The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-01-18
Admiral porter's Dispatches.

FIs0snr MALvERs,
Orr ToRr FIuER, N. g., Jan. IA, 1865
SR-I have the honor TO inform you that operations
have been against the forts at tho q
Cape Fear the FIRST attack that place and
the subsequent Withdrawal OF the troops.
have been employed in ABng tho ships with ammu-
milton and coal Tho difficulties have encountered
one can conceive All work had TO be done with tho
larger vessels anchored the coast exposed sou may
almost say at to the violent gales that blow here al
most necessarily On these gales the enemy dependcdt0
break up our preparations We win We hsvo
gone through tho worst Of It. Hao held on through
gales heavy enough 10 drive anything 70 sea, ard wc
have sustained damage whatever After the troops
arrived the weather bet ia bal and the gallo was very
heavy A soon 4 ever 20, under way, on the
18th inst and forming the vesssls In three lines with
the transport in company steamed Tor Fort FisLcr
on the morning Of tho 18th the cct took It's station in
three nca close tho beach, and the boats sn a.
once to take OF the troops. These landed, with
about twelve days provisions, at about two clock l. "
This time | pursued a diacTcnt plan in attacking
the rebel works I sent In tho New lr1nsdes, Cora
modors R4diogd leading tho Monitors FL Bug,
Cauoncus Monadnock and Mahopac AZ halfpst seven
A NJ tho forts opened them they approached but
they quietly took W their old positions within thou
sand yards OF Fore Fisher end when ready they oponci
their bacries in this way tempted the enemy = ca
gage the Monitors that might sec what guns thcy
had and, seeing where they be able TO dsmoant
them by Arc quite spirited engagement went % h.
tween the forts and the Irousiios and Monitors II vas
soon apparent that tho iron vessels had tho
best Of n TavcrSes began 70 disappear,
and tho southern angle OF Fort Fisher
common "a h look very dlapidatcd. The guns wcrn
rlen-cd ono aner other and only ono heavy gun
the southern angle kept mp ~ rc Tho re Of this gun
WINS not al all accurate il inflicted damage on tho
iron vessels They were hit though several timcs by
way OF letting tho enemy known NO had some shells
left on board tho wooden shpa and did not intend 70
take any unfair advantage OF him by using tho iron
yosscb alone, ordered line No. on the plan sd ~
Captain Alden Of tho Brooklyn and line No 2, led ny
Commodore Thatcher Of the Colorado 70 70 and attack
tho batteres This done In the handsoucst manner
not mistake was committed except nnns too rapidly,
and making too much smoke
The heavy are OF tho arc vessels shut up tho eneys
guna a, once and after firing an after dark the wooden
yessels dropped out their anchorage me ironsdes
and Monitors maintained their position through the night,
er,,g stoll now and then They now lying within
go ttoas,,a wards or the FORT and some Of the Monitors
,h, ss,or hundred yards and tho fort does not FIRE
~ . ,bem thinking no doubt that II Is waste Of pow
der
Tho airing from the feet viii commence as soon az wo
%, breakfast and 10 kept up long as the Ordnance
Department provides with shells and guns There is
psrec, understanding between General Terry and my.
sic believe everything has been done TO suit him.
hlyo heard no complaint and know that We have felt
every disposition to help the army along
detailed report ofour operations hero will hc cent IA
when We ct through sec 90 reason y doubt SIC
cess. The rort viii be used up soon.
We have 4 respectable force landed on strip q Ind
which our naval guns completely command, an plleo
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