Of course no other war does, for
in no war till the Crimean had the present
system Of earthwork defenses been tested
and in the Crimea there is no instance of a
successful assault upon any work till it had
been regularly approached by elaborate and
protracted siege operations. Now for the
first time is really formidable eartbwork
carried by direct assault, and ina military
view, therefore. the storming effort Fisher
is probably entitled to be reckoned the mast
brilliant, as it surely is the most remarkable,
victory Of the war.
Fort Fisher was the strongest fort in the
South. With its extensive system Of out
works, constructed at leisure by the best
engineering talent of the Confederacy,
relied on for the sure defense Of the sole
remaining port into which blockaderunners
regularly attempted to enter, immeasurably
important to the external support Of the
Rebellion, it was deemed, and within
fortnight has bsen proclaimed by the Gen
eral who commands all the Rebel forces,
absolutely impregnable. We possess as yet
strength may be Judged from the fact thatit
hab ttludldCu ditSi ING nv
tremendous naval ombardment which any
fort has endured, that its parapet and stock
ade were fifteen feet high, and that after
portion Of the parapet was in possession of
the assaulting column, the remainder ol the
fort defed their efforts seven hours and
until reentorcements had been brought up.
The carrying by storm Of such work is an
epoch in military history. AS the Monitor
Merrimac fight was to naval warfare, as the
preaching OF Pulaski by light guns at eigh-
teen hundred yards was to cagemated forts
on land, so may the storming Of Fort Fisher
bs to the Dewly-vaunted earthwork dsfensss.
| The ever escillating superiority of attack
and defense which for three years has been
supposed to be with the latter, rests to-day
with the former. Horoisn is better than
, dirt The masonry Of Vauban defed the
weak artillery of the first hafofth century.
and when that system fell the earrhworks
of ToatlebeR again restored the odds to
! defensive warfare, but the genius and the
| resclute will Of one commander aided by the
unequaed yalor Of his troops have neutrsli-
zed and overpowersd the best engineering
science Of the day. and at this moment no
fertilization is secure against assault.
Alfred II. Terry, Brevet Mai
United States Volunteers, is the hero Of the
new success. Educsted lawyer, nsVsr
within fifty miles sf West Pont, child Of
the people and soldier in this war from
the beginning for conscience sake-he it is
who has won in single day national fame
and professional military renewn not
inferior to the proudest. Gen. Terry wss
ono Of the few men who before the war saw
the necessity of preparation for it, who
helped TO put bis State (Conneeiicutl in
preparation for it, and who devoted his own
energies to its approaching demands. He
was among the first in the field, has served
steadily and with ever increasing distinction
siuce, and now at q bound reaches the
highest place among the soldiers Of the
Republic.
The practical value of this success is two
fold. The port of Wilmington is closed
absolutely against block ckade-runhing, and the
town itself is imminently threatened. The
former is by far the most important, but the
capture of Wilmington is a success to which
we may look forward as extremely valuable
as closing an important line of railway
Whether it can be Immediately attempted
will depend on the strength of Gen. Terry /:
force.
Our special correspondents send very full
and excellent accounts of the operations
down to Ssturday-the day before the final
assault. The landing of the troops and the
subsequent movements on shore were con-
Quoted by Gen. Terry with singular GOODNESS,
good Judgment, and determination. There
was no hurry. no agerness-though the
circumstances might have excused it-but
quiet purpose to do the whole work
thoroughly; and it has been done thoroughly.
Everything south of Fort Fisher on Federal
Point is ours, and the works on the right
bank Of the river may be expected to follow
speedily. So far there is nothing to maj
the joyfulness and completeness of the vie
tory save the inevitably heavy losses atteu
ding it. We grievo to find among them the
names of Lieuts. Porter and S. w. Preston
of thu Navy. The latter was one of th'
youngest and most promising officers in tha
service, who fought with great distinction
at Port Royal and Charlesto n, was captured
in the attack on Fort Sumter, exchanged
and has been recently volunteer on perilnu
, dnty. The Rebel loss ia the assault wa
500 killed, beside the wounded, our owl
= about 800 killed and wounded.