, 1865-01-16

The following Is the complete abstract Of
Gen. Buffers report Of the Wilmington ex-
petition, . portion Of which vas published in
our Issue Of Saturday.
General Bntler EtateE that utter emharldng his
forces on the thcy were detailed from The
9Th to the 18th OF December. waiting for forterfs
ncct. He Joined the transport net of Cape. Hen
y; on the 11th arriving At the rendezvous OF New
cd until the evening q the 1sth having the fair-
Get wca1he1 possible. On the evening ofthe 18th,
Porter came from Beaufort, to rendezvous, when
eprang up. making ftmpossaele to land the troops,
md Dy tic advice Of Admiral Porter the troops
we're landed At Beaufort. This Wis necessary. as
the transports were ecalrd fol ten days, and that
time had been then consumed.
For four days the wind blew q. gale, during
which time the tansports were coa1ea and water
IN sight Of Fort Fisher, and found The naval faet
bombardiug It. the powder vessel having been c1~
ploded on the morning Previous: Arrangements
cover Of the ellnboats, q soon as tic are Of the
HaltInoon and Flag Pond lii! batteries had been
ftleueed, which were Up the shore, two or three
That be had eilepccd Fort FiEhcr. He was urged,
II that were so, to run ly the fort into Cape Fear
River, and then the troops could land and hold
rebel gunboats, The Tallahassee being seen IN the
EVER. General Butler argued that II Porter would
put his Hhips IN the river, tue Rmy could then be
blockade Of Wilm.neton would be tins efectna1,
Porter replied that he fhouia probably lose
q ne = might ,ose ny
dred men BY an aseuuat> and hts boat Won1d not
weigh N the balance, cyea In money point Of
@ "a s o. a5 as
essential element or sueecsa.
On the noon OF the 25th the batteries were Re-
teqins party iandnc could ho1d he shore, Butler
determined that ths land force shoa'd attempt an an
hundred yards Of Fort Fisher capturing the half
moon lett.1y and Its meu. This ekirmish line ad-
ysnced to within sevcnty,dve yards Of tle fort TIE
laval are. When The FIRE Of the navy ceased. The
psrapct WIS fully manned. and personal c1amlns.
tion By Butler, within teT hundred feet Of Fort
siye etockade bastions, fifteen feet high and fifteen
wide near the west ditch. and thar no material
damage had been done 10 the fort BY the navy.
Seventeen heavy guns tore up a breach The fla3
which had been cut down by q shell, was captured
On the edge Of the ditch. and IN orderly Alled.
about third Of mile from the fost The report
that any eo1dIcrs entered IL a mistake. During
this time, A1nes' division had captured 218 men
and 10 commi*= stoned officers Of the North Caro-
lima Reaerses bntls1 3es;nsa @ stem tasss p',son
within TWO miles Of the rear q his force
their sgirmishcts we're actually engaged.
sd ths remember q Aose Il ma
were On the march. Thus forming force outside
the works eupertor. to Butlcr's; meantime the
tsoTe ad Sa haa
At this time ei:zc reported to Butler that 70 as
s=ult the works. In his Judgment and that o. expc-
r1cuced officers OF his comnaud. would be fnpos-
Thts OPINION cofncided with Buffers, hut as
mich as lie regretted the necessity Of abandoning
the aemp he yet eoslafrsd nj daty Plan 10
Assault during the war, and he referred to the
slaughtered thousands IN the assaults on port
Hudeon and Wagner, Butte. says: therefore
troope to re-cnboEk. Wufie preparations to re-
embark were making, the firing Of the navy
ceasrd: The guns Of The fort we're fully msnnsd
and ehnrp fire Of musketry, and grape and cant5
ter swept the plain over which onr column must
have advanced. II WIS fonnd impossible to get
our troops I'LL aboard before the sea ran 80 high
as to fGuder further cmbRrEauon OF even The
| sending Of supplies ashore impossible.
On the 26th having made all proper dispositions
for getting the troops OF board, General batef
TO SAIL TO Fortress Monroe, In obedience to orders
from the Lieutenant tsenc-aa.
General Butler states he learned from deserters
and prisoners t1At the euppoeito1 when the e1pe-
di.ion WIS planned, ,that Wilmington was dcnnded
Of troope to oppose Sherman IVES correct and 20.
al the time Of tne arrival Of the army o. w1lmins
and less than 1,Uu within twenty I,l1es; but the
dcIny Of three daye waiting the arrival of the na'
na hs further ds ~ e st9rm o. The
I
from Richmond. The instructions Of the Ieu-
tenant General did not contemplate siege; we
had neither siege trains supplies for s1ch con-
| tipecncics. General Butler here eays: The cu.
ee1cy OF possible delay for which the foresight u
| the commander OF the armies had provided. had
1ison. with the fact that the navy, had c1-
! hausied thrir enpply Of ammunition in
hor1ba1cmcnt. 1cl me with no alternative
| but to return with my army to the James.
| The loee Of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 18th.
| isth and 18th, was the Immediate cause ot the
failure of the expedition. 1t ia not my provinces
/ even to euggest the blame to the navy. For tnelr
delay Of -four Days at Beaufort knew more Of the
1ea&ona which do or do not Justify It. hnt It fs to
refers to the excellent behavior Of the troops. aud
| thu uesistnce afforded him by certain naral
| officers.
| The report Of Gen. Weitzcl statcs that afte1
J getting i full surrey Of Fort Fisher, he frankly
informed Gen. Bnler that 1t would be hntehery *
order assault On that work under the cl1cumstan
ccs. Gcn. Curtis md Gen. Amcs reports are up
pcnded, confirming ul1 the shove essential points
| and copies OF Gen. Grant's = te1egraphe and order
to Gen. Butler, conclude the document
/ GEN. GRANTS Hp0usEhKST.
Cen. Qrnnt In his Endorsement Of Buffers re
! port says: alt IVES never contemplated thu
| Butter ehould accompany the expedition, Aato
Cen Weitzcl bctn: specially named as couman
| der Gen. Grant thinks tAc delay In the moyins
Of tie expedition cnn be charged TO waiting for th
euupowder boat to be prepared. Grant says
Butler is In error IN Stating that the fo-embarka
tinn of troops waR by his Instructions. as his IN
EtFuctio1s never contemplated Withdrawal alte
. landing he'd been effected. Gen. Grant says II
Ills orders that the first object Of the eEpediho,
| yyas to close tho port Of Wilmington, and II sue
! reHsfn1 tn captura the city itsclt