The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-01-10
THE ATTACK ON WILMINGTON.

Bonbardment Of Fort Fisher.
The following interesting and graphic descrip-
ton of the fight at Fort Fisher was written by a
correspondent of the Fayetteville Observer:
Fort FISHER, Deer 29th.
The long expected attack on Fisher has taken
place, and our grand old fort, with its riddled
sides stands triumphant and victorious; its noble
defenders resting from their struggle, and the
great feet disappeared from before US, baf1ed and
whipped. will not attempt to describe the at
tack as words would fail to give the least descrip-
ton. Those who witnessed it will never forget it.
Those who did not will never be able to understand
or imagine the 6erceness and the grandeur Of the
most terrific bombardment that has ever taken
place On this continent
Saturdays Fight.
Ga Saturday morning, from the movements of
the feet it was the general understanding that
they were preparing to attack. About IL o'clock
they had formed in line of battle and commenced
to move up. On they came, the huge trigates
leading the way; then the grim ugly 1ronsides;
thon the monitors and the great line of smaller
vessels--strctching away out-almost as far us the
eye could zee. Nearer and nearer they approach.
All is calm ard QUOT in the fort-the men are at
their guns-our Colonel stands on the Pulpit,
watch il hand, to note the time they commence
firing. Closer still they come; ard they are in
position: A flash, curl Of smoke and loud re-
port, followed by the shrieking noise of the SHE'LL
from Of the trlgAtes, announces the light COM
meneed, 20 minutes before l o'clock. And now
the fight progresses in earnest; thick fly the she'll
loud sounds the thunder of artillery, lurid the
flashes Of great guns as they vomit forth their
missiles of death and destruction And oh! nobly
stand our men to their guns. From Shepherds
Battery to the Mound they stand unquivering and
defiant, loading and firing eoolly aud calmly, the
gunners sighting THEN guns if they were prac
ticing at target. The scene is grand and awful
From every. vessel can be seen the white curl Of
smoke, and high up in the air hundreds Of smoky
rings are formed from the explosion of shells. The
firing does not abate in the least; it increases
the fight progresses, and the noise is deafening.
The enemy have concentrated their fire on our
flag and tho hal!iards cut; and now the noble
staff is struck in several places and falls The
flag at the Mound still floats, and~now they fire on
it, thick and fast. AT last they strike it and down
it comes; but it is Immediately raised again. Bang,
bang, bang, whiz, whiz, whz, clash, CLASH, clash,
all the time. The quarters have caught fire, and
the bright flames stretch out their tongues while
the heavens are enveloped with dark clouds of
smoke. The dir is sulphurous from burned pow
der. Still all goes we'll
About o'clock the fire of the enemy begins to
slackcn, and the intervals between the firing
longer. Still gradually it slackens; and at 81
o'clock the fight ceases-thc vessels haul off and
return to their anchorage. The damage to the
fort has been very slght-hardly any-and
weary gallant soldiers rest from their struggle for
the while, they expect another attack at nj ght.
The casualties are %, one mortaly, severely and
10 slightly wounded.
Sundays Fight.
The expectation Of the garrison that We would
have night fight not realized. The night
spent in waehfuness aud repairing the slight
damage sustained by the fight. Our noble Gene
raj Whiting had arrived and all was confidence
and cheerfulness AS the morning dawrcd the
feet could be discerned in the distance, getting
ready to renew the attack; but it not expected
that operations would commence before high tide,
which would be about l2s o'clock However,
every man at his post ready at one moment
to again engage the fleet. About 10 o'clock tho
fleet commenced moving ir-their extreme right
resting near Gatlin's Battery, about miles up the
beach, and their left extending down to the Fort
che lronsidesded the attack, the frigates resting
on her right and left and the monitors to the right
Of the frigates. counted SO vessels in ALL
lronsde, or monitors, frigates and II other
vessels They steamed in very slowly, two of the
'rigates going round to the front of the fort,
and the lIoncads and monitors lying abreast of
the centre front. Tho IroEsides snd monitors
came up within mile; the rest Of the fleet re-
manned out about Ii miles At 10 so a. M, the
first gun was fred by the Ironsidcs, followed by
tHc iest "a Tue Hcct uIlDS very SLOWLY ana Qellbe
ratey, for Tic while. The fort reserved its fire,
thinking that the wooden feet would be tempted
to come in closer range. Finding, however, that
they would not come In closer, our guns opened
also firing very slowly. The day was quite toggy
and the smoke from the guns rendered it more So
About Il o'clock the FIRE commenced to increase
with great rapidly. The dull, heavy, humping
sounds of the cnemy's guns as they were fired
could be heard first, and then the whistling,
shriekine sound of the shells as they came whis-
zing and buszing through the air; their explosion
and the myriad fragments that went rafting by
thick almost as hail, were terrible to listen to-
Terrific continued the bUmbardment-n slow
firing now from the enemy-no del:bcratiou-away
they would shoot their hell balls not caring " here
they threw them-faster and faster comes tie iron
hail, louder aud louder sounds the terrible thunder
the air is hot with the FIRE, such as you would
experience from the heat Of furnace; the earth
shakes; no interval of quiet; all is noise-crash
bang, and bang, crash, all the time. Will it ever
cease? Will it ever stop? No lull. Bang, bang,
bang, qaicker than you can count. The sand flies
all about. There goes she'll whstling by, close
to Cen Whiting; it buries itself, exploding, COW
erinS him all over with the wet sand lie doesn't
even move, not even takes his pipe FROM his
mouth and only remarks cOo!ly, 'Wc it spattcr-
cd me-"
Still no notwithstanding evening goes ou-tbe
time passes slowly. The men stand to their guns
nobly. Some were yesterday fighting all day, and
still fighting; there is DO lag in them they fight
Us men never fought before with heavy suus Col,
Lamb aud Geu WHITING ara .verv whar. oI,,,,