The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-01-21

We have received New York papers Of
"Wednesday, the 18th instant. Gold was
Quoted at GIG 81.
THE FALL. OF FORT FISnER-PAITICULAR
OF THE ASsAULT-GENEHAL WHITING
AND COLONEL LAMB WOUNDEDvSEHSE-
oUENT EXPLOSION OF rIE MAGAZINE
HEAVY LOSS ON THE FEDERAL SIDE.
The papers are iull of accounts Of the
fall Of Fort Fisher. Column after col
umn is devoted to the leat5 Of the sol
dieIs anu sailors. until the reader won
ders that the fort did not fall upon the
first approach Of such magnificent war
riors, and how it held out during four
hours of desperate. fighting. The Van
kee loss was heavy. The commanders
of the three leading brigades--Ceneral
Curtis and Colonels Pcnnibaker and
Bell-wcre wounded. The Chickamauga
aud Tallahassee took part in the fight, but
retired up the river after, the fall.of the
fort. The preliminary accounts give a
history of the bombardmcnt by the
navy. Of the real assaults, a cores
pondent of the Baltimore american
gives the following account:
THE NAVAL ASSAULT.
From Lieutenant Farquhar, of the San
t;ago, who accompanied the landing party
from the navy, have some interesting
particulars Of the repulse Of these gal
liant men. Flag-Captain Breeze accom-
panied the expedition, with Lieutenant
Preston, assistant hag-eaptain; Lieu
tenant Benjamin Ii. Porter, commander
of the flagship Malvern; Lieutenant
Commanding Lamsden, of the Gettys-
burg; Lieutenant Farquhar, Lieutenant
Gushing, and large number of acting
masters ensigns and masters mates.
The sailors were in three divisions,
under the command of Lieutenant Com
lnandcr Cushman, Lieutenant Selfridge'
and Lieutenant Parker, whilst the ma
rines were commanded by Captain Daw-
son, Of the marine corps.
The sailors and marines, on reaching
a point three.quarters Of mile from the
fort, were opened upon with grape and
canister from two of the embrasurcs,
whilst the main portion of the garrison
appeared on the parapets with muskets
and rifles, and moved down our men,
The first division coming up last could
not get into the ditch, and consequently
had no cover or protection. They were
thus compelled to oroer retreat, and
large portion of the other divisions obey
ed the order, leaving only about two
hundred under cover. They were still
under this tremendous fire as they re.
treated, and their bodies were left strewn
along the beach, together with many Of
the wounded, the rebel sharpshooters
afterwards amusing themselves by firing
at these unfortunate creatures. They
also killed number Of the wounded in
this way, who fell near the ditch.
Those who remained under cover be-
hind the palisades, about two hundred
in number, burrowed into the sand, and
thus protected themselves from the vol
leys that were constantly poured into
them. Among these were Flag Captain
Breeze, Lieutenant Farquhsr, of the San
tiago, and others, who made their es-
cape after dark. Ensign Dayton, of the
Nercns, who had been for eleven
months prisoner along with Licuten-
ant Preston and Lieutenant Porter, at
Charleston, observing his two comrades
fall, seized rifle and devoted himself to
revenge tor this outrases inflicted on him
aud them. When Colonel Lamb, the
rebel commander Of the fort, was cb-
served standing on. enc Of the ramrarts,
with his sword drawn and cheering on
his men to resist the assault of the mill
tary, he levelled at him and saw him
fall, apparently dead, but he was found
&c be mortally wounded, and is now in
cur hands. Several others also fell un-
der his unerring shots.
Thus the naval stormipg party failed
not, however, through any want of
bravery on the part of the gallant fellows,
but owing to the fact that they had to
march over level, .lnobstructed beach
without the slightest shelter, and had
thus. concentrated upon them the whole
power of the garrison. The moment the
signal was given by Admiral Porter to
the fleet to change their fire from Fort
Fisher to the water batteries, the whole
garrison rushed to the northern ramparts
to resist the assaulting party. They
knew there were soldiers under cover in
tho woods, but they thought they were
to follow on in support Of the naval
brigade. They had no idea that, whilst
resisting the assault on the north side,
the army was approaching on the west
side.
Tho losses Of the naval brigade were
not less than two hundred and fifty in
killed and wounded. Flag-I Lieutenant