The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-01-10
WAR NEWS.

WAR NEWS.
THE ATTACK ON WILMINGToN-The attempt
of the yankees to capture the Forts below Whining
ton as we'll as the town Of Wilmington resulted in
a complete failure. The enemy approached Fort
Fisher with 65 fighting vessels and bombarded it
on the Oath and 25h of December with great fury,
throwing abour 10000 shells into the Fort. They
also landed force and attempted to take the Fort
by rear attack, but that repulsed with heavy
loss to the yankees In order to demolish the
Fort they showed boat up to it with 115
tons of powder (over 200, 900 pounds) and explo-
ded it but the Fort and garrison sustained no
damage from this new yankee scheme At one
time during the fight the enemy succeeded in cap
turing small two-gun fort called "Battery Ais
derson," but the place was soon made too hot for
them by our guns, and they had to evacuate it and
retire to their ships, and finally the whole fleet
was compelled to withdraw and abandon the attack.
This is one of the most important victories OF
tie war for US, for if the enemy had sucoeede>- in
getting possession of Wilmington and its detences
it would have been aserious disaster to the Con-
federacy
The battle on side fought by North Ca
rolina troops alone. Troops from other States, we
believe, had been ordered there, but they did not
reach the battle ground in time to participate in
the fight The casualties on our side amount to
three killed and sixty wounded. A battalion of
J uuior Reserves, commanded by Major Reese, was
captured by the enemy, or at least surrendered by
the Major. He is censured for urrendering-some
Of the boys refused to surrender and escaped. A
few prisoners were captured by our troops
We learn from late Northern papers that the
yankees acknowledge their defeat. Admiral Por-
ter, who commanded the fleet, has made his official
report to the Lincoln government confessing tbs
failure. It is stated by the n. Y. Times that dur
ing the bombardment six 10O-pound Parrot guns
were hursted on six different yankee vessels, kill
ing and wounding large number of the crews.
Beast Butler was along with the expedition, ready,
if the attack had been successful, to set up his
standard at Wilmington and give the inhabitants
a taste of his New Orleans rule; but thank Proyi-
dence, he was forced to sneak back to Fortress
Monroe.
GEN. HOODS ARMY.
For some time the only news received from Gen
Hoods army was through northern papers, and
our people. They reported that Hood met with a
terrible defeat at Nashville, Tenn, losing all his
guns and nearly all his men. But the truth is
beginning to come out even through yankee sources,
and it appears that Hood although forced to retreat
by overwhelming numbers, Inflicted severe blow
upon the yankee army.
The following is the first account received from
our side OF the battles at and near Nashville:
SELMA, Ala, Dee 3O-A gentleman arrived at
Meridian the 9th bringing the following graft
fying intelligence from Hoods army Gen. Hood,
on the eve of Withdrawing from Nashville, was at
tackled vigorously by Gen Thomas, who massed a
heavy force and threw them upon the centre, which
was composed Of Cheathams and Bates divisions
These veteran troops gave way. Hood then moved
on Columbia, Tenn. On the Goth there an
other fight, in which the enemy were badly whip
ped, losing ope entire brigade captured besides |
and wounded. Gen. Forrest captured an
entire brigade of yankee cavalry and 600 wagons
Forrest has beer made Lieutenant General.
Late northern news states that Hoods army
crossed the Tennessee River at Florence on the |
22d. The New York News says that 'the first
DAYS battle at Nashville resulted, o1 the whole, in
q Federal repulse. Hood, having held his ground .
during the day, sent back the wounded, both .
friend. and foe, to Franklin. Having retired dur
ing the nig ght to another position, he attacked
next day. His assaiants, successful perhaps at
few points, aud unsuccessful at others, he main !
aincd on the whole his position of the morning. /
gain, having sent back the wounded who bad {
ALLEN into his hands, Federal and Confederate, he
withdrew during the night. His losses during the
wo days, In killed aud wounded, cannot, with the
insight given US into his hospitals at franklin, be
supposed to have exceeded twenty FIVE hundred
men, When three thousand is confessed the
Federal loss on those days"
So, on the whole, we are confident that Hoods
lrmy is not half as badly hurt yankee kilograms
1t FIRST represented it.