The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-01-18
BY TELEGRAPH
- TO THE
EVENING PAPERS.
OFFICIAL NEWS DISPATCHES.

| We ASAAA NGWO O1DfAICdE6.
Capture Of Fort Fisher by Assault An tn,
Works South of Fort Fisher. Occupied b.
our Troops = Large Captures of Prisoner.
and Gans-Federal Loss Heayy. aid -as
WASHINGTON, Jan. II, 10 40 A. NJ
To Maj. Gen. DiI The following official
dispatches have Just been received at this De.
partment: l5 3.s eos +1s L.
HEADQUARTERS U. s. FoRcEs ON FEpERAL1o
POINT N q. Jan l6, 81
,s.s,es,r VIA FoRrRbss MoNRoE, Jaas IT.. y
To Brig. Gen. John a. RGsoLings;- General
l have the honor TO report that Fort Fisher
was carried by assault this afternoon and ev.
ening by Gen. Ames' division OF the I'd brig
ade of the LIST division OF the oath army corps
CALAMITY aided by battalion of marines and
seamen from the navy. 80 90 =
The assault was preceded by heavy bonn
bardment from the Federal feet, and was made
at 8 80 p NJ, when the LIST brigade fCurtis' O
Ames' diyision) effected lodging on the par,
apet, but full possession of the work was moi
obtained until 10 p M. a2X a#ea'aB enl
I q The behavior OF both officers and men was
most admirable. = ..si TAX
AL the works south of Fort Fisher are now
occupied by our troops. We have not hess
than 200 prisoners, including Gen. Whiting
and Col. Lamb, the commander of the fort. /
regret to say that our loss is severe, IS.
| pecialiy in officers. am not yet able to form
any estimate of the number of casualties. %
aeA 81 (Signed) De- ALFRED 81. TERRY,
Brew. Maj. Gen. Comd'g Expedition.
q yasea Fort FISHER, Jan. Is. g A. M.
After careful reconnaissance on the 18th
it was decided to risk an assault on Fort Fish
er, Paine's division, with Col. Abbott's brig
ade, to hold our line, already strong, across
the peninsula, and facing Wilmington against
Hoke, while Ames' division should assault the
west end. o5 5isa giis sa0 Tx
After three hours Of heavy naval firing, the
assault was made at 8 p. M. on the 18th. Cur
it's brigade led, and as soon as it arrived on
the west end of the land front it was followed
by Pennybacker's and the latter by Bells. CT
Alter desperate fighting, gaining foot by
foot, and severe loss, at 5 P. M. we had pos
session Of about half the land front. Abbotts
talga'ie v,s then taken from our lines facing
| Wilmington and put inLo Fort Fisher and on
pushing it forward at 10 P. M, it took the res,
of the work with little resistance, the garri-
son falling back to the extreme of the PENN
sula, where they were followed and captured
among others Gen. Whiting and Col. Lamb
both wounded. a rt4e1,,a, III $40
think we have quite 1000 prisoners. j
hope our own loss may not exceed 500, but it
is impossible to judge in the night. TX
Among the wounded are the commanders
Of The three leading brigades, Gen. Curtis be-
ing wounded, not severely, but Coils. Penny
hacker and Bell dangerously. 9e i2 IA
The land front was formidable one--the
palapet in places fourteen or fifteen feet high
but the men went at it nobly, under severe
musketry fire. The marines and sailors went
up calamity, but the musketry fire from the
east end OF the land front was so severe thai
they did not succeed in entering the works.
I The navy FIRE on the works, judging from
the holes, must have been terrific. Many OF
the guns were injured. How. many there
were on the point cannot say, perhaps thirty
or forty. ae. $3.50 3lsi.s, n fssT
(Signed) C.B. CoMsTocK,
Lieut.. Col. A. d. O., and Chief Engineer. 81
Another dispatch estimates the number of
prisoners captured at $500, and the number OF
/ guns at seventy-two. q A3sAe q. sR6a
Gen. Grant telegraphs to the Department
that in honor of the great triumph, achieved
by the united valor of the army and navy, hi
has ordered salute of one hundred guns to
be fired by each Of the armies operating
| against Richmond. SD ifel8s1
| aisi (Signed) i 9ai CA. DANA, r
% ~ Assistant Secretary of War.
| y5ea4 FORTRESS MONROE, Jan. II.
To Hon. Gideon Weltes, Secretnfycf the
Nduy, Wdshington.-The Atlantic is just IN
from Wilmington. Fort Fisher and works on
Federal Point are in our possession. The as
sault was made by the army and sailors or
Sunday P. NJ, and by IL P. NJ, the works
were ours. The losses were. heavy. Leuts.
| S. w. Preston, and b. h. Porter of the navy
were killed. Our captures we're 70 guns and
about $500 prisoners. Gems. Whitney and
Lamb, rebels, are wounded and prisoners.
The Vanderbilt is on its way north with dis.
/ patches. la'snsfs
Two Is. inch guns burst on the monitor.
(Signed) E.. T. NICHOLS.
| 8an -biIai ~ aMsB ; 3asa Commander.
WASHINGTON, Jan. II.
The Navy Department has received the fol
lowing via. Fortress Monroe, 18th:
OFF Fort FISHER, Jan. Is TO Hon. @.
WeueS-Fort Fisher is ours. / send bearers
ofdispatches with briet account oil the affair
Gen. Terry is entitled TO the highest prais
and gratitude of his country, for the manner
in which he conducted his part Of the opera
tons. he is my beau ideal of a soldier and !
! general. sat e 3 aa ta79s5 aat
Our co operation has been most cordial, re
sulting in victory which will always be our
when the army and navy go hand in hand
The navy loss in the assault was heavy. The
(Signej) d. D. POTTER, 9as
.ss., 81 Rear Admiral Commanding.
r. .sssa.e ~ New York, Jan. II.
The Commercial Advertiser, in an article OF
the defences of Wilmington, says Fort Fishe
has Y guns. Fort Caswell 81, Fort johnson
! 10, Fort ST. Phillips 8. on other works 20; to
tai number of guns 208. "a 2aH aIda bas
Arrest of Rebel Pirates and I,scendiaries.
| esfI lr.1 Nur., vcpxr To-, IT