The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-01-20
FORT FISHER AGAIN bonn
BARDED AND CARRIED
BY ASSAULT.
Capture Of 1900 Prison
erS and 70 Cannon.
Rebel Gen. Whiting and Col.
Lamb Captured
FROM WILMINGTON.

CAPTURE Of Fort F1sher..2,6OO PRS.
oners and u Cannon..-Our Loss
5OO...Terrihc Bombardment OF
the Navy and Gallant Assault OF
Land Forees-..How it Might
Have been Taken Before but
for the Treason or Cowardiee OF
Butler.
WAR DEPARTMENT,
WARRINGTON, January u.s.
To Ma;or General Die:
The following official dispatch has just
been received at this Department:
HEADQUARTERS u. 8. FORCES on
FEDERAL POINT, N. c., January Is, 1865,
Via FORTRESS MONROE, Jan. IL.
Brig Gen. j. A. Ro,sliags:
GENERAL: have the honor to report that
Fort Fisher was carried by assault this after
noon and evening by Gen. Ames' division and
the I'd brigade of the LIST division OF the Path
army corps, CALAMITY aided by battalion Of
marines and seamen from the navy.
The assault was preceded by heavy bonn
bandment from the fleet and was made at $3.50
P. NJ, when the LIST brigade (Curtis0 of Ames'
division effected Judgment upon the parapet,
but full possession of the work was not OBJ
tanned till evening.
The behavior of both officers and men was
most admirable. All the works south of Fort
Fisher are now occupied by our troops. We
have not less than l 200 prisoners, including
Gen. Whiting and Col. Lamb the comman-
dant of the fort.
regret to say that our loss is severe. espe.
pecially in officers. / am not yet able to form
any estimate of the number of casualties
ALFRED H. TERRY,
Breyet Maj. Gen. Cong Expedition.
Fort FISHER, Jan. 16, "a. N.
After a careful reconnaissance on the 14th 1t
was decided TO risk an assault on Fort Fisher,
Paine's division with Col. Abbott's brigade to
hold our line. already strong, across the PENN
sula, facing Wilmington, against Hoke. while
Amcs' division should assault on the west end.
After three hours heavy navy firing, the as
sault was made, at 8 P. NJ. on the 18th. Curtis
brigade led, and as soon as it was on the west
end of the land front, it was followed by Pen
nybacker's and the latter by Bells.
After desperate fighting, going foot by foot,
and severe loss, at five p. N. we had possession
OF about half the land front. Abbo.ts brigade
was then taken from our line facing Whining
ton and put into Fort Fisher, and on pushing
it forward at 10 p. N. it took the work with lit
tie resistance, the garrison falling back 10 the
extreme of the Peninsula, where they were
followed and captured.
Among others, Gen. Whiting and Col Lamb
think we have 1000 prisoners. hope our
own loss may not exceed $780, but it is impossi-
bic to judge in the night.
Among the wounded are the commanders of
the three leading brigades, General Curtis be-
ing wounded not severely but Col. Pennibacker
and Bell dangerously. The land front was q
formidable one. The parapet was in places II
to Is feet high, but the men went at It nobly
under severe musketry fire.
The marines and sailors went up calamity,
but the musket fire from the east end of the
land front was 80 severe they did not succeed
in entering the work. The navy fire on the
work, judging from the holes must have been
terrific. Many of the guns were uninjured.
How many there were on the point cannot
say perhaps thirty or = forty : covsrocx
Lieut. Colonel, A. D. c. and Chief Engineer.
Another dispatch estimates the number
of prisoners captured at $500 and the
number of guns at seventy-two.
Gen. Grant telegraphs to this depart
ment that in honor of this great triumph
by the united valor of the army and navy
he has ordered salute of one hundred
guns to be fred by each of the armies
operating against Richmond.
G. A. DANA,
assistant Secretary of War.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16.-The Navy De-
partment has received the following:
NORTH ATLANTIC SQUADRON,
U. 8. FLAGSHIP MALVERN
BEAUFORT, N. c., Jan. z, 1865.
To Hon. Gideon Weles, Secretary of tie Nary,
Washington:
SIR have the honor to enclose you letter
received from Lieut.. Commander Temple, con-
tanning interesting matter relating to Fort
Fisher. 1t IL important as Q matter of history,
and tells the whole story.
Your obedient servant,
Rear Admiral
u. 8. STEAMER BoSroozNK, OFF NEW NLEr.l
January 2, 1866.
Rear Adn;ral Daeid D. Porter:
e1R-It may be of interest to you to receive
the report of the rebel deserters mentioned In
my letter of this date.
The following memorandum of information
e elected from one Of their number, Corporal
THOMAS Lawry of the marines:
He saws he was stationed during and since the
in the naval battery at Buchan-
an. commanded By Lieut.. Chapman, and stu.
ated near the Mound-that there were between
ZOO and 600 men In the forts on the two days of
the attack, and no troops In Wilmington or In
its vicinity to reinforce them; that the fire
from the deet was 80 fierce as to drive the re-
bells from their guns and into the bomb proofs.
Throughput the greater portion of their works
soon Alter the commencement of the action,
that twenty of their Brooks guns burst kill
ing and Wounding some twenty five men that
we dismounted eight Of their guns besides In
juring several of their gun carriages; that We
killed thirteen of their men, and wounded
thirty; that Gen. Whiting supposed the boats
that were sent into the bar on the 18th, to be
. storming party Of seamen to which he would