, 1865-01-04
Chicago Qribune.
FGKTER'S EXPEDITION,
THE ATTACK UPON FORT FISHER
ABANDONED.
official Report Of Admiral Porter.
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 4. 1865.

Official Report Of Admiral Porter.
NORTH ATLANTIC SeUADnox,)
US. FLAGSHIP AAIvrEs. At :: s5A; ;ss,
SIN: was in hopea that I should have been able
to present TO the nation Fort Fisher and The sur
orkB "a Christmas Offering, but an
sorry to eay it has mol been taken yet attacked
Mshupsc, 4 M Ii Mona5noeE, 5 Minnesota, Colorado, 10,
rowlstan, Jnnista, Seneca, Shenandoah, Patax-
Knnsas, ts itasea, VaaEcr CITY, Monticello, Rhode
Punloosns santiago d. cuos, Fort Jsson oo.a5. ana
Chtrokce. 4. D. Vance, Anemons, Eolua. GestJs-
burg, Alabama. Keystone s1ase Bans9sss s Emma anna
incllan, md Nalsemond. Previous to making the |
atisck atorpcdo gu Il large ecale, with az 1mount
Of powder on hoard supposed TO oe euMeic9t ta 70
seea RssRaFfds RGndsa sse eSnpna ga at %
1oas Te s. w Prston
Assistant Engineer A. T. Mullen Of the United
States steamer A-awan, and Acting Masters Mate
eaId and written about the terrible effects ol gun
powder in an explosion that happened recently In
England, that great results were expected from
ingenuity could devise Wss adopted to make he
experiment a eucctss. The vessel was brought
round feum Norfolk with great care and without
eacus, Lieu,en.nt Commander j. l. Davis, who
directed his whole attention to The matter In hand
and though Ac experienced some bad weather and
Besuor s @ %hcse s we lxd her be Up viii po@def, md
perfec1ed all the machinery for blowing her up.
General Butler had arrived at the rendezvous
before US, and hastened matters all that could,
20 that no unnecessary delay might be 1ald to my
charge.
n1Drxa OUT GALE.
On the 1s,h inst, eailed from Beaufort with all
yessels, including the Loaitiana. disguised 2;
east ef New Inlet. n c. and found iii ths larger
VESSELS and transports assembled there, the wind
blowing frceh from the northeast On the a0th
heavy gale set In from tho southwest. and not
5%sn ans MAKE G9r e0nt
Of few anchors, the Monitors ali behaving beau
gaie. md Jared no better than those At anchor.
md %si sas: satasi 1ns out At
e 1fter h The soathxeser @ The wind chopped around
TO the westward. and gaye us hcauiifnl spell or
weather, which could not a1lord to lose. and the
transports Will the troops not making their ap-
pcarauce, determined to take advantage OF 1t, and
attack Fort Fisher and lta ontworks.
EXPLOSION or TIE TORPEDO BOAT.
On The e3d directed Commander 1shind to pro-
Of Fo1t Fieher. lir. Bradford, Of The coas. Sur
vey, having Eunc in at night and nscertained that
we could plaee eraft of 5evcq feet draft right on
mandi6g the Get.ysbusEs, volunteered to- 60 in
the Wilderuess Acting:M M,ster Henry Arty In COM
nan1. and tow the Louisiana Into position At 10i
hrs.ures Of Fort Fisher were plainly mi ght Tie
ccedcd under tteam until within aoo yards of t6e
beach, and about 5ao from the fort Commander
Khind anchored her securely there, anu coolly
went TO work = mike all his arrangements to blow
her up. This he was cnahled to do owing TO
blockade runner going IN right ahead Of him. the
ty1t making the bqexaas rnns5 IT., slsasss, which
nffer coolly ma Ing all their 2rrangemeuts for the
zploEton LEFT tho vessel, the LAST thing they did
taking to their boats they made their escape OIL to-
the Wilderness close by. The Wilderness then
put of shore with good speed to avoid any ILL.,
effects thnt might happen from the explosion
TIE ATTACK ON FORT FISHER BEauS.
At 20 minutes past Gu the morning Of the 9Th
the explosion took place, and the ehocE was
nothing like severe rs wRs expected shook
sse md e5SS e se Ill t.:
feet GOT under why and stood In line Of battle.
At 11SD a. N. the signal was made to engage the
Canonlcus nnd Mahopac following. The lronsides
| took her position in the most beautiful SEAMAN
| like manuer+ and opened a deliberate fire on the
| fort which was firing at her with all its guns,
] face, though We counted whit appeared to be
seventeen guns, But four o! dse Of these were
fired from that diIection, and they were 8lentcd
almost as soon as the Ironsfdes opened her ter
rifle battery.
The Minnesota then took her position IN hand
were hrcd with raptdity, while The Mohican, fhc
Colorado, and the large vessels marked on the
plan got TO their staions, all firing to cover them.
the large vessels anchored and got the batteries
| into play. but one two guns OF the enemy were
fred, this {tu d'e'Jsr driving them all to the
bomh-proofi.
TIE REBEL oUKs s1LENcKp-
The email guuboats Kansas. Unadll1n, Fequot'
Seneca, Penloosuc, Yantc and Huron took posi-
ton on the northward and eastward Of the Monl'
Ticcnderoga, . I Macstnaw, Tacony and Vanderbilt
took elective positions. As marked On the chart,
md added thsi1 hre to t9at already begun. IN Tn
va, Saesacua, Rhode Island, Monticello. Quaker
City and Ia.eo dropped into position according "a
ee s9 Is d shot
fired, not shot came from the fort Two maga'
ZINES had been blown up By our shela, and the
rent OF 1nissilcs were falling into and bursting
over it. that Il was Impossible for anything hu
TO T. sa1ns
up moderate tire, in tho hopes OF attracting the
t5un,p ports and Bringing them IN. A sunset Gen
ports, lie rest I'll not having arrived IRON beaufort
Rct, 6 TOO late to do anything more, signallcd u
the feet to retire for the night TO sate anchor
| aye, which they did without being molested b,
the enemy.
BURSTING or PARROT auSs.
| Irerret however, to have to report some severe
casualties By the bursting Of 1t1ponnd Parrot
one nnrst on 6 6os5d ae
another burst on hoard the Yankee Killing on!
officer and two men another on the Jnntsta, Kill
ne men snoshe1 Ss On @ ihe MseEnaRs killing one oee
and wounding five other men; another on th
Quaker City, Wonnaing, belis!e. two Or three
inE seven. I think the bursting Of The guns (si'
in I'LL much Disconnected the crews Of the vessel
. where the accidents happened, and gave one an'
aa eubseqaent event. re m proved, hey were unis 10
service and calculated to kill more OF onr mel
. than those Of the enemy. Some q the vessel
.. her boiler perforated with a shell, and ten Q
! twelve persons were badly scalded. The osccol
was struck with a shell near the magazine, m an
The Macldnaw fought out the battle, notwithstand
ds hs G fSs ns
line showed unusual intelligence IN selecting th
eesS1 sa%n and t Sss1g III s f. Msuas ss bst n
. he silenccd the guns there In refy short TINE
the Keystone Suite and Quaker City co-operatiD!
effectively.
There were somc mistakes made the day whcl
) the vessels went in 10 take POSITION Ny plan o
battle being based On accurn'e calculations. ant
madc on information to be relied on, was placet
In the hands Of each commander, and it setmet
impossible to 60 astray ifit was strictly followed
required those vessels that bad not followed
closely to get under way and assume their prope
positions, which was done promptly and withou
confusion. The vessels were placed eomewha
nearer 10 the works, and were able to throw II
their SHE'LL which we're before falling in the water
One or two leading vessels having made the mis-
take Of aucbortng too fur of, caused those coming
after them to commit a like error. but when thel
4ot into place, and commenced work tn earnest
the shower Of shells (onc hundred and fifteen PEI
minute) was irresistible. So quickly we're III,
encmys guns silenced, that not an officer or mai
| was Injured.
! FURIOUS BoNRAnnMEKT.
. Lieutenant Commander J. R. Davis, with bott
ruddert disabled got hts vessel the SasEacus, int
close action and assietrd materially in sflencIn:
the works, and the Santiago de Cuba and the For
Juckson took such Positions as they could gel
owing to other ycsscls not forming proper line
and throwing them out Of place. aud fought thei
guns well. Tie taking Of a new position Will
under fire BY the Brooklyn and Colorado, was
beautiful sight, and when they got i7to place bot
slfps delivercd fire that nothing could with
stand. The Brooklyn well sustained her Prou
name under her present commander, Capt. JANE
Alden, and the Colorado gaver evidence that ne
commander, Commodore Il. K Thatcher, well uf
derstood the duties Of his position. The Suseque
hanna ysn6 rnet effectfye in her fire. and WAS foftI