Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-01-05
The Attack on Wilmington.

iron-clads and navy vessels of the feet,
the smaller vessels being held in re-
serve. Previous to making the attack,
torpedo on large scale, supposed
to contain powder enough to explode
the magazine of the fort, was carefully
prepared, under command of Commo-
dore A. @. Rhind, and exploded under
the walls Of the fort. So much had
been said about the terrible results of
the powder explosions recently in Eng
land that great results were expected
from the experiment. The boat select
ed was the Louisiana, and after being
prepared at Norfolk, she was towed
round to Beaufort and filled with pow
der.
On the 18th Admiral Porter sailed
from Beaufort for the rendezvous, TWEEN
ty miles east of New Inlet, and found
most of the fleet assembled there. On
the goth heavy gale sprung up, which
the fleet managed to ride out without
accident, except the loss of few an
chors. On tha>23d Commodore Rhind
was ordered to make ready to explode
his torpedo under Fort Fisher. At
1890 in the evening the Louisiana
started, in tow of the Wilderness. AS
soon as the embrasures of the fort
were in sight, the Wilderness cast off
and proceeded under steam to within
200 yards of the beach and 500 from
Fort Fisher, where she was anchored.
A blockade-runner went in directly
ahead of her, enabling Commodore
Rhind to make all his preparations
without suspicion. After everything
was ready the fuses were lighted, and
the party escaped to the Wilderness,
which Immediately steamed out to sea.
The explosion occurred at As minutes
past one OH the morning of the oath.
and was not at all like what was ex-
pected. The vessels in the feet were
shaken but little.
At daylight the feet moved in, and
at 1890 in the forenoon the attack
commenced. 1t was opened in fine
style by the new Ironsides, followed
by the Monadnock, Canonicus and Ma
hopac. Seventeen guns were counted
on the northeast face. Only five were
used, and were soon silenced. The
Minnesota and other large vessels
next took position and delivered fire
rapidly. AS soon as they opened the fire
was SO severe as to drive the enemy to
their bomb-proofs, and they replied
from only one or two guns. The small
er gunboats then took position accord
ing to order, and joined in the fight.
An hour and fifteen minutes after the
fight began the cnemy's guns were
completely silcnced, two magazines
were blown up, and several buildings
set on fire. Our fire was then slacken-
ed, but still kept up in hopes of at
tracing the attention of the trans
ports with troops.
Gen. Butler came at sunset with q
few troops, and preparations were
made for renewing the fight in the
morning. During the heaviest of the
attack lis shots per minute were fir
ed. The enemy's guns were silcnced
so quickly that no one in the feet was
injured by the fire. The officers and
men came out of the action with con-
tempt for the rebel artillery, and were
anxious to renew the fight.
On the morning Of the 25th the
transports had arrived, and confer
ence was held with Generals Butler
and Weitzel, to decide upon a plan of
attack. 1t was decided that the feet
should renew the attack, while the
army landed and made an assault.
Seventeen gunboats under Captain
Gleason, were sent to cover the land
ing of the troops. About 5000 troops
were landed, and moved up to within
six hundred yards of Fort Fisher.
One officer assembled to the parapet,
and brought away flag. A soldier
led out a horse, killing the orderly
riding him, and brought off his dis
patches. Another fired his gun into
bomb-proof among the rebels. In the
morning Gen. Weitzel sent word that
an assault was impracticable. The
army landed about two o'clock, and
commenced re-embarking at O'clock.
Sixty-fvc rebel soldiers surrendered as
our troops landed, and 200 gave them
selves up to small accommodating
party The loss of our land forces is
not stated. Gen. Butler says that, up
on landing the troops and accompany
ing General Weitzel in thorough re-
connoissance of Fort Fisher, they were
both of opinion that the place could
not be carried by assault, as it was
left substantially uninjured by the fire
from the navy. There were seventeen
guns protected by traverses, only two
of them being dismounted, the balance
being directly on the beach and cover
ing the only practicable route. Moth
ing but operations of regular siege
would serve to reduce the fort. These
were not in accordance with instruc-
tions, and as the weather came on I'M
Gen. Butler gave orders for
re-embarking.